The snow gods: How a couple of ski bums built the internet’s best weather app
Two ski bums bootstrapped an AI weather app that's become essential for half a million powder hounds.
OpenSnow has become the internet's most trusted snow-forecasting app by combining federal weather data with proprietary AI models and decades of alpine expertise. Founded by self-described ski bums Bryan Allegretto and Joel Gratz, the bootstrapped startup transformed a simple email list of 37 subscribers into a cult following of 500,000 dedicated users. The app's core offering is its 'Daily Snow' reports—human-written forecasts that analyze complex data for specific mountain locations, making microcelebrities of its forecasters in the skiing community.
Unlike big-name weather services, OpenSnow specializes in hyper-local predictions crucial for ski conditions and, soon, avalanche safety. This proved vital during 2023's erratic winter, where the US West saw deadly avalanches followed by rapid melts, while the East experienced extended snowfall. The company's success stems from its founders' unique backgrounds: Allegretto, a meteorologist who chased storms with his highway-worker father, and Gratz, who shared the vision of turning a passion for powder into a viable business without working a hated career.
- Bootstrapped from an email list of 37 to 500,000 dedicated users
- Combines government data with proprietary AI models for hyper-local forecasts
- Founders leveraged meteorology degrees and decades of ski-bum experience
Why It Matters
Shows how niche AI applications can outperform giants by combining data with deep domain expertise.