Snow has been piling up in the Colorado high country and ski resorts have webcams to prove it. They call them Snow Stake Cams, and they are very special to a Broomfield man and his blossoming company.
Phil Callahan and his brother created a side business called Mobalysis that specializes in artificial intelligence and computer vision. One of their projects is a computer algorithm, kind of like a robot, that watches those snow stake cams. They call it SnowCAP - 'Snow Cam Alert Platform.'
“It watches stake cams real-time, and based on the user’s preference, it will send out alerts as animated GIFs when the snow level hits a select amount,” Callahan said.
Callahan said they already have one resort client, Powder Mountain in Utah. Users can enter their mobile number, choose an alert snow level, and receive an animated GIF, free of charge, every time the snow hits that target.
SnowCAP has several other resorts available for alerts during a limited soft roll out. They will take on as many users as possible during this trial phase. Callahan has become so familiar with snow stake cams that he has compiled a Top 12 list of the best in the country.
He said Copper Mountain has retained its number one position this year due to a complete redesign featuring backlighting for night visibility, and an active background showing skiers and snowboarders during the day.
1. Copper Mountain
2. Loveland Ski Area
3. Tamarach (Idaho)
4. Telluride Resort
5. Winter Park Resort