[pct-l] noaa predictions - SOBO or NOBO

[Dan C. aka Thumper]

Dave, Others and you too Ned,

A snow sensor is only good for the immediate area of the sensor.  Think in terms of feet.  As an example, on 30 June 2010 the SNOTEL sensor at Harts Pass registered zero (0") of snow yet 100 feet away on the trail we walked through 2 feet of consolidated snow.  I believe this problem exists with most if not all traditional sensors.

Since then postholer.com has added some pretty neat features for his Google Maps implementation.  Specifically, at http://postholer.com/gmap/ on the right is a drop down titled Map Skins with a whole series of selections under the heading Todays Snow Analysis.  I've discussed this toll with Postholer and he gets a daily web services update from a NOAA satellite resource.  This past year when hiking in the same area I was able to compare those maps with what we actually saw on the ground and found the information both useful and accurate.  

This is my go to resource for snow planning.  Take a look today and there is snow where you would expect it...  Hope this is helpful,

Thumper aka Dan C