Find the snow with The Weather Channel app’s new ski module

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Matt Elliot/CNET

I think it’s fair to say that “epic” is an oft-overused word, particularly among skiers and snowboarders. I also think, however, that “epic” can be used to describe accurately the snowfall that has hit Buffalo in the past week. I live a few hundred miles east of Buffalo in New Hampshire and was hoping that the storm would bring a small fraction of that epic snowfall to New England to kickstart winter and the ski season.

No such luck, but after watching reports and scrolling through photo slideshows of the feet upon feet of snow in Buffalo, I have begun my annual tradition this week of monitoring the snow reports for my local mountains. And with the The Weather Channel iOS app’s recent update, I can now get such information in one convenient spot.

The Weather Channel app has added a ski module that shows you current conditions and the forecast of the ski resorts near your saved locations. Choose a location and then scroll down and you’ll find the new Ski Slopes section right below Airport Conditions. Powered by On The Snow, it shows the temperature, past snowfall, expected future snowfall, wind conditions and snow base. It also shows you the number of lifts open and current snow conditions. You can swipe sideways to get this information for 10 local resorts.

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Screenshot by Matt Elliott/CNET

I find the new Ski Slopes module helpful since I already check The Weather Channel app on something approaching a daily basis, but as a proud resident of the Granite State, I do have a gripe about the selection criteria. Of the 10 resorts offered to me, only two were New Hampshire resorts. And I had to scroll past seven resorts to get to the first one. Vermont dominated the listings with five resorts, and I also received a pair from New York and one in Maine. I believe my state’s tourism board needs to take action.