Source transparency
Conditions sources
Last updated:
How observations, forecasts, mirrored context, and plain-language interpretation are used across the conditions pages, plus the official places to check important details.
How to use this page
Use LakeLoui.se to understand the situation. Check the official source for decisions involving access, safety, closures, restrictions, roads, bookings, tickets, lessons, rentals, avalanche terrain, water, or emergency planning.
Observation
WeatherLink station observations
- Used for
- Paid WeatherLink access powers the live temperature, wind, humidity, pressure, and station freshness shown on the weather and conditions pages.
- Limitation
- Station readings are local observations, not official warnings or a site-wide forecast. Sensors can lag, fail, ice over, or miss conditions a few hundred metres away; use ECCC for official weather alerts.
Forecast
Open-Meteo forecast models
- Used for
- Multi-day forecast context, trend interpretation, freezing level, and planning windows.
- Limitation
- Forecasts are model output, not ground truth. Cloud and view signals are forecast-only until there is a reliable local observation source to verify against.
Forecast context
Open-Meteo Air Quality
- Used for
- Significant-only smoke and haze context for views, comfort, and planning pivots.
- Limitation
- This is model context, not official AQHI or health guidance. Check AQHI before making health-sensitive decisions.
Official linkout
511 Alberta
- Used for
- Direct Alberta road incidents, closures, winter driving, and route checks while LakeLoui.se driving conditions are paused.
- Limitation
- Not currently ingested or summarized by LakeLoui.se; check 511 Alberta directly before making road decisions.
Official linkout
DriveBC
- Used for
- Direct British Columbia road incidents and route checks west of the provincial border while LakeLoui.se driving conditions are paused.
- Limitation
- Not currently ingested or summarized by LakeLoui.se; border-area travel can depend on both official services.
Observation
ECCC WaterOffice
- Used for
- Bow River and Pipestone River gauge context, seasonal melt, and hydrology trends.
- Limitation
- Gauge readings are not safety clearance for crossings, paddling, fishing, or travel near water.
Mirrored context
Lake Louise Ski Resort snow report
- Used for
- Unofficial ski-area context for lift, run, snow, grooming, park, and tube-park signals.
- Limitation
- Use the official resort report for operations, tickets, rentals, lessons, terrain park, and safety decisions.
Official sources used to verify context
These are not live feeds in the conditions pipeline. They are the official places LakeLoui.se checks against when wording touches access, rules, closures, restrictions, avalanche context, or safety.
Official verification
Parks Canada
- Used for
- Checking LakeLoui.se copy about park access, closures, restrictions, wildlife rules, permits, safety notices, and lake access.
- Limitation
- Not ingested as a live conditions feed. Use Parks Canada directly before making access, safety, closure, or restriction decisions.
Official verification
avalanche.ca
- Used for
- Checking LakeLoui.se winter-safety and avalanche-context wording.
- Limitation
- Not ingested as a live conditions feed. LakeLoui.se does not issue avalanche ratings, route safety calls, or winter terrain clearance.
How old are the condition feeds?
Read this first
- Freshness is a timestamp, not a guarantee that a road, river, trail, weather station, or ski-area operation is still in the same state.
- Source time is when the owner says the observation or status was produced.
- Processed time is when LakeLoui.se received or shaped the data.
- Official source is the place to check when safety, access, money, rules, or operations are involved.
Live manifest
Current source metadata
LakeLoui.se will try to read the public trail-mix manifest from/api/trail-mix-manifest.json. If the backend is unavailable, this page still explains how to interpret freshness once the feed returns.
Loading source freshness...
Freshness labels
Observation
A measured reading. Useful for context, but local hazards can sit between stations.
Forecast
Model output. Useful for planning windows, not a promise about mountain weather.
Mirrored context
Data copied or interpreted from a source feed. Check the linked official source before acting on it.
Interpretation
LakeLoui.se plain-language explanation. Use it to understand the signal, then check the official source before acting on it.
Official linkout
A direct path to the source to check before making an important decision.