Opensnow.com founder Joel Gratz to chat with community at Westin in Avon

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley recently issued the following press release on hosting Opensnow.com founder Joel Gratz for a community chat on Oct. 12 — about the same time he says another storm will roll through the high country:

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley is excited to welcome OpenSnow Founder Joel Gratz  on Oct. 12th for a special Community Chat: Chasing Powder – The Fun Side of Weather and Finding Weather Windows for Outdoor Adventure.

The event will be held on Thursday, Oct. 12th at 6:30 p.m. in The Westin Riverfront Lobby. 

The founding meteorologist at OpenSnow, Gratz will discuss how to read weather forecasts and snow reports to help you plan for perfect days on the snow this winter, with an emphasis on finding powder at Beaver Creek and Vail. Gratz will discuss the outlook for the upcoming season, new weather technology that is being developed by OpenSnow, how far out one can trust forecasts, what shifts that they are seeing in the climate, and also new year-round weather features that will allow OpenSnow users to plan non-snow adventures during any month of the year. 

The event is free and open to all, with a suggested $20 donation to SOS Outreach, which offers life-changing programs that combine outdoor exploration, positive adult mentorship, leadership skills and community service to help youth discover joy, overcome challenges, improve their mental health and become strong leaders.

For more information, please visit www.spaanjali.com/events. 

Gratz is the founding meteorologist and Colorado forecaster for OpenSnow, a mobile app and website that provides snow forecasts, travel advice and year-round weather data to millions of skiers, snowboarders, and adventurers every year. Gratz graduated from Penn State with a degree in meteorology and then earned his MS and MBA from the University of Colorado. As a die-hard skier and powder seeker, Gratz spent years studying local weather patterns and made his first public snow forecast in 2007 to an email list of 38 people. When he’s not forecasting and running the business, Gratz talks excitedly about weather to anyone who will listen and he also finds plenty of time to enjoy the outdoors through skiing,

biking, hiking, and even chasing and photographing thunderstorms and tornadoes. 

Located in the heart of the Vail Valley, The Westin Riverfront offers 230 guest residences, each with a custom kitchen, five-piece bathroom and gas fireplace. Named one of the “50 Best Resorts in the World” for 2022 by Conde Nast Traveler, the resort is home to Stoke & Rye, an American grill by Chef Richard Sandoval, and the Riverfront Market, which offers savory to-go meals & snacks. The Westin Riverfront also offers a Starbucks and The Lookout Lobby Bar, which serves an extensive selection of craft cocktails & local microbrews with seasonal live music. The Athletic Club at The Westin & Spa Anjali feature 27,000 square feet of spa, fitness and wellness facilities, all with extraordinary views, along with access to The Westin Riverfront’s 25-yard outdoor lap saltwater pool and three infinity hot tubs. The Athletic Club at The Westin offers more than 50 group exercise classes weekly, including Master Swim, Peloton, Pilates Barre, Vinyasa Flow, TRX and Aerial Yoga. 

Skiers & snowboarders can enjoy direct access to Beaver Creek Mountain via the Riverfront Express Gondola during the winter months and unparalleled access to hiking, biking, fly fishing and golf during the spring, summer & fall. For more information, please visit www.westinriverfront.com.