Letting elevation decide where you ride

The problem

It's easy to judge the whole mountain by the snow at the base — wet, heavy, disappointing — and not realize conditions a few hundred meters higher are completely different.

Why it happens

Mountain Weather breaks the forecast down by elevation band, valley to peak, comparing temperature, wind, and precipitation hour by hour. Each run's own elevation band, aspect, and slope angle are measured directly from the elevation model.

How to check it in First Chair

1. Compare valley and peak forecasts

   Open Mountain Weather and look at both, rather than reading a single daily summary.

2. Check where your runs actually sit

   The resort detail view shows each run's elevation band alongside its aspect and slope.

3. Look higher when the base is marginal

   Check whether temperature and precipitation improve meaningfully at higher elevation before ruling out the day.

4. Treat elevation as its own variable

   It interacts with aspect and time of day, but elevation alone can flip a bad day into a good one.