Snow Forecast DataAgent

Continuously collects snow forecast data from NOAA Weather API for ski resorts to build historical forecast archive.

Why This Matters

Weather services don't archive their snow predictions. This DataAgent captures:

• What snowfall was predicted for each resort
• Temperature and wind forecasts
• Data to analyze "powder day" prediction accuracy
• Historical forecasts no one else has

Data Source: NOAA Weather API

Uses the free, official NOAA Weather API (api.weather.gov):

• No API key required
• 7-day forecasts
• Quantitative snowfall predictions
• Works for any US location (by lat/lon)

Note: NOAA doesn't cover international resorts. Whistler (Canada) coordinates work because NOAA provides forecasts near the border.

Input

Parameter	Description	Default
resorts	Array of resort configs with lat/lon	Top 11 North American resorts
forecastDays	Days ahead to capture (max 7)	7
supabaseUrl	Optional Supabase project URL	-
supabaseKey	Optional Supabase anon key	-

Resort Configuration Format

[
  {"id": "vail", "name": "Vail, Colorado", "lat": 39.6403, "lon": -106.3742},
  {"id": "aspen", "name": "Aspen, Colorado", "lat": 39.1911, "lon": -106.8175}
]

Priority Resorts (Default)

Resort	State	Elevation
Vail	Colorado	11,570 ft
Aspen	Colorado	11,212 ft
Breckenridge	Colorado	12,998 ft
Park City	Utah	10,000 ft
Alta	Utah	10,550 ft
Snowbird	Utah	11,000 ft
Jackson Hole	Wyoming	10,450 ft
Mammoth	California	11,053 ft
Palisades Tahoe	California	9,050 ft
Killington	Vermont	4,241 ft
Stowe	Vermont	4,393 ft

Output Schema

{
  "capturedAt": "2026-01-26T14:30:00Z",
  "forecastDate": "2026-01-28T06:00:00Z",
  "forecastDateLocal": "2026-01-28",
  "daysAhead": 2,
  "resortId": "vail",
  "resortName": "Vail, Colorado",
  "latitude": 39.6403,
  "longitude": -106.3742,
  "predictedSnowfall": 6.5,
  "snowProbability": 80,
  "temperature": 28,
  "temperatureUnit": "F",
  "windSpeed": "10 to 15 mph",
  "windDirection": "NW",
  "shortForecast": "Snow",
  "detailedForecast": "Snow, mainly after 11am. High near 28. Northwest wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 5 to 8 inches possible.",
  "source": "noaa"
}

Scheduled Runs

Run every 12 hours during ski season (November - April):

• Cron: 0 0,12 * * *

Consider disabling May-October when snow forecasts aren't relevant.

Local Testing

cd /home/peteylinux/Projects/Apify/dataagents/snow-forecast-agent
npm install
mkdir -p storage/key_value_stores/default
echo '{"resorts": [{"id": "vail", "name": "Vail", "lat": 39.6403, "lon": -106.3742}]}' > storage/key_value_stores/default/INPUT.json
npm start

Adding More Resorts

To find coordinates for a resort:

1. Go to Google Maps
2. Right-click on the resort base/village
3. Click the coordinates to copy them
4. Format: {"id": "resort-id", "name": "Resort Name", "lat": 39.1234, "lon": -106.5678}

NOAA API Notes

• Rate limited: 500 requests/hour
• Requires User-Agent header (included)
• Returns GeoJSON format
• May return 503 during high traffic (agent retries automatically)