Yea, I agree. Although you can look at the weather stations on the CAIC site, it's not map-based. Here's a link to a map of the Snotel stations:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal....5796&zoom=8.5
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Yea, I agree. Although you can look at the weather stations on the CAIC site, it's not map-based. Here's a link to a map of the Snotel stations:
https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal....5796&zoom=8.5
Did ciac stop emailing avi reports? Or have they not started for the season yet?
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Mobile app updates to support dynamic zones are in progress.
Re:emails -- if you were a previous subscriber -- you should have received an email explaining what is happening with that service.
Weather stations: there isn't a map of these currently on CAIC website.
Feature requests, bugs, usability concerns or questions are best directed to the contact form on the webpage or emailed to the CAIC.
Thank ya Andy, bingoQuote:
Originally Posted by andy m
Also, just saw that Gaia (gps app) added all the stations (and data if you click) as a map layer. Handy
What's the layer called?Quote:
Originally Posted by tang
I think it's just added, so you may need to update the app to see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenboy
Name = Snow Stations (Daily)
Clicking on it pulls up... elevation, date/time, snow depth, 24 hour snow depth change, SWE
I can't find an email from them on this. What happened? Cancelled the service?Quote:
Originally Posted by doebedoe
I emailed them yesterday and here's what they said: "We are not currently emailing forecasts. That's not something that our new forecast system does. We sent a survey to all subscribers last season, and some additional information. Between the lack of interest, the huge resource commitment that emails required, and the new forecast platform, it was a feature we dropped from the priority list."Quote:
Originally Posted by Elkhound Odin
I agree with whoever said they liked the emails for keeping up with the snowpack on days you aren't skiing- of course I could do that by going to the site every day but I know I won't. But I get it.
Thanks for contacting them to get the details. Too bad they dropped that service. I found it very helpful since I didn't go the the website very often.
The app has been updated.
Hopefully paging back in time for prior forecasts is easier now. To get the forecast for the last week, click on a point you want to ski, and then use the date selector to page through as many prior forecasts as you want to see. You'll get the forecast and discussion for that point -- although the forecast zone it is in may change.Quote:
Originally Posted by Elkhound Odin
I love the new site! One thing I have noticed though is that they either changed the API or URL structure because I am now constantly finding links that end at a 404 across the internet - mostly related to old reports.
Quote:
Originally Posted by doebedoe
Doebedoe, random question.. does CAIC utilize volunteers at all? I'm a software engineer - technically a data engineer currently - and would gladly donate my time if ever needed.
Agreed. I would be happy to donate software dev time. I am a website developer, work primarily in .NET MVC but happy to help anyway I can.Quote:
Originally Posted by DougFromCO
I'm really bummed there are no emails. They stopped working about 4 years ago for me and I reached out to try to get my emails working again and it never did. I tried signing up with different emails, etc. Emails are really important to me, I log into my email in the morning and read the weather and discussion. It helps me stay on top of it. I would like otherwise a notification on my phone each morning with the forecast(avvy and weather) for my subscribed zones.
At this time there isn't a volunteer effort for anything on the IT side at CAIC.Quote:
Originally Posted by DougFromCO
Thanks for the message on IG. One of the big things the rebuild sought to accomplish is moving to a more modular separation between CAIC databases (observations/reports, forecasts, weather, etc) and public products connected via APIs. The old site did not rely on APIs for observations, avalanches or accidents so moving them over has created a failure of old links. It's on the radar.
If you're willing to volunteer or have feedback on features -- best to send it to caic@state.co.us. That ensures you'll get a response, CAIC has contact to follow up, and your feedback/requests will be recorded.Quote:
Originally Posted by timmaio
I find it lame that important information is release via FB or Insta (which I don't use) rather than the website or app.
e.g. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...ibextid=Nif5oz
Heart/Thumbs Up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Foggy_Goggles
Agree with that.
Have I missed it, or does the app not allow access to field observations? Seems dumb.
Count me as another user that thinks it's important to have access to obs via the app. Count me as another ignoramus if I've missed it.Quote:
Originally Posted by cravenmorhead
I don’t use the app, but observations are available with Chrome. Same as before with the list by date and the avalanche explorer that shows observations on an interactive map. And I think a new feature that list recent snow fall total without all of the information that comes with the weather station based data. I like it just fine.
Does anyone know if they plan on updating the "Colorado Accidents Table" anymore or will it only be the explorer? I don't see anything listed for this season and there have been a few incidents.
Those are usually fatalities I believe.Quote:
Originally Posted by DougFromCO
Not always... they do publish non-fatal accidents that they feel are significant enough that it's worth investigating and writing a full report on using that page. There's a separate page for only fatalities. They definitely don't post every single avalanche that someone triggers, gets carried, or injured in on that page though and I'd suspect that's the reason there's none this year - nothing yet significant enough to warrant a full report.Quote:
Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark
^^ What adrenlated said ^^
Glad to be corrected. They all seemed to be pretty major from my recollection, just wasn't sure it was all deaths or not.
yea the colorado accident table is probably not needed. they already have the view backcountry avalanches and looks like something new maybe, the avalanche explorer. I guess the accident table is where they can do detailed reports. I will repeat my beef. Why bother with different zones if you are going to have the same exact forecast and forecast discussion as the adjacent zone. I have no idea where the their observations are being made.
Forecast discussions are regional, they stated that up front. I'd love for them to write a discussion for every zone they forecast but I understand why they don't.Quote:
Originally Posted by BFD
Look closer at tonight's forecast for the two San Juan zones that are rated High. While very similar, the two forecasts are NOT identical, and the text is not the only difference.
I played find Waldo. only difference I see is the size of the storm slab is different. We can only hope it has the potential to be large, Pretty thin out there.
As adrenlated said -- no two forecasts are exactly the same. If they were the same (danger levels across multiple days, same avalanche problems, same aspects/elevations/likelihood/size) -- they'd be one forecast. Discussions remain regional in nature -- 3 per day for Northern, Central and Southern mountains.Quote:
Originally Posted by BFD
You can see where observations are being made by going to Observations -> View field reports (https://avalanche.state.co.us/observ.../field-reports) to see all the reports from public and staff.
As mentioned in the blog post (https://avalanche.state.co.us/blog/CAICsnewlook) there's an improved interface for observations/field reports in development that should be ready shortly. This will have a faster, better map view of observations. The eventual plan is to build an explorer similar to the avalanche explorer (https://forecasts.avalanche.state.co.us/explorer/) for accidents and observations as well. Those are slightly longer time horizons.
thanks for the info. I found the observation that is linked to in my forecast discussion. It was from Red Mountain Pass.Quote:
Originally Posted by doebedoe
Thanks all for the response.
I have this dream that CAIC will just release a public API for all their data and let developers go wild with it. I’m the developer of BC Beta app (https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bc-bet...pp/id957813284) and the new zone system basically broke my app. I’ve been gradually fixing things but it’s been a slog without any official documentation from CAIC.
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I doubt they want to help developers who repackage their info.Quote:
Originally Posted by dmintz
Why not as long as the data isn’t being sold? Isn’t the point to get the forecasts and obs seen by as many folks as possible? Their work is funded by the public and should be accessible as possible. Besides CAIC could really harness the efforts of third party developers at no cost to the organization.Quote:
Originally Posted by SDW
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After watching the forecasts this year, I'd personally call it a failure and I'm really glad I get to use the CBAC for my forecasts.
Take the forecast today (which of course is from yesterday afternoon). There was, sadly, a death yesterday- but there is no mention of it in the forecast, since it came out too early. It seems to me that it's important info, that might alter people's plans. But the only way to know that is if you're on Instagram.
The dynamic zones didn't provide enough info either. It's really cool if there are different problems and different ratings, but I think it's important to say WHY in the forecast discussion. Usually that info wasn't in the forecast discussion- one area might be considerable and another is moderate, but you have no idea why: is it a PWL, a bigger storm total, more wind? Who knows?
I can't imagine how much more confusing it must be for a new bc skier. Anyway, those are my thoughts.
On Instagram they also mention the close call on Quandry.Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenboy
I gotta agree with not liking the dynamic zone forecasts. I tend to keep close tabs on the zones I frequent, tracking a problem throughout the season. But this year with zones changing, it was hard to keep a close eye on specific issue. I think dividing summit county into vail pass/gore and 10mile/mosquito would probably do a lions share of the 'dynamic' zoning they did this year.
Yeah, after giving it a season I'm not a huge fan either.Quote:
Originally Posted by goldenboy
Today is a good example. In fact, they even bumped the rating from low to moderate this morning after originally forecasting low for today. It didn't affect me as I looked at the temps and knew we didn't get a great freeze, but I also didn't know the forecast was updated and I'm sure many other folks didn't.
My take: they are still adjusting to the dynamic zones and figuring out how to best utilize it.
When it works, I think it works REALLY well. But it's not perfect. As GB said, sometimes there's not enough info given for WHY different zones are subdivided. Other times, I have felt like the zones should be subdivided more. We had many days midwinter where the La Platas and the Cimmarons had the same forecast, yet dramatically different snowpack structures. Dividing into permanent subranges would somewhat address this, but create a lot of additional work on forecasters to publish different forecasts on days that a greater range really does have the same snowpack and conditions. I'm still optimistic that granularity will improve with time.
Timing of forecast: coming from a Front Range perspective, I strongly believe that having a night before forecast is vitally important. It's simply impossible to go skiing on the Front Range on a midwinter weekend without being at the trailhead before the forecast used to come out. I also think that having the forecast available when creating a tour plan is helpful, and personally I would rather read the forecast in the evening when I'm wide awake vs in the morning bleary eyed. I'm in the habit of re-checking for changes in the morning and don't have a problem doing that.
So my take? Moving in a good direction. Not perfect yet.
I have more than a few nitpicks with CAIC forecasting this season, but I am admittedly biased, so will keep it (mostly) in check.
My biggest complaint is that since the change in forecast schedule there seems to an inability or unwillingness to update forecasts based on new and IMO highly relevant info. Sometimes it takes a half day, sometimes multiple days. Way late in listing wet slabs for CB/Gunnison zone during our big warmup, even with one entraining the entire season’s snowpack visible from town, multiple obs, etc. Weird. Am I crazy or is still no mention of yesterday’s fatality for the relevant zone? If that is not worthy of update/emphasis, what is? I could go on.
While I’m here, am I missing something or is it (still) not possible to access obs from the app?