Comparison

OpenSnow vs Snow Alerts

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

OpenSnow

Get the most accurate snow forecasts, detailed snow reports, and severe weather maps. Access 15-day forecasts, local expert insights, and offline 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, and more. Track storms with advanced radar and AI-powered weather systems.

Highlights
  • 15-Day Snow Forecast
  • Local Expert Snow Reports
  • 3D & Offline Weather Maps
  • AI-Powered Weather System
  • Severe Weather Tracking
  • Mountain Webcams
  • Snow Depth & Avalanche Risk Maps
Features
Read full description

OpenSnow is your trusted source for the most accurate snow forecast, snow report, and severe weather maps. "Weather forecasting for the mountains takes extra focus, analysis, and precision, which is exactly what OpenSnow provides. The app is incredible, even for super weather nerds like myself." – Cody Townsend, Pro Skier 15-Day Snow Forecasts Finding the location that has the best conditions can feel overwhelming. With OpenSnow, deciding where to go is easy. View the latest 15-day snow forecast, snow report, conditions history, and mountain webcams for your favorite locations in just a few seconds. Local Daily Snow Experts Instead of spending hours sifting through weather data, get the inside scoop in just a few minutes. Our local experts write a new Daily Snow forecast each day in the winter for regions around the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand. Have one of our expert local forecasters guide you to the best conditions. 3D Weather + Snow Maps We make it easy to track incoming storms with super-res radar and global precipitation, radar, and snow forecast maps. You can also view 3D maps for snow depth, avalanche risk, slope angle, active fires, air quality, wildfire smoke, public and private land ownership, and more. Download high-resolution satellite maps to view offline. PEAKS + StormNet PEAKS is our mountain weather forecast model that is up to 50% more accurate in complex terrain. StormNet is our severe weather forecast model that produces real-time, high-resolution forecasts for lightning, hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes. Combined, PEAKS + StormNet provide a first-of-its-kind, fully operational multi-component weather forecast system. Daily Features • 15-Day Hourly Forecasts • Current + Forecast Radar • Precipitation Forecast Maps • Air Quality Forecasts • Wildfire Smoke Forecast Maps • 50,000+ Weather Stations • 3D + Offline Maps • Land Boundary + Private Ownership Maps • Recent Satellite Maps Snow + Ski Features • 15-Day Snow Forecast • Powder Quality Forecast • Snow Depth Map • Season Snowfall Map • Snow Forecast Alerts • Snow Forecast Maps • Offline Ski Resort Trail Maps • Snow Forecast + Report Widgets • Historical Snow Reports Severe Weather Features (US only) • Super-Res Radar • Lightning Risk • Tornado Risk • Hail Risk • Damaging Winds Risk • Severe Weather Alerts Free Features • My Location 15-Day Forecast • Snow Forecast 15-Day Summary • Historical Weather + Snow Reports • Snow Report Alerts • Avalanche Forecasts • Mountain Webcams • Active Fires Map • Air Quality Map • Slope Angle + Slope Aspect — Free Trial — New accounts automatically receive the full OpenSnow Premium experience, with no credit card or payment information required. If you choose not to purchase OpenSnow after the free trial is over, you will be automatically downgraded to a free account and not charged. — In-App Purchase — OpenSnow Base is an auto-renewable subscription, which will renew yearly at $49.99 USD. Payment will be charged to the user's Apple account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period and identify the cost of the renewal. If the auto-renewal fails due to a payment issue, you will still be able to access the paid content for 16 days while Apple attempts to collect payment. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. Full terms and conditions can be found here: https://support.opensnow.com/legal/terms | https://support.opensnow.com/legal/privacy Sales through Apple will be governed by Apple’s refund policy. We value all of our customers and encourage you to provide feedback on your experience. Please get in touch with us by sending an email to hello@opensnow.com

About

Snow Alerts

Never worry about snow emergency parking again. Receive timely push notifications for snow emergency declarations and when it's time to move your vehicle. Understand parking rules clearly with an intuitive timeline and simple explanations.

Highlights
  • Customizable push notifications
  • Snow emergency parking timeline
  • Clear, simple rule explanations
  • Notifications for moving cars
  • Handles overlapping emergencies
Features
Read full description

End the panic! Know exactly where to park during a snow emergency. Get push notifications when an emergency is declared, AND when it’s time to move your car. See the snow emergency parking rules laid out in a beautiful, crystal-clear timeline. Read each rule spelled out so that it makes perfect sense. Breathe easy and enjoy the falling snow! Features: • Customizable push notifications • All the rules in one easy-to-understand timeline • Clear, simple language • Elegant snow animation • Notifications when it’s time to move — not just when emergency is declared • Correct rules for winter parking restrictions & overlapping snow emergencies • Specifically designed for the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota

Screenshots

OpenSnow4 screens
Snow Alerts4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Snow Alerts at none against OpenSnow's 3. Snow Alerts also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 17.0). OpenSnow's advantage is update cadence (every 11 days vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (9.1K vs 123). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. OpenSnow sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. Snow Alerts asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OpenSnow holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: OpenSnow has 9.1K ratings behind it against 123, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of OpenSnow's written reviews are positive against 61% of Snow Alerts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OpenSnow ships an update every 11 days, Snow Alerts every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
OpenSnow versus Snow Alerts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpenSnowSnow Alerts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (9.1K ratings) — better4.5 (123 ratings)
Positive reviews80.4% of reviews — better60.9% of reviews
Number of ratings9.1K — better123
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#51 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.012.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size125 MB3 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperCloudnine Weather, Inc.Bust Out Solutions, Inc.

Customer experience

OpenSnow

All ratings9,057 ratings
Positive92.1%
Neutral1.2%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews836 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative15.9%

Snow Alerts

All ratings123 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral0.8%
Negative11.4%
Written reviews23 reviews
Positive60.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative39.1%

Bugs and requests

OpenSnow

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional crashes or freezes on certain devices
  • Inconsistencies in the display of weather data and forecasts

Requested features

5 requests
  • Expand coverage to more international ski resorts
  • Improve offline functionality and data availability
  • Introduce more customization options for user preferences
  • Enhance integration with other outdoor activity planning apps
  • Provide more detailed snow and weather data for backcountry use

Snow Alerts

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

OpenSnow

Subscriptions3
  • OpenSnow Legacy$49.991 Year
  • OpenSnow Base$49.991 Year
  • OpenSnow Base Legacy$49.991 Year
None

Snow Alerts

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is OpenSnow free?
OpenSnow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Snow Alerts free?
Snow Alerts is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, OpenSnow or Snow Alerts?
OpenSnow is rated higher. OpenSnow averages 4.7 out of 5 from 9.1K ratings, while Snow Alerts averages 4.5 from 123 ratings.
Do OpenSnow or Snow Alerts have ads?
Neither OpenSnow nor Snow Alerts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OpenSnow or Snow Alerts?
OpenSnow ships an update every 11 days, and Snow Alerts every 11 months. Most recently, OpenSnow was updated on October 3, 2026 and Snow Alerts on September 30, 2026.

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