Google Earth Gains Ski Resort Snowfall Layer

The very cold weather has become a top story across America.  In Europe, there are plenty of sub-freezing spots, too.  And in the event you’re not the type to respond by just grabbing an extra blanket or two, Google wants to help you find something to do.

People who like to ski or snowboard – or who want to learn – are in luck.  A post on the LatLong Blog states, "A very easy and visual way of checking the latest snowfalls in ski resorts in the Alp regions of Austria, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland is the new ‘Ski resorts in the Alps’ layer in Google Earth.  You can find it in the Gallery folder of the layers panel under ‘Travel and Tourism.’"

bergfex is behind the layer, and it will provide statistics including average snow depth four times a day.  Unchanging info about altitudes, lengths of the slopes, and resorts’ phone numbers is also available.

As for at-a-glance readings within the layer, "The icons represent the average snow depth of that area; the whiter the icon, the more snow you can expect."

We must say, this offering isn’t particularly recession-minded of Google; laid-off individuals probably aren’t thinking about international ski vacations.  It’s still interesting, though, and will perhaps help make the holidays better for a few people.