Westin Riverfront hosting OpenSnow founder Joel Gratz on Oct. 16

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley on Monday issued the following press release on a presentation by OpenSnow.com founder Joel Gratz:

The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa Avon, Vail Valley is excited to once again welcome OpenSnow Founder Joel Gratz  to share more about winter weather with a special evening titled Chasing Powder: Snow Forecasting and Finding Powder Days.

The event will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 16th at 6:30 p.m. in The Westin Riverfront Lobby. 

The founding meteorologist at OpenSnow, Gratz will share insights on the nuances of mountain weather forecasting, along with helpful tips and tricks for finding the best snow conditions, with an emphasis on the Vail Valley. Gratz will discuss his outlook for the upcoming season, how far out one can trust forecasts, what shifts that they are seeing in the climate, and new weather technology that is being developed by OpenSnow. 

Food and drinks specials will be available for purchase at The Lobby Bar. Stay for dinner at Stoke & Rye, which is serving a special Fall Taste of Stoke & Rye 3-course menu for $65 per person or $95 for two. 

The event is free to attend and open to the community, with a suggested 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.

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 “Top 20 Resorts in the Mountain West” for 2024 by Conde Nast Traveler, the resort is home to Stoke & Rye by Chef Richard Sandoval, a Starbucks and the Riverfront Market, which offers savory to-go meals & snacks. 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.