From Mistral: An experimental specialized small model trained on meticulously curated data, designed for creative writing, narrative generation, roleplay and character-driven dialog, general-purpose instruction following and conversational agents.
The smaller Mistral models don’t get nearly enough love. For my use case (https://winterscience.com) of turning structured data points into consumable text, they way outperform other models in their cost tier. Only $0.1/M input $0.3/M output.
Eldodi•1h ago
Have you tried it and compared to other small models?
cmoriam•1h ago
I have extensively. Here's an example of Mistral Small Creative reading weather and snow data creating a ski report:
The mountain is wrapped in a fresh, high-density powder blanket after a wild overnight storm that dumped 14" at the summit, 5" mid-mountain, and 3" at the base—with an extra 1-3" of light snow today topping it off. The snow is upside-down (heavier on top), creating a challenging, almost "wet concrete" texture in spots, especially on SE and SW aspects, where the wind scoured and redeposited it unevenly. Thin coverage is the name of the game—expect to bottom out in rocky or icy patches across all aspects, particularly on flatter terrain and wind-exposed slopes.
Skiing today is a mixed bag of adventure and caution: the summit’s NW aspects offer the deepest powder (up to 15"), but the upside-down snowpack means you’ll need to adjust your line to avoid post-holing or sudden transitions to bare ground. Mid-mountain feels like a crusty, wind-packed playground—fast and fun on groomers but sketchy in the trees where the snow is thin and uneven. Down at the base, the 3" of fresh stuff is just enough to soften the edges of icy patches, but don’t expect deep turns—it’s more about playful bumps and quick carves before you hit the harder stuff underneath.
Wind effects are still visible: NW slopes are wind-loaded and dense, while SE faces feel scoured and thin. Freezing levels dropped below base, so lower elevations may have a slushy, refrozen crust by midday. Avalanche risk is moderate—watch for wind slabs on lee aspects and thin, unconsolidated snow over harder layers.
Bottom line? If you’re after deep, untracked turns, head early to the summit’s NW aspects—but expect a workout as you navigate the heavy, upside-down snow. For a more mellow (but still fun) day, stick to groomed runs mid-mountain, where the 5" of fresh stuff softens the ride. Helmets and poles are a must—this snow isn’t forgiving if you take a spill. Conditions will firm up fast as temps rise, so get out there early for the best experience.
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vs Gemini Flash 3 doing the same at 4x the cost for the same prompt:
Conditions are currently overcast with light snow falling across all elevations, adding to the 14" of new high-density powder recorded at the summit and 5" at mid-mountain over the last 24 hours. While the base areas are seeing a fresh 3" coating, freezing levels remain low, ensuring the ongoing precipitation stays frozen throughout the day.
Skiing today features a heavy, "upside-down" snowpack that requires strong legs to navigate, especially where SE winds have scoured slopes and loaded the NW aspects. Expect a physically demanding experience as you maneuver through this dense, wind-affected snow, and exercise caution as the coverage remains extremely thin; you will likely feel the firm ground or obstacles beneath your skis in localized spots across the mountain.
cmoriam•1h ago
The smaller Mistral models don’t get nearly enough love. For my use case (https://winterscience.com) of turning structured data points into consumable text, they way outperform other models in their cost tier. Only $0.1/M input $0.3/M output.
Eldodi•1h ago
cmoriam•1h ago
The mountain is wrapped in a fresh, high-density powder blanket after a wild overnight storm that dumped 14" at the summit, 5" mid-mountain, and 3" at the base—with an extra 1-3" of light snow today topping it off. The snow is upside-down (heavier on top), creating a challenging, almost "wet concrete" texture in spots, especially on SE and SW aspects, where the wind scoured and redeposited it unevenly. Thin coverage is the name of the game—expect to bottom out in rocky or icy patches across all aspects, particularly on flatter terrain and wind-exposed slopes.
Skiing today is a mixed bag of adventure and caution: the summit’s NW aspects offer the deepest powder (up to 15"), but the upside-down snowpack means you’ll need to adjust your line to avoid post-holing or sudden transitions to bare ground. Mid-mountain feels like a crusty, wind-packed playground—fast and fun on groomers but sketchy in the trees where the snow is thin and uneven. Down at the base, the 3" of fresh stuff is just enough to soften the edges of icy patches, but don’t expect deep turns—it’s more about playful bumps and quick carves before you hit the harder stuff underneath.
Wind effects are still visible: NW slopes are wind-loaded and dense, while SE faces feel scoured and thin. Freezing levels dropped below base, so lower elevations may have a slushy, refrozen crust by midday. Avalanche risk is moderate—watch for wind slabs on lee aspects and thin, unconsolidated snow over harder layers.
Bottom line? If you’re after deep, untracked turns, head early to the summit’s NW aspects—but expect a workout as you navigate the heavy, upside-down snow. For a more mellow (but still fun) day, stick to groomed runs mid-mountain, where the 5" of fresh stuff softens the ride. Helmets and poles are a must—this snow isn’t forgiving if you take a spill. Conditions will firm up fast as temps rise, so get out there early for the best experience.
------------
vs Gemini Flash 3 doing the same at 4x the cost for the same prompt:
Conditions are currently overcast with light snow falling across all elevations, adding to the 14" of new high-density powder recorded at the summit and 5" at mid-mountain over the last 24 hours. While the base areas are seeing a fresh 3" coating, freezing levels remain low, ensuring the ongoing precipitation stays frozen throughout the day.
Skiing today features a heavy, "upside-down" snowpack that requires strong legs to navigate, especially where SE winds have scoured slopes and loaded the NW aspects. Expect a physically demanding experience as you maneuver through this dense, wind-affected snow, and exercise caution as the coverage remains extremely thin; you will likely feel the firm ground or obstacles beneath your skis in localized spots across the mountain.