Clif Bar has launched the first iPhone application to combine ski resort snow conditions with environmental steps the resorts are taking to combat global warming.

Scientists predict that global warming will lead to more drought and shorter ski seasons due to unseasonably warm weather. As conditions worsen, snow-sport participation in the Rocky Mountain West may become entirely unviable by the year 2050, according to recent climate trends research by Colorado College in its annual State of the Rockies Report Card.

"We were looking for new ways to extend the reach of our Clif Bar Save Our Snow campaign," said Ricardo Balazs, sports marketing experience manager for Clif Bar & Co., Berkeley, CA. "For the last three years, we have been on the slopes talking with skiers and riders, encouraging them to start global cooling.

"This season, given the growth and popularity of the iPhone, we decided it would be ?cool' to develop an app that allowed skiers and riders to not only get the latest snow conditions, but also provide them with a glimpse of what ski resorts are doing to fight global warming," he said. "It also gave us an opportunity to highlight resorts that we have recognized with a Golden Eagle Award for environmental excellence."

Clif Bar & Co. is a leading maker of all-natural and organic foods and drinks, including the organic-certified Clif Bar energy bar and Luna, a nutrition bar for women.

The Clif Bar Save Our Snow, or SOS, iPhone applicationm can be downloaded for free from the Apple App Store by searching "Save Our Snow" or at http://www.clifbar.com/sosiphone.

The Clif Bar SOS iPhone application lets consumers find snow conditions at any of the more than 500 ski resorts in North America.

They can learn current powder, temperature and wind conditions, the percentage of lifts open, a three-day weather forecast and the resort's phone number.

Consumers can also blow into their iPhone microphone and cause the screen to "ice over." They can use their fingers to brush away the ice or just watch it melt away. If it's snowing at the resort they choose to view, virtual snowflakes fall across their iPhone screen.

Icons on each resort's screen page also allow consumers to see what ski resorts are doing to combat climate change in the areas of renewable energy, transportation, waste reduction, education and outreach.

The Clif Bar Golden Eagle Awards annually honors National Ski Areas Association, or NSAA, ski resorts for their overall environmental achievements, and winners are marked within the application.

Clif Bar has, for the past three years, helped raise the awareness of winter athletes and enthusiasts about global warming's impact on the ski industry.

From mounting veggie-fueled mobile tours with skiers like Alison Gannett and riders like Jeremy Jones to providing carbon offsets for chairlift energy use, the Clif Bar SOS campaign has informed thousands of winter resort-goers about the need to quickly address global warming if they want to continue to enjoy outdoor winter activities.

The Clif Bar SOS iPhone app was designed by Raven Zachary in conjunction with Cobra Creative and DarkNoon.

Weather reports and snow data are provided by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, and http://www/snowcountry.com.

Environmental information is courtesy of the NSAA.

"We are looking to reach skiers and riders who share our commitment to protecting the places where we play," Mr. Balazs said.

"We'll be creating natural demand for the app through our database of family and friends who subscribe to our company newsletter; our network of Clif ambassadors and influencers, such as sponsored athletes, for example, to spread the word among their friends and acquaintances; and ski resort demos by our Field Marketing teams," he said.