2013 is shaping up to be a great year for snow junkies—at least here in the Pacific Northwest, where record snowfalls blanketed the Cascades last month. If you’re gearing up to hit the powder, here are three apps to pack. You’ll find more great options in the Store’s new Winter Sports collection—including some fun ski sims for days when the snowfall is scarce.
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Ski Guide
Ski Guide ($2.49) provides live mountain reports and hi-res trail maps for over 1000 resorts worldwide. One nice touch: Reports and maps can be cached for offline use, ideal when you’re in the backcountry without a signal or skiing overseas and don’t want to get snowed under by roaming charges.
North Face Snow Report
Budget-minded skiers should check out the free North Face Snow Report, which supplies snow conditions and forecast data, as well as trail maps, for tons of resorts around the world. For the safety-minded, the app also provides avalanche reports.
CascadeSkier
This beautifully-designed app ($1.99) is the one to grab if you live or ski in the Pacific Northwest. Created by geek-skier Ben Martens, who also blogs about skiing for the Seattle PI, the app shows the snow conditions, weather forecasts, and webcams for all the major area resorts. Pin your favorites to Start as Live Tiles for at-a-glance updates.