We Found the Best Apps for Skiers That You'll Actually Use

1. OnX Backcountry

Don’t head into the backcountry without planning your route on OnX Backcountry’s high-resolution 3D maps. With popular 3D-mapping app FATMAP shutting down after being acquired by Strava in 2024, many competitors stepped up their game by adding features to fill in the huge hole FATMAP left.

OnX Backcountry has been around for a few years but has doubled down on updating winter-specific 3D imagery, route descriptions, offline maps and user functionality to create the best app we've used for backcountry navigation. Sadly, it currently only features maps in North America, but there are plans to soon expand globally. The app has a free version, but for full functionality, a paid premium subscription is required. Check out more about the app from testing it here.

Get a subscription to OnX here.

2. Avalanche Forecasts

Every backcountry skier should be checking their local avalanche forecast before heading out in the mountains for the day. You’re probably pretty familiar with how your local avalanche forecast is posted, but if you’re on vacation skiing somewhere new, it can be tough to find up-to-date local conditions.

Developed by the Sierra Avalanche Center and supported by all the major North American Avalanche Centers, the Avalanche Forecast App overlays all current public avalanche hazard ratings on a global map, making it easy to find the official up-to-date forecast for wherever you are. Where published, future forecasts are even available a few days out. The app is free, and you should use it every day you plan to ski in the backcountry!

Get the Avalanche Forecast app on the Apple App Store.

Get the Avalanche Forecast app for Android here.

3. Backcountry SOS

Not all ski areas have cellphone service, and sometimes things go south when you’re out skiing and you need to call for help. It’s always wise to carry some sort of emergency SOS transmitter, but did you know that most modern smartphones have satellite communication functionality already built-in?

While not designed to replace an SOS transmitter like a Spot or InReach device, the Backcountry SOS app allows you to send out an emergency signal from your phone, even when you don’t have enough service to make a call. Developed by Teton County Search and Rescue (Jackson Hole’s local SAR service), the app determines your location and sends a message to local authorities with your coordinates and allows them to re-contact you via text. It works wherever text-to-911 service is available, which includes over 1500 counties in the US. The app is free for anyone to use.

Learn more and get the Backcountry SOS mobile app here.

4. Peak Finder

Are you ever sitting on a chairlift, taking in the view, wondering what the names of the surrounding peaks are? Peak Finder is a quick and easy way to figure out the names of summits around you. Simply point your phone in the direction you want to explore, and the app will overlay the names of summits and other points of interest in the area. This one is incredibly helpful for navigation, but I love using it to flex a little mountain knowledge on my friends! The app costs $4.99 to download and use.

Get the Peak Finder mobile app here.

5. OnTheSnow

Built off the popular On The Snow website, the OnTheSnow mobile app features resort information and up-to-date snow reports for over 2000 resorts worldwide. The app also allows users to upload their own conditions reports and photos from their day of skiing, adding valuable current data to the mix. This is a great app to use if you’re planning a ski trip to a new area with multiple resorts to choose from, giving you easy access to compare who got the most snow and where to find the best skiing conditions. The app is free.

Get the OnTheSnow mobile app here.

6. Slopes

Want trail maps and current conditions reports from every major resort right in your pocket? Slopes gives you that plus comprehensive tracking functionality to track stats and measure progress throughout the season, no matter where you’re riding. The app also has a built-in social networking feature that allows you to find your friends on the mountain, which is especially useful if you want to grab a few more laps after they’ve already gone in for après. The tracking functionality can sync with most smart watches. Slopes app is free to download, and a paid premium subscription unlocks features like 3D maps and more.

Get the Slopes mobile app here.

7. Windy.com

I’ve learned that finding accurate and hyper-local weather forecasts for your next ski trip can be tough, so I asked around to see what the pros use. Windy’s mobile app is used by guides, pro skiers, and other mountain professionals to get weather data and spot forecasts. Mountain weather forecasting in remote areas is particularly challenging, but Windy pulls data from nearly a dozen weather models (including the ECMWF, HRRR, NAM, GFS, ICON-D2, ICON-EU, ACCESS, AROME, and NEMS models) to put together extremely high-resolution forecasts that are overlaid on a global map.

The interface allows for easy visualization of what the temperature, wind and precipitation will be doing, and features ski-friendly overlays like wind visualization, radar, new snow accumulation, visibility and current snow depth. The free version of the app works pretty well for most uses, but a paid premium subscription unlocks additional forecasting tools and features. Windy's browser version is also an excellent at-home planning tool.

Get the Windy.com app on the Apple App Store.

Get the Windy.com app for Android here.

8. Open Snow

Want to know whether you should call off work and go powder skiing during that next storm cycle? Open Snow’s mobile app brings their incredible snow forecasting technology into one easy-to-read place. Get local forecasts or plug in your favorite destinations, and get in-depth day-to-day snow and weather predictions up to 10 days out.

This is one of my favorite apps to track storms and get an idea of when and where it’s going to snow the most. Beyond numerical forecasts, the Open Snow team routinely publishes longer-form written Daily Snow reports detailing active and upcoming storms and where to find the best skiing. While primarily an app for skiers, Open Snow has recently added some excellent four-season features, including a map mode with useful overlays like current and forecast radar, fall foliage mapping, cloud cover, and wildfire smoke forecasts. The app requires a paid subscription to fully take advantage of.

Get an Open Snow subscription here.

Resort-Specific Apps

There are too many of these to list, but most major ski resorts (plus the Ikon and Epic Pass) now offer resort-specific apps that allow you to stay up-to-date with trail maps, conditions reports, webcams, terrain openings, parking updates, on-mountain events, and special offers. For example, I love to use Jackson Hole’s JHInsider App to check on lift lines, snow conditions, and terrain openings, as well as track how many runs, lift laps, and days on the mountain I’ve had. Any guess on where I stacked up last year?