How to Plan on Good Weather

Sport-specific sites to inform your trip

Skiers in colorado know that the weather in vail can differ wildly from that of Beaver Creek, just 13 miles west on Interstate 70. The National Weather Service may forecast snow for the Rockies, but the amount in ski areas can vary by an entire foot; it's tricky to gauge where and when the most snow will fall. "People up here said it's just too unpredictable," says Joel Gratz, a Boulder-based meteorologist and skier. "But that's not exactly true."

How does he know? About five years ago, Gratz began to analyze microclimates in the Rockies--which are influenced by widely variable topography...

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