Powder Buoy Tracker
The Powder Buoy community tracks Pacific wave signals to anticipate snow in the Wasatch. Below is a live chart of significant wave height (WVHT) from NOAA buoys 51001 & 51101. Follow @powderbuoy on Instagram for forecasts and analysis.
Powder Buoys — 51001 & 51101
Significant Wave Height (WVHT) over time from NOAA NDBC buoys.
Learn more about the concept and forecasts from the official Powder Buoy pages:
This page is unaffiliated with Powder Buoy. Data provided by NOAA NDBC.
Powder Buoy — FAQ
What is the Powder Buoy?Click to expand
The “Powder Buoy” is a community shorthand for watching Pacific wave signals from NOAA buoys to anticipate snow in Utah’s Wasatch. When WVHT (significant wave height) rises at upstream buoys, it can hint at energetic storm systems that sometimes translate into snowfall a few days later.
Which buoys are shown here?Click to expand
This page charts WVHT for NOAA NDBC buoys 51001 and 51101. You can toggle buoys above the graph to compare signals. Data refreshes frequently and is briefly cached for performance.
What does WVHT (significant wave height) mean?Click to expand
WVHT is the average height (trough to crest) of the highest one‑third of waves during a sampling period. It’s a standard measure for overall sea state.
How often is buoy data sampled?Click to expand
NDBC buoy observations are typically reported roughly every 10 minutes. For readability this chart shows at most one point per hour, while we retain the raw 10‑minute observations in a local history store.
Where does the data come from?Click to expand
Data is fetched from NOAA NDBC 5‑day text feeds (for example: 51001). We convert WVHT to feet, filter missing points, and cache the results.
Does a higher buoy signal guarantee snow?Click to expand
No. Buoy signals often correlate with incoming storm energy, but local snowfall depends on many factors: storm track, temperatures, moisture, orographics, and timing. Treat this as one indicator alongside forecasts and official guidance.
Where can I learn more?Click to expand
Check out powderbuoy.com, the Learn page, and NOAA NDBC station pages for 51001 and 51101.