Skiers and snowboarders at Brundage Mountain Resort near McCall, Idaho, are enjoying more accurate reports about snow and on-mountain conditions, thanks to a new high-tech weather station installed in partnership with Boise State.
The station, which began operating for the 2024/25 season, is located near the top of Brundage’s Lakeview Lift, rising more than 800 feet over the mountain. It collects precise data on snow depth, snow water equivalent, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, snow and air temperature, relative humidity, pressure and other critical variables.
That data answers pressing questions for powderhounds: How much did it snow? How dry is the snow? What wax should I use? What about wind drifts or wind-scoured slopes?
“The data can help our grooming team adjust their timing and techniques to fine-tune snow surfaces across the mountain, and it gives our patrol team better insights for avalanche mitigation,” said Brundage Mountain Patrol Director Janna Allen. “That makes it safer and easier for us to open avalanche-prone terrain.”
But the benefits go beyond the slopes. Scientists are using the data to explore snow temperatures, solar radiation levels on the snow surface and other climate-related factors.
“This project is a win-win,” said Hans-Peter Marshall, associate professor in Boise State’s Department of Geosciences and co-director of the Cryosphere Geophysics and Remote Sensing group. “It provides robust data for our research, while Brundage and the Payette Avalanche Center gain access to more advanced weather technology than they could support on their own.”
High-powered tech
During the 2024/25 snow season, Boise State graduate students trekked up the mountain—sometimes with help from the chairlift—to manually measure snowpack conditions and verify the station’s automated readings.
“We dug a full-depth snow pit and measured snowpack properties like grain type, density, temperature every 10 centimeters, snow strength, and the presence of free water,” said Boise State graduate student Coleman Kane. “It took about five hours to complete, but those manual measurements were crucial for validating the data we got from the station.”
Brundage was carefully chosen for its elevation—above 7,000 feet—as well as access to power, internet and consistently deep snow. According to Marshall, the site makes it possible for researchers to test sophisticated tools like seismic arrays and radar systems that wouldn’t function at more remote, solar-powered stations. Once researchers determine the best tools, they can adapt them for low-power use in backcountry settings, he said.