This episode features meteorologist and OpenSnow founder Joel Gratz in a deep dive on snow, skiing, and weather forecasting. Joel shares how a childhood obsession with snow days in Pennsylvania led to studying meteorology, moving to Boulder, and eventually creating OpenSnow to help skiers chase powder. He explains the real science behind why some mountains get more snow than others, how local wind and terrain effects work, and why long‑range (seasonal) forecasts aren’t reliable for planning ski trips.

Joel and Jeff also explore the realities of climate change and snowpack (warmer temperatures vs. largely unchanged long‑term precipitation), how subscription passes like Epic and Ikon affect crowds, and why niche, bootstrapped businesses like OpenSnow can thrive without trying to “own” all of weather. They get into powder quality, snow‑to‑liquid ratios, why Utah and western Wyoming are a global sweet spot for both depth and fluff, and what makes Japan, British Columbia, and Colorado so special for different kinds of ski experiences. The conversation is equal parts nerdy meteorology, entrepreneurial journey, and pure powder stoke....… SEND IT!

Chapters:

00:00-01:52= Intro

01:18-11:06= From Snow-Obsessed Kid to OpenSnow Founder: Joel Gratz’s Origin Story

11:07-24:18= How OpenSnow Helps You Time Powder (and Why 6‑Month Forecasts Don’t Work)

24:19-39:28=Bad Snow Year or Climate Change? Joel Gratz on Drought, Variability, and the Future of Snow

39:29-49:26= Epic, Ikon, and the Powder Problem: Crowds, Passes, and Chasing Better Ski Days

49:27-01:00:25= Utah, Japan, and the Quest for Perfect Powder: Joel Gratz on Global Snow Quality

01:00:26-01:13:24= Dream Lines and Bucket-List Mountains: Joel Gratz on His Favorite Ski Destinations

01:13:25-01:17:46= Ski Movies, Nostalgia, and Parting Powder Wisdom

Jeff Masters The Derivative Podcast Episode: Super Storms, Mathematical Modeling, and Hurricane Hunting with Dr. Jeff Masters

Meb Faber’s Top Ski resorts - Japan

@OpenSnow

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OpenSnow’s Joel Gratz built a Pod Shop for Powder Days: the PMs are Meteorologists and the Returns are Faceshots. Send It!

The Derivative