Minnesota snowpack
Live SNOTEL readings, fresh snowfall, snow-water content, and 5-day forecasts at every monitored peak in Minnesota. Sourced from USDA NRCS and NOAA NOHRSC.
The Minnesota snowpack is monitored by the USDA NRCS SNOTEL network — automated stations sitting on the mountain that report snow depth, snow water equivalent (SWE), and air temperature every hour. Snoflo joins those live readings to a 5-day NOAA forecast for each station so you can see what's on the ground and what's coming.
Use the SNOTEL inventory below to find the closest station to where you're headed. Percent of normal tells you how today's snowpack compares to the historical average for the same date — below 70% is drought-stressed; above 130% is a fat year. Snow water content (SWC) indicates how wet and dense the snowpack is — useful for water-supply planning and avalanche stability assessment.
For backcountry travel always cross-reference with your regional avalanche center at avalanche.org.
State-wide snowpack overview
Today's standouts across the Minnesota SNOTEL network -- the deepest snowpack, coldest mountain, biggest expected snowfall, and how the state sits versus normal.
Percent of normal
100% is the historical norm for today's date. Below 70% is drought-stressed; above 130% is a fat year.
Deepest snowpack
Coldest station
Elevation 1,519 ft
Minnesota snowpack monitoring sites
Every SNOTEL station Snoflo tracks in Minnesota. Sortable, quickly filterable. Numeric columns heat-mapped from light to deep. Tap any station for its full history.
Minnesota ski-area meteograms
Per-resort interactive weather forecasts for the next 15 days — temperature curve, precipitation bars, weather symbols, and humidity at every Minnesota ski area Snoflo tracks.
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Afton Alps Ski Area
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Bestruns
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Buck Hill Ski Area
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Buena Vista Ski Area
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Chester Bowl Park
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Coffee Mill
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Giants Ridge Resort
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Hyland Ski And Snowboard Area
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Lookout Mountain
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Lutsen Mountains
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Mount Kato Ski Area
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Powder Ridge Ski Area
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Ski Gull
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Ski-Tonka
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Spirit Mountain
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Steeplechase Ski & Snowboard
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Val Chatel
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Welch Village Ski Area
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Wild Mountain Ski Area
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About Minnesota snowpack
Where does the Minnesota snowpack data come from?
The USDA NRCS SNOTEL network (SNOpack TELemetry) -- automated mountain stations that continuously measure snow depth, snow water equivalent, precipitation, and air temperature. Snoflo aggregates the live readings and joins them to a 5-day NOAA forecast for each station.
What is Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)?
The depth of water you'd get if you melted the entire snowpack. A 30-inch snowpack with 8 inches of SWE is wetter and denser than one with 5 inches -- useful for water-supply forecasting and avalanche assessment. The "SWC %" column shows the ratio.
What does Percent Normal mean?
Current snowpack as a percentage of the historical average for the same date at that station. 100% is right at the historical norm. Below 70% indicates drought-stressed snowpack; above 130% is a fat year.
How fresh is the Minnesota data?
SNOTEL stations transmit hourly; Snoflo re-pulls throughout the day. The 5-day forecasts regenerate from NOAA NOHRSC analysis fields and NWS forecast guidance.
Why are SNOTEL stations only in some states?
The NRCS SNOTEL network is concentrated in the western mountain U.S. -- where the snowpack drives federal water supply forecasts for irrigation, hydropower, and municipal water. Eastern snowpack is measured by other networks (CoCoRaHS, NWS) which Snoflo includes elsewhere.
Is this a substitute for the local avalanche center?
No. For backcountry travel always consult your regional avalanche forecast at avalanche.org. Snoflo is informational data only.