Gaia GPS
  • 7-Day Free Trial Gaia GPS Premium
  • Out and Back Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Communicators

      December 1, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

      January 21, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Avalanche Safety with Snow Science Expert Bruce Tremper

      November 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Planning a Thru-Hike Next Year? Here’s What You…

      October 21, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      A Definitive Guide to the Best Camp Coffee

      September 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Owls and UFOs with Ultralight Expert Mike Clelland

      September 9, 2021

  • Offroad Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

      January 25, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Monique Song: How a City Girl Became the…

      April 7, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      TrailRecon Explains How to Become an Overlander Overnight

      March 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Stay Married on a Long-Distance Adventure

      February 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Go From ‘Desk to Glory’ in…

      January 12, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia GPS’s Best New Overlanding Maps and Features…

      December 23, 2021

  • Adventures
    • User Stories
  • Activities
    • Backcountry Skiing
    • Boating
    • Emergency Response
    • Fishing
    • Offroading
  • New Features
    • Gaia GPS

      Book Campsites Right From Gaia GPS

      February 23, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      OpenSnow Weather Now Available at-a-Tap on the Map

      November 9, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      New Edit Tools: Creating Your Own Routes Just…

      September 1, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Top 10 Ways to Use Waypoints

      August 30, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Meet Map Packs: A Totally New Way to…

      May 9, 2022

  • New Maps
    • Gaia GPS

      Why NatGeo Trails Illustrated are America’s Favorite Maps

      February 9, 2023

      Backcountry Skiing

      New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

      January 11, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

      December 14, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Activate Snow Mode with Gaia Winter

      October 26, 2022

      Adventures

      Take a Trip to Baja California with Nat…

      September 13, 2022

  • Home
Gaia GPS
  • 7-Day Free Trial Gaia GPS Premium
  • Out and Back Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Everything You Need to Know About Satellite Communicators

      December 1, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Avoid Another Deadly Avalanche Season

      January 21, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Avalanche Safety with Snow Science Expert Bruce Tremper

      November 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Planning a Thru-Hike Next Year? Here’s What You…

      October 21, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      A Definitive Guide to the Best Camp Coffee

      September 30, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Owls and UFOs with Ultralight Expert Mike Clelland

      September 9, 2021

  • Offroad Podcast
    • Gaia GPS

      Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

      January 25, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Monique Song: How a City Girl Became the…

      April 7, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      TrailRecon Explains How to Become an Overlander Overnight

      March 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Stay Married on a Long-Distance Adventure

      February 9, 2022

      Adventures

      How to Go From ‘Desk to Glory’ in…

      January 12, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      The Best Advice We Received in 2021

      December 26, 2021

      Gaia GPS

      Gaia GPS’s Best New Overlanding Maps and Features…

      December 23, 2021

  • Adventures
    • User Stories
  • Activities
    • Backcountry Skiing
    • Boating
    • Emergency Response
    • Fishing
    • Offroading
  • New Features
    • Gaia GPS

      Book Campsites Right From Gaia GPS

      February 23, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      OpenSnow Weather Now Available at-a-Tap on the Map

      November 9, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      New Edit Tools: Creating Your Own Routes Just…

      September 1, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Top 10 Ways to Use Waypoints

      August 30, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Meet Map Packs: A Totally New Way to…

      May 9, 2022

  • New Maps
    • Gaia GPS

      Why NatGeo Trails Illustrated are America’s Favorite Maps

      February 9, 2023

      Backcountry Skiing

      New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

      January 11, 2023

      Gaia GPS

      Our Favorite New Maps and Features

      December 23, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Spy Avalanche Terrain with Higher Res Slope Angle…

      December 14, 2022

      Backcountry Skiing

      Find the Deepest, Lightest Powder with the Snow…

      November 8, 2022

      Gaia GPS

      Activate Snow Mode with Gaia Winter

      October 26, 2022

      Adventures

      Take a Trip to Baja California with Nat…

      September 13, 2022

  • Home

Find Snow-Free Trails with the Snow Depth Map

by Julien Friedland March 9, 2023
by Julien Friedland March 9, 2023

With record-breaking snowfall coating much of the mountain west, everyone from early-season PCT thru-hikers to day trippers are asking the same question: how much snow is on the trail? The answer could have far-reaching consequences, from the gear you bring, to modifying your route, to skipping sections of the trail entirely.

While we can’t magically melt the snow for you, we can give you a very good estimate of how much of the white stuff is on any given part of the trail right now. See how much snow is on the trail with our Snow Depth map.

Inspired by a thru-hiker looking to track snow depths along the Pacific Crest Trail with Gaia GPS, the Snow Depth map assists with planning journeys of all sizes. Now hikers and outdoor adventurers can examine how many centimeters of snow exist in specific areas by referencing color-coded indicators of coverage.

Get a Discount on Premium


SNODAS Sourced Data

The NOAA National Weather Service’s National Operational Hydrologic Remote Sensing Center (NOHRSC) Snow Data Assimilation System (SNODAS) source all data for snow depth values. The SNODAS modeling and data assimilation system was developed by NOHRSC to gather information from satellite, airborne platforms, and ground stations to predict snow depths. Climatologists, ecologists, hydrologists, and other professionals rely on the data and now adventurers can too.

Use Cases for Route Planning

When referencing snow depths, remember that estimates are not based on actual observations, but product model output. These data predictions are best for checking seasonal snow-cover rather than exact snowfall totals. However, snow depth totals are updated every 24 hours by both NOAA and Gaia GPS.

If you’re looking to find snow totals for a storm overnight or specific regions, reference your local climate center or weather source. SNODAS recommends American Association of State Climatologists, NOAA Regional Climate Centers, and NOAA National Climatic Data Center. Pair Snow Depth overlays with Snowfall Forecast and Slope Angle overlays to gather more information for backcountry travel.

How to Add the Snow Depth Map

The Snow Depth map is available with a Premium Membership. To add this map, visit the Feature/Weather Overlays map source categories and add “Snow Depth.” Access the legend by tapping the info icon in the left corner of the map screen of your phone or hovering over the layer on gaiagps.com

Get the Snow Depth map with a Premium Membership. Premium also unlocks the full 300+ map catalog and lets you download your maps to use out of cell service.

backcountry skiinghikinghuntinglayeringsafetysnow
3
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Julien Friedland

Julien joined the Marketing Team in September 2019 to support Gaia GPS’s community management and user engagement. Previously, Julien worked as a snow reporter in Vermont and as an Account Manager at Verde Brand Communications in Boulder, Colorado. They're an avid traveler and recently returned from riding their bicycle from Medellin, Colombia to the southern tip of Chile. While they're not plugging away at work, you can find them navigating backcountry ski routes in Colorado and riding their bike offroad around the world.

previous post
How to Read Topographic Maps
next post
The Secret to Getting Young Urbanites Outdoors? ‘Mappiness’

You may also like

The Secret to Getting Young Urbanites Outdoors? ‘Mappiness’

March 23, 2023

How to Read Topographic Maps

February 24, 2023

Book Campsites Right From Gaia GPS

February 23, 2023

Why NatGeo Trails Illustrated are America’s Favorite Maps

February 9, 2023

How to Save Phone Battery Life in the...

February 8, 2023

How to Plan a Backcountry Ski Tour with...

January 26, 2023

Cook Marco Hernandez’s Mouthwatering Camp Meals

January 25, 2023

New! Find Backcountry Skiing in Gaia Winter Map

January 11, 2023

How to Get Started Overlanding

January 9, 2023

Our Favorite New Maps and Features

December 23, 2022

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

Popular Posts

  • 1

    How to Read Topographic Maps

    February 24, 2023
  • 2

    How to Save Phone Battery Life in the Backcountry

    February 8, 2023
  • 3

    How to Download an Entire State Map with Gaia Topo

    August 19, 2021
  • 4

    Using Gaia GPS to Find Free Camping in National Forests

    March 9, 2022
  • 5

    Unlock Adventure with Gaia GPS on Outside+

    September 30, 2021

Categories

  • Adventures
  • Android
  • App Comparisons
  • App Updates
  • Backcountry Skiing
  • Boating
  • Company News
  • Emergency Response
  • Featured
  • Fishing
  • Gaia GPS
  • Gaia GPS Offroad Podcast
  • GaiaCloud
  • Hikes
  • How-To
  • Hunting
  • iOS
  • New Features
  • New Maps
  • Newsletter
  • Offroading
  • Out and Back Podcast
  • User Profiles
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • RSS

@2022 - All Right Reserved. Gaia GPS


Back To Top