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A new one for the ski report

#1
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11/17/09 at 4:34am
  • Joined: February 2002
  • Location: Monument,CO
  • Post Count: 934
I've got a desktop widget running that shows the ski conditions at different resorts. Now anyone who's ever followed ski reports knows there are only a couple possibilities.  Powder, packed powder, and late in the season, spring conditions.  Today the condition at Abasin was "wet pack".  I've never seen that one and just down the road and at lower elevation Keystone reported the ever popular "powder".   ???
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#2
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11/17/09 at 6:26am
  • Joined: October 2003
  • Location: Mount Airy, MD
  • Post Count: 5,545
Here on the East Coast we have (in increasing order of snow firmness):
Powder = Made snow last snow
Packed Powder = Made snow 2 nights ago
Wet = It's raining
Firm = What most people normally call ice

Extra Firm = What East Coasters normally call ice

Shiny = What real skiers normally call ice
Extra shiny = You can see quarter buried an inch down
Glaciated = Extra shiny with a blue tint
Race conditions = Perfect skiing

Regards,
Rusty

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#3
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11/17/09 at 7:12am
  • Joined: October 2004
  • Location: Bellingham, WA
  • Post Count: 2,636


Quote:
Originally Posted by stevesmith7 View Post

Now anyone who's ever followed ski reports knows there are only a couple possibilities.  Powder, packed powder, and late in the season, spring conditions.
You should get out of Colorado once and a while.

I slide.

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#4
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11/17/09 at 7:43am
  • Joined: February 2004
  • Location: Durango
  • Post Count: 2,580

My local area is famous for having nothing but "packed powder," even though it has not snowed for 3 weeks, and it has been above freezing everyday and refroze each night.  Technically, once snow falls on a  run and gets packed, it remains "packed powder" the rest of the season.

 

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#5
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11/17/09 at 10:35am
  • Joined: November 2007
  • Location: Jackson, WY
  • Post Count: 1,108
 My favorite used to be "Frozen Granular".
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#6
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11/17/09 at 10:59am
  • Joined: July 2008
  • Location: just beyond reason
  • Post Count: 933
In the Cascades we have several others.

Damp:  Bring rain gear
Wet:  Bring scuba gear
Raining:  Bring kayak

That is all we ever get here so everybody go to Colorado and Utah. 

"Politics is the 2nd oldest profession in the world and it bares a close resemblance to the 1st."     Will Rogers

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#7
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11/17/09 at 11:01am
  • Joined: October 2007
  • Location: Tahoe
  • Post Count: 2,370
we have about 5 or 6 ski areas in the same locale. you should see the discrepancy in their reporting. K is the least reliable, most likely to exagerate. surprisingly, NS is usually spot on, even though they do the most snowmaking and are least affected by fluctuations in weather. S is decently honest, except for what lifts will be open when.
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#8
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11/17/09 at 11:27am
  • Joined: December 2008
  • Location: alabama?
  • Post Count: 207

i think squaw consistently under reports snowfall.

either that or everyone else over reports and squaw can't because they have those NOAA sensors on the mountain.


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#9
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11/17/09 at 11:37am
  • Joined: February 2002
  • Location: Monument,CO
  • Post Count: 934


Quote:
Originally Posted by therusty View Post
.......
Wet = It's raining
Firm = What most people normally call ice

Extra Firm = What East Coasters normally call ice

Shiny = What real skiers normally call ice
Extra shiny = You can see quarter buried an inch down
Glaciated = Extra shiny with a blue tint
Race conditions = Perfect skiing




Quote:
Originally Posted by Posaune View Post



You should get out of Colorado once and a while.
 

Because....?

Years ago I experienced "race conditions" at Squaw. It had rained 10" at 10k feet and then turned cold. On the Mountain Run you could see grass 3-4' below you through the ice. They were trucking the beginners down the mountain.

I'm ok with powder and packed powder.

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#10
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11/19/09 at 11:21am
  • Joined: August 2008
  • Location: Lakewood, CO
  • Post Count: 49
When I skied back east, I always liked the fact that it could be 10 degrees out and raining. Someone forgot to mention rime. Makes the lift towers look real pretty.

And ice is actually nice. It does make you a better skier . . .

But, here in Colorado, I get a kick out of some of the local, um, famous areas, saying its a "deep powder" day when they get 2" new.

A White Raven
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#11
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11/19/09 at 11:33am
  • Joined: December 2007
  • Location: The Bull City
  • Post Count: 12,045
Out here 6" of fresh is a big POW day that brings out people on 100+ mm waist skis wih avalungs.


Just kidding about the avalungs, but you get the picture..
I'd rather be skiing
 
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