Why OpenSnow Is My Go-To for Storm Chasing 🌨️
- Feb 4
- 3 min read
When I know snow is coming in, I wake up, grab my phone, and check OpenSnow.
Ten inches of fresh overnight at my local mountain. Nice. Then I swipe over to another favorite and see Silverton is lining up for another 15 tomorrow. I look at my calendar. I’ve got the next five days off. That’s all I need to know — it’s time to storm chase.
This is where OpenSnow really shines for me. It’s not just a single forecast or a snapshot in time — it’s the full picture. I can see how much snow has fallen over the last couple of weeks, how storms have been stacking, and what the next 10–15 days are shaping up to look like. When you’re trying to decide whether to stay put, wait a day, or point the car toward a different zone, that context is everything.
Because I’ve already set up my favorite resorts and locations, all the info I care about is right there. No digging, no bouncing between tabs, no guessing. I can quickly compare zones, watch storms move through on high-resolution radar, and start connecting the dots — where it’s snowing now, where it’s about to snow, and where it might be worth chasing next. Sometimes that chasing is closer to home… and sometimes it’s just for fun. I’ll catch myself tracking potential storms where friends live — Revelstoke, Washington, even Japan — just to see what’s lining up and dream a little bigger.
And it’s not just a winter thing. Come fall, I use OpenSnow in a totally different way — especially the Fall Colors Map. When I’m on my bike, chasing long days and good dirt, I want to know where the mountains are peaking and how to time it just right. That map helps me decide where I can ride, explore, and soak in all the fall beauty without guessing or showing up a week too early (or too late).
Over the last year, the platform has gotten even more dialed. The newer forecasting models, longer-range outlooks, clearer forecast confidence, and better radar make it easier to understand not just what the forecast says, but how confident it is. I love being able to zoom out and look at snowfall maps across regions when trip ideas are forming, then zoom way back in on a specific location once I’m committed. Add in things like severe weather alerts and improved location views, and it’s a tool I genuinely trust when conditions are changing fast.
Even outside of peak winter, I still find myself opening the app — checking shoulder-season weather, watching patterns set up, or just daydreaming about what’s next. OpenSnow has become part of my rhythm in the mountains year-round.
So when OpenSnow came on as a partner with VNTRbirds this season, it felt like a no-brainer. We’re stoked to work with a company whose product we actually use — whether we’re storm chasing on boards, chasing fall colors on bikes, or just seeing what’s happening in the mountains we love (and the ones we hope to visit next).
And the best part? They’re not done. There are more updates coming soon, which means even better tools for planning, chasing, and getting outside when it counts.
Now if you’ll excuse me — five days off doesn’t plan itself. 🌨️
— Leanne Wren, VNTRbirds 🪶
Ready to start chasing? Download the OpenSnow app or visit opensnow.com to get all the details and register today.
