The Snow Briefing
A snow forecast for your area, in your inbox each evening
The Snow Briefing is a paid evening email written by Drew Montreuil for your organization's area. It isn't automated model output, and it isn't a regional forecast with your town's name on it.
How it works
One email, around 6:30–7 PM
Each evening of the season, one email covers your area. Your own notes about the roads and trouble spots you know are built into it.
- What's coming tonight
- What to expect across your area.
- Start and end
- When it begins and when it wraps up.
- Roads
- Road conditions in plain terms.
- What could change
- Where the forecast could go wrong, and what that would look like.
- What to watch overnight
- The things worth keeping an eye on after you've gone home.
- Extended outlook
- The days ahead, at the end of each briefing.
Who it's for
Built for the people who clear the roads and make the calls
- Town and village highway departmentsPlan crews, salt, and call-ins the night before.
- Schools and school districtsKnow what the morning looks like before the early decision.
- Plow contractorsPlan routes and crews for your lots and customers.
Service area: Tompkins County to start. If you're nearby, ask.
Season
December through March, plus storm days on either side
Early- and late-season storms get the full briefing, not a short alert. In November and April it comes on the days it's needed rather than every day. That's true for every plan, including schools.
For schools
School briefings arrive the night before a school day
School plans cover school days, so the briefing comes the evening before. Sunday evening covers Monday. Friday evening has no briefing unless you add Saturdays. Evenings before scheduled days off are skipped.
| Plan | Sun eve | Mon eve | Tue eve | Wed eve | Thu eve | Fri eve | Sat eve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| School | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | — | — |
| School + Saturday | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | — |
| Municipal & Contractor | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
Pricing
One payment for the whole season
The Snow Briefing is paid once, upfront, for the season. Highway departments and plow contractors pay $1,600 for the season. Schools pay $950 for the season for school-day briefings, or $1,050 for the season with Saturdays included.
Schools pay less because they receive fewer forecasts: roughly 70 school-day forecasts, compared with 121 for the daily plan. Every plan also includes full briefings on storm days in November and April.
| Plan | Price | Who it's for | Daily briefings, Dec – Mar | Nov & Apr |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Municipal & Contractor | $1,600per season, paid once | Highway departments and plow contractors | Every evening: 121 forecasts | Full briefing on storm days |
| School | $950per season, paid once | Schools and school districts | Evenings before school days: roughly 70 forecastsPending the school schedule | Full briefing on storm days |
| School + Saturday | $1,050per season, paid once | Schools and school districts | School days plus Saturdays: roughly 85 forecastsPending the school schedule | Full briefing on storm days |
What one subscription covers
Each subscription is written for one organization and the area it's responsible for: a town or village's roads, a school district's boundaries, or a contractor's service area. Because every briefing is built around that one area, a group that serves several separate districts or towns, such as a BOCES, needs a subscription for each district it wants covered.
Note for Drew: One way to say it. Adjust the BOCES line to match how you'd actually handle a multi-district group.
Every subscription starts with a conversation. There's nothing to buy online.
Getting started
Consultation first, then a contract
Free consultation
We talk through your area in detail: the roads or buildings you cover, the spots that always cause trouble, and what you already know about how storms hit you. Bring your questions.
Contract and payment
After the consultation, you sign a season contract and pay by check. There's no online checkout.
Briefings begin
Your area and notes are built into each briefing, starting with the first November storm day or December 1, whichever comes first.
The consultation can't be skipped. It's how each briefing gets written for your area instead of a general one.
Request your free consultation
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Note for Drew: Placeholder questions for you to rewrite. Bracketed items need your answer.
What time does the briefing arrive?
Around 6:30–7 PM each evening during the season.
Is this the same as the forecast on flxweather.com?
No. The Snow Briefing is written for your organization's area and includes your own notes about it. It's sent only to subscribers.
What does one subscription cover?
One organization and the area it's responsible for, such as a town's roads, a school district, or a contractor's service area. Groups that serve several districts or towns need a subscription for each one.
What happens in November and April?
You get the same full briefing on the days snow or ice is in the forecast. It applies to every plan, including schools.
How do school briefings handle breaks and days off?
Briefings come the evening before each school day. Evenings before scheduled days off are skipped, which is why the school count is approximate until your calendar is set.
How do I pay?
After your free consultation, you sign a season contract and pay once, by check. [Drew: purchase orders?]
Where does the service cover?
Tompkins County to start. If you're just outside it, ask.