Data sources
Where PisteWindow’s weather, map and local reports come from, how they are attributed and what is still missing.
Weather forecasts from MET Norway
We use MET Norway Locationforecast at a representative location for each supported destination, with the requested altitudes shown on its page. For example, Saalbach uses 47.391° N, 12.636° E at 1,000, 1,500 and 2,000 metres. These are altitude-adjusted forecasts, not measurements from three weather stations or coverage of every slope. Data from MET Norway is credited under CC BY 4.0. PisteWindow’s derived calculations are described separately.
Three times, three meanings
Issue time is when the provider updated the forecast. Retrieval time is when PisteWindow stored it. Valid time is the hour the forecast describes. The configured collection schedule is every six hours; successful delivery is not guaranteed. The current forecast views exclude issues older than 24 hours and show missing data explicitly. Forecast times use the destination’s local timezone, shown with the data. Source-report times with an unconfirmed timezone are kept as supplied.
Maps and illustrations
The resort atlas uses a limited OpenStreetMap extract. It is not live piste status or a navigation aid. Mountain illustrations and altitude graphics are schematic, not surveyed terrain or images of current snow conditions.
Local reports and observations
Imported official-source excerpts retain their original language and source link. They remain unverified until checked; an official source URL alone does not confirm a claim. Selected ski areas have source-reported snow depths and lift counts, with location, units, coverage and timing shown separately. An undated or archived value does not establish current conditions. The Saalbach page explains its lift sources below and links to the official resort report.
Using and checking the evidence
Forecast views show source links and timestamps. Retained forecast comparisons identify the versions used. Missing or invalid information stays unavailable rather than becoming zero. Provider forecasts, PisteWindow calculations and illustrative scenarios are labelled separately.
Lift reports from Intermaps
The Saalbach page includes saved reports from the Intermaps map linked by the resort. Coverage is the Skicircus: Saalbach Hinterglemm, Leogang and Fieberbrunn, excluding Zell am See and Kaprun. A reviewed list of 70 lift sections is matched to provider IDs and the operator’s 2026/27 inventory. D1b Reiterkogel II currently has no matched provider record. Missing sections remain unknown. The source supplies a time without a confirmed timezone or reporting meaning; it is preserved as supplied, not converted to Vienna time. Retrieval time is shown separately.
Dated official lift summary
SalzburgerLand, the regional tourism organisation, publishes a named Skicircus report with operating and total lift counts, ski-area status and an update date. We preserve its denominator separately from our reviewed lift-section inventory. Its report time has no stated timezone, so it supports a dated report rather than verified live openings. Both sources may share upstream data; matching figures are not independent confirmation.
Reports from other ski areas
The destination directory includes saved official reports from SkiStar’s qualifying areas, Les 3 Vallées, the published Portes du Soleil subset, and reviewed sectors of 4 Vallées, Via Lattea, Zermatt/Cervinia, Tignes/Val d’Isère and Ski Arlberg, plus Ischgl/Samnaun. St Anton uses its separately published St Anton–St Christoph–Stuben table; Ischgl/Samnaun retains cross-border scope. Each record retains its exact source scope and retrieval time. SkiStar lift counts mean open for the season. Sector reports can overlap and are never summed automatically. Unknown report times remain unconfirmed; a page or weather update does not date individual snow measurements. Missing current snow depth is stated explicitly.