The snow gods have been rewritten. Bryan Allegretto and Joel Gratz, once broke ski bums, turned their passion into the OpenSnow app, a beacon of accurate forecasts for skiers worldwide.

Allegretto recounts chasing storms with his dad in New Jersey, and later, storm-chasing alone through the Northeast. His obsession with weather led him to meteorology school at Kean University, where he began dreaming of integrating his love for skiing into his career.

In 2006, Allegretto moved to Tahoe, noticing a gap in reliable snow forecasts. ‘If you’re a forecaster in flat areas, you just look at the weather model and regurgitate the news,’ he says. ‘Weathermen in Sacramento or Reno didn’t give a crap about ski resorts! ’

From an office job to skiing and forecasting on the side, Allegretto’s dedication grew until it transformed into OpenSnow. Now, his Daily Snow reports have become gospel for skiers everywhere. ‘I’m F-list famous,’ he laughs, highlighting how far a passion project can go.

This year's peculiar winter, with its intense storms and rapid melts, has shown the value of their micro-celebrity forecasts. As California resorts shut down early, Eastern ski areas bask in endless snowfall. OpenSnow’s app stands as proof that even exasperating weather patterns can give way to a wealth of data and, most importantly, joy for those who chase it.