By Rachael Oakes-Ash
The Falls Creek app gives up to the minute lift status, social sharing and a leaderboard to compete with your mates.Credit: Chris Hocking/Falls Creek
While we wait for the snow to come in, and it will, because, well, it always does, we've rounded up the best snow apps for your smart phone or android to make the most of your winter ski seasons, north and south.
Snow forecasts
A combination of snow forecast sites usually mean you can find the truth somewhere in the middle so the more downloaded the better. Mountainwatch.com have a snow reporting site driven by the team behind the highly successful surf site Coastalwatch. The app will gives you three day and seven day forecasts, plus snow reports.
The Snow Forecast app from the reliable snow-forecast.com site is free and offers forecasts for different elevations. This is crucial as what happens down low may not be happening up high and vice versa, and the ski resorts don't always give you the conditions for different elevations.
Ski resorts
You'll want to have the app for the resort you're skiing at so you can access lift status live to ensure you don't end up waiting for a chairlift that doesn't open. They also allow you to upgrade your lift pass purchases, book lessons and peruse local bars, restaurants and events.
Thredbo have the MyThredbo app for live weather, snow reports, lift status, grooming status, vertical tracking and social sharing. Perisher's app locates where you are on a trail map, records your runs and vertical, allows you to share your location with friends also on the mountain and pin point where they are.
Hotham and Falls Creek apps give up to the minute lift status, social sharing and a leaderboard to compete with your mates. Mt Buller Live app has all the usual plus video snow reports, village maps and more.
Surprisingly not all the New Zealand resorts have apps so you can download the Met Service Snow Weather app which is a detailed forecast app for all New Zealand ski fields. Information includes last snow fall, current snow depth, lift status, three-hourly wind, temperature, rainfall and snow forecasts, web cams, and MetService TV Snow updates.
Ski and snowboard tracking
There are plenty of apps that will tell you how fast you are skiing or riding. Many ski resorts are concerned at the use of these by those who are not skilled enough to control their own speeds on the mountain. So use these safely at your own discretion.
Ski Tracks is the most popular of these tracking apps. It gives you your max speed in both imperial and metric, ski distance, ski vertical, altitude and vertical rise and duration of skiing. You can upload photos, play music, set sessions and rate them and input the season as well as sync with your Apple, Pebble or Echo watch and update health data.
Last minute deals
Liftopia is a last-minute ski ticket deal app that gives you access to the best lift ticket prices going at the resort you are intending on visiting. Put in your resort of choice in the northern or southern hemisphere and the dates and then search. You can purchase through the app and even gift credit to friends.
Hook ups
Social snow apps are gaining momentum and SNOCRU is one of the most popular in the northern hemisphere. Log on, mark your location and check out who else is in the region. Add them to your own "day cru" and connect with your friends using the app and set up competitive challenges for each other then share them on social media.
The GoSnow App is a ride share app for skiers and boarders looking for a ride to the slopes. Developed by Australian Sean Bellerby, the app allows you to set up a profile, record if you are driving and happy to give someone a lift or if you are looking for a lift. You can also set up or join events.
Traffic app
Snarl is ideal for those driving to the snow from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne and surrounding regions. The Snarl app provides you with real time traffic updates on the route you are planning to take. You can set up alerts should those conditions change, plan your route ahead of time and check out traffic cameras.
Get Fit
The BeFit SkiFit App has been designed by clinical experts based in the mountain mecca of Chamonix. Users can access skifit workout videos on various devices and start getting fit with guided one-hour workout programs designed specifically for your level of fitness and your level of skiing.
Stay safe
Avanet is a global crowd-sourced platform that provides mountain safety information mainly for back country skiers and boarders, and includes New Zealand geography. Access real time safety information and share your own. Users geo tag their own observations of snow conditions, avalanches, red flags and similar. They can upload photos, video and audio so fellow users can make informed decisions when touring the back country and share planned routes with friends and colleagues.
Follow Rachael Oakes-Ash on Twitter & Instagram @misssnowitall and on facebook.com/misssnowitall
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