When it starts
Northstar, Feb 11, 2026: the model's run on the day said 4.0" skiable (Nice day); the Independence Camp SNOTEL pillow dropped 1" of depth. Model heavy.
Model heavy. It said 4.0" skiable and the pillow did not move. Snow can settle, blow off, or miss the station, so this is not proof it never fell.
Pack going in: 30" on Feb 10, 30" on Feb 11. The storm total counts from the first reading, so snow after 5pm the night before is in it.
| Day | Call | First chair | On hill | Skiable | Starts | Pillow before | Pillow after | Gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wed Feb 11 | Nice day | 2.6" | 1.4" | 4.0" | ~6pm Tuesday | 30" | 29" | -1" |
Model: the run on the day (Open-Meteo Previous Runs, best_match). PowHound does not keep superseded live forecasts, so this is not the number you saw the night before. It is usually closer.
Clocks, local time: first chair 5pm–8am, on hill 8am–5pm, skiable is both. Stay home under 2", Nice day 2–8", Full Send 8" or more.
Pillow: snow depth at the Independence Camp SNOTEL station, read once a day around midnight. A day's gain is the next midnight reading minus that day's, so it runs midnight to midnight, not 5pm to 5pm. Depth is not snowfall: new snow settles and blows around, so the pillow usually reads under what fell. Not the resort report.
Verdict: close is within 3" or 30%. Season numbers and method: llms.txt.