❄️ About PowWatch

PowWatch was built by skiers, for skiers. Instead of checking multiple websites and comparing different reports, get all your BC snow intel in one place—whether you're heading to the resort or venturing into the backcountry.

Our platform automatically fetches and aggregates data every 30 minutes from multiple sources:

• 11 Ski Resorts — Big White, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Panorama, Fernie, Whitewater, SilverStar, Baldy, Kimberley, RED Mountain, and more
• Weather Forecasts — 14-day forecasts and hourly data from Open-Meteo API
• Live Webcams — Real-time conditions with 30+ webcam feeds across all resorts
• Snow Reports — 24-hour, 7-day, and season totals plus base depths
• 3 Backcountry Zones — Rogers Pass, Kootenay Pass, and Teddy Bear Trees with detailed route information
• Interactive Maps — Satellite imagery showing parking, approach routes, and terrain features

How It Works

PowWatch runs a Python-based backend server that scrapes official resort websites every 30 minutes. For resorts where official data is available (Big White, Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Panorama, Fernie, Whitewater, and others), we extract snow reports directly from their sites. When scraping fails or data is unavailable, the system falls back to cached data and weather forecasts.

Weather data comes from the Open-Meteo API, providing 14-day forecasts with hourly temperature, precipitation, wind, and cloud cover predictions. Webcams are aggregated from resort websites and embedded for real-time viewing. All data is cached server-side for fast, reliable access even during high-traffic periods.

Backcountry route information combines satellite imagery (Esri and OpenStreetMap), detailed route descriptions, elevation stats, aspect information, and safety warnings. All backcountry data is curated and updated manually to ensure accuracy.

Current Coverage

Backcountry Features

The backcountry section provides detailed information for ski touring and backcountry skiing in Interior BC's most popular zones:

• Rogers Pass — World-famous backcountry with routes like Teddy Bear Trees, Connaught Creek, and Asulkan Valley
• Kootenay Pass — Highway-accessible touring with detailed zone information
• Interactive Maps — Satellite and topographic maps showing parking, approach routes, and terrain features using Leaflet.js and OpenStreetMap
• Route Details — Vertical gain, difficulty ratings, aspect, season, and approach time for each route
• Safety Information — Avalanche terrain warnings, required equipment, and links to Avalanche Canada forecasts

Critical: Backcountry skiing is inherently dangerous. All route information is for reference only and does not replace proper avalanche training, current forecasts from Avalanche Canada, or sound decision-making. Always travel with proper safety equipment and partners.

Features

PowWatch includes several tools to help you make informed decisions:

• Search & Filtering — Filter resorts by 24-hour snow, 7-day totals, temperature, and visibility
• Sorting Options — Sort by snow depth, temperature, or overall quality score
• Comparison Mode — Select multiple resorts to compare side-by-side
• Forecast Cards — Expandable 14-day weather forecasts with hourly details
• Responsive Design — Works on desktop, tablet, and mobile devices
• Dark Theme — Easy on the eyes with a modern glassmorphic design

Roadmap

Future improvements planned for PowWatch:

• Historical snowfall data and trend analysis
• Additional backcountry zones (Selkirk Range, Purcell Mountains, Monashees)
• More detailed route maps and GPX downloads
• Direct integration with Avalanche Canada forecasts
• User accounts for saving favorites and custom alerts
• Mobile app (iOS/Android)
• Snow quality predictions based on temperature and precipitation patterns

Technology & Architecture

PowWatch is built with simplicity and reliability in mind:

• Backend — Python 3.11+ with standard library (no heavy dependencies)
• Frontend — Vanilla JavaScript, HTML5, and modern CSS (no frameworks)
• Data Collection — Web scraping with BeautifulSoup and regex parsing
• Weather API — Open-Meteo for reliable, free forecast data
• Mapping — Leaflet.js with OpenStreetMap and Esri satellite tiles
• Caching — JSON-based server-side cache for fast response times
• Hosting — Deployed on Render with automatic updates every 30 minutes

Open Source

PowWatch is an open-source project licensed under MIT. The entire codebase is available on GitHub for anyone who wants to contribute, learn from the code, or deploy their own instance for a different region.

We welcome contributions! Whether it's adding new resorts, improving scrapers, fixing bugs, or enhancing the UI, all pull requests are reviewed and appreciated.