Data Freshness
Update Frequency
What "real-time" actually means for each signal — refresh intervals, caching behavior, seasonal dormancy, and how PeakScout handles stale data.
Real-Time (< 15 min)
These signals are on-change or near-instantaneous. PeakScout polls at the specified interval.
Hourly (15–60 min)
Sources that publish on an hourly cadence. PeakScout syncs at the top of each hour or on published update.
Sub-Daily (1–4x per day)
Sources that publish 1–4 times per day at known times (typically morning/evening). PeakScout updates on each published run.
Daily or Slower
Data that changes slowly or seasonally. Minimum daily refresh; may be static for weeks or months between updates.
Complete Update Interval Table
| Data Type | Source | Update Interval | PeakScout Display | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Live Radar | RainViewer | ~10 min (animated frames) | Real-time | 5-min cache. Radar base update cadence; animated loops compiled from last 10 frames. |
| NWS Alerts / Watches / Warnings | NWS API | Real-time | Real-time | PeakScout polls every 5 min. Critical alerts (tornado, blizzard, flash flood) may trigger push notifications. |
| FAA TFR / NOTAM | FAA tfr.faa.gov via ADDS/AWC | Real-time | Real-time | 15-min poll. TFRs are event-driven — can appear or disappear at any time. Military TFRs may have restricted access. |
| METAR / ASOS Observations | AWC / ADDSWeather | 30–60 min per station | Updated every 15 min | Stations update at irregular intervals. Some remote stations may lag more than an hour. |
| Weather Forecasts (grid-point) | NWS api.weather.gov | Hourly | Updated hourly | NWS publishes new model runs hourly. Forecasts for hours 6–48 are most reliable. Hours 3–5 may still reflect previous model run. |
| Open-Meteo Forecasts | Open-Meteo API | Hourly | Updated hourly | Supplementary to NWS. Used for trail-level precipitation probability and snow line. |
| River CFS / Stream Flow | USGS NWIS | ~15 min | Updated every 15 min | USGS intentionally adds ~15 min quality-control delay. This is normal and expected. Flows can spike rapidly during rain events — use with caution. |
| Snowpack / SWE | NRCS SNOTEL | Hourly | Updated hourly | Point measurements at fixed stations. Between-station interpolation used for trail-level estimates. Not all elevations have nearby stations. |
| AQI / PM2.5 | EPA AirNow | Hourly | Updated hourly | AirNow primary. Open-Meteo fallback. Sparse monitor network in mountainous terrain — rural AQI is interpolated, not measured. |
| Avalanche Forecasts | NAAE / individual centers | 2x Daily | Updated 2x daily | Morning forecast typically 6–7am. Evening update varies by center. During active periods, centers may issue updates more frequently. |
| Wildfire Perimeters | NIFC / WFIGS ArcGIS | 15–30 min during fires | Updated every 15 min | Perimeter updates lag field mapping by several hours. Large fires only — small local fires may not appear. |
| Fire Detection (satellite) | NASA FIRMS / MODIS+VIIRS | 1–3x daily per fire | Updated every 30 min | Orbit-dependent. Cloud cover suppresses detection. Useful for new fire detection, not perimeter accuracy. |
| Trail Closures / Fire Restrictions | USFS / BLM / NPS / State Agencies | Varies widely | Updated daily (minimum) | USFS closures: 30-min poll. BLM: 30-min poll. NPS alerts: 30-min poll. Smaller agencies may only update on business days. |
| Road Conditions / Chain Laws | State DOTs (CDOT, WYDOT, MDT, UDOT, etc.) | 5–60 min | Updated every 30 min | CDOT: ~5 min. WYDOT: ~5 min. Others: 15–60 min. Rural state highways often have no real-time data — "unknown" shown instead of stale "open". |
| Campground Availability | Recreation.gov API | 15 min | Updated every 15 min | Last-minute cancellations may appear with slight delay. Not all federal campgrounds are on Recreation.gov. |
| Timed-Entry Permit Availability | Recreation.gov / park-specific APIs | 15 min | Updated every 15 min | Permits released on schedule. Sold-out slots update within minutes of reservation. |
| OHV Route Status | USFS MVUM / BLM ArcGIS / State portals | Real-time | Updated daily | MVUM is annual. Route designations do not reflect seasonal gate closures. Trail conditions service aggregates closure notices to supplement MVUM. |
| NPS Alerts / Park Closures | NPS Developer API | 30 min | Updated every 30 min | Alerts entered manually by park staff. Smaller parks may not have real-time feeds. |
| Hunting Seasons / Game Units | State Fish & Wildlife Agencies (CPW, MT FWP, WY G&F) | Seasonal | Static between seasons | Hunting data is annual. Season dates typically published in spring for fall hunts. |
| Wildlife Conflict Alerts | State wildlife agencies | Real-time | Updated daily | Dependent on field reports reaching agency systems. Grizzly bear and large predator alerts may be posted to agency social media before the API. |
| Go Scores | PeakScout computation | Hourly | Updated hourly | Go Scores are derived from the above signals. Score reflects the most recent data available for each input. |
| Briefing Email | PeakScout | Daily (6am local state time) | Daily | Daily briefing generated at 6am Mountain time. Covers all active signals for the subscribed state. |
| Community Trail Reports | User-submitted | Real-time | Updated in real-time | Moderated within 24 hours. Reports flagged as unverified show an "Unverified" badge. |
| Webcam Streams | Third-party providers (CDOT, WYDOT, ski areas) | Provider-dependent | Live iframe | No ingestion — rendered directly. Stream availability depends entirely on the third-party provider. |
Understanding "Real-Time" on PeakScout
- On-change (minutes): The source publishes immediately when data changes. PeakScout polls on a fixed interval — so "on-change" data may appear with up to a 5-minute delay on our end. Critical NWS alerts can trigger push notifications even between poll cycles.
- Intentional source delays: USGS intentionally adds a ~15-minute quality-control delay to river CFS data. This is normal and expected — it does not indicate a problem with PeakScout. Avalanche centers also hold forecasts for editorial review before publishing.
- Stale data handling: PeakScout shows an age indicator on each data card (e.g., "Updated 23 min ago"). If data exceeds the freshness threshold for its type, the card shows an amber "Stale data" or red "Outdated" badge, and the Go Score confidence drops. We do not suppress stale data — we flag it.
- Caching: PeakScout caches most API responses server-side to reduce load on upstream sources and improve page load speed. Cache intervals are shown in the table above. The "PeakScout Display" column reflects when the cached value is refreshed, not when the source last updated.
- Seasonal dormancy: When a source goes off-season (avalanche forecasts end, hunting data goes quiet), the data card shows "Out of season — resumes [month]" rather than a stale timestamp. This prevents misleading signals from appearing when no authoritative data exists.
- Verification guide: When you need absolute certainty — before a critical trip or during active emergency — use the authoritative agency's own channels: NWS weather.gov for alerts, avalanche.org for forecasts, waterdata.usgs.gov for stream flows, inciweb.nwcg.gov for fire perimeters. PeakScout is a decision-support layer, not a replacement for the authoritative source.
Refresh interval note: All update intervals are estimates based on known source behaviors. Actual refresh times depend on the source's own publishing cadence, API availability, and network conditions. PeakScout does not guarantee specific update frequencies. When in doubt, check the authoritative agency directly. Seasonal intervals (avalanche, hunting, snowpack) are approximate — exact start/end dates vary by year and by forecast zone.