Winter weather can be unpredictable, especially when you're trying to decide if it's time to break out the shovel or if you can wait another hour. This project creates a simple, glanceable desktop display that monitors real-time snowfall and daily forecasts using a no-code approach.

By combining a QT Py ESP32 with a 7-segment display, you can keep an eye on the accumulation without having to check your phone or a weather app every ten minutes. The built-in NeoPixel LED on the QT Py acts as a visual alert, glowing blue when it’s actively snowing, while the LED matrix shows exactly how many inches of snow are expected for the day.

Using WipperSnapper firmware and Adafruit IO Actions, this guide will show you how to link cloud-based weather data to your hardware in minutes. All without writing a single line of code.

How it works

This project relies on the power of Adafruit IO Actions to do the heavy lifting. A scheduled trigger checks the weather data for a specific location (like New York City) every hour.

If the current weather conditions report "snow," a command is sent to the QT Py to turn the onboard NeoPixel a bright blue. Simultaneously, the action pulls the daily snowfall forecast, converts the metric to inches (optional), and sends that value directly to the 7-segment display. Because the device is running WipperSnapper firmware, it stays connected to your WiFi and listens for these updates automatically, making the setup process entirely visual.

What is WipperSnapper?

WipperSnapper is a firmware designed to turn any WiFi-capable board into an Internet-of-Things (IoT) device without programming a single line of code. WipperSnapper connects to Adafruit IO, a web platform designed (by Adafruit!) to display, respond, and interact with your project's data.

Simply load the WipperSnapper firmware onto your board, add credentials, and plug it into power. Your board will automatically register itself with your Adafruit IO account.

From there, you can add components to your board such as buttons, switches, potentiometers, sensors, and more! Components are dynamically added to hardware, so you can immediately start interacting, logging, and streaming the data your projects produce without writing code.

Parts