Snow Reporting at 49

Curious about the snow report? Here's how we do it at 49 Degrees North!

5am update: Between 4am-5am, our snow report and lead groomer chat about conditions on the mountain. The groomer reports current weather, new snow and the grooming report, which is then added to the website. The Snow Report email is then sent with all the updates and the grooming report is updated with current groomed, opened and closed runs. Our Snow Conditions Hotline, Snow Radio Report and printed reports around the lodge are also based on this update.

2pm update: Between 1pm-2pm, the website is updated again with current weather, new snow and information about the next day's plan. This will include what chairs will be operating, links to purchase lift tickets and upcoming events. This update is the best place to see what you can expect on the next operating day.

Depending on the weather and changes during the day, the Snow Report page may be updated multiple times throughout the day. The time stamp at the top of each page will let you know the last time it was updated, be sure to refresh your page regularly if you keep it open. At the bottom of the page, you will see notes, events and deals. These boxes have details about mountain news, operating information and links to purchase tickets.

What do the 12hr, 24hr, 48hr and 72hr times mean?

Our snow reporting timeline is based on the 12 hour time periods of 4am-4pm and 4pm-4am. Any new snow accumulated during the day or night are added to our Snow Tracker, which calculates the 24, 48 and 72 hour totals based on the new snow added within those 12 hour periods. This means that our snow report will reflect accurate totals within those time frames, instead of a running storm total. Snowfall from 7 days ago is not reflected in the new snowfall, but is kept track of in the current snow depth and snowfall year to date. 

Tracking snow this way helps give you the most accurate snapshot of conditions on the mountain at any given time. For example, if we have received 2 inches of new snow in the last 12 hours but 8 in the last 72, you can expect a light layer of powder on groomed runs and lots of powder on the shoulders and in the trees. 

The snow reporting team is dedicated to providing accurate and timely snow information. Make sure you sign up for Snow Report emails to get information on operating days, and refresh the website regularly to see the most up to date info!