Are we just calling all snow powder now?

I saw at least two mountains I follow declare a powder day this morning. In the east it's kind of understandable to stretch the definition of powder a little but isn't it a little much to call today a "powder day"? Considering that all the reports are that it's coming down wet and heavy, can't we just be happy it's snowing and restoring the base we lost in the thaw? - hopefully?

This stuff is more akin to wet cement after first contact. It packs well. Great for creating base and extending the season.

This storm is exactly what we need now.  It will help restore the base at mountains that need it (Catskills).  I'm really sick of curmudgeons like Jason and Benny declaring any non-western style storm a bust.

snoloco wrote

This storm is exactly what we need now.  It will help restore the base at mountains that need it (Catskills).

This is correct, but Brownski's point is likewise accurate. Plattekill's e-mail blast said 20 inches of new snow instead of powder. Good on them!

bumps wrote

snoloco wrote

This storm is exactly what we need now.  It will help restore the base at mountains that need it (Catskills).

This is correct, but Brownski's point is likewise accurate. Plattekill's e-mail blast said 20 inches of new snow instead of powder. Good on them!

Right
I agree that this is what we need. The density will make for a great base

snoloco wrote

  I'm really sick of curmudgeons like.....

The pot calling the kettle black?

Ayyyyyy. When did I ever call on "non western storm" a bust?


Young man, I just skied a few days of Utah powder last week. Now, that's snow. You should put down your nerdy laptop that you use as your Google machine and go ski it.

Betcha you have a Bellayre sticker on your laptop.

This kind of bugs me too, not sure why really it's just words.

New snow does not equal powder. Just call it new snow.

Friday was definitely a powder day at Plattekill. I'll bet most who were there would agree.  I'd day the first five or six inches were borderline, but the next two feet were pow. Eastern pow?  Maybe.

When the snow is really good, even if your skis aren't that fat (97mm for me), the skiing becomes almost effortless. I skied all day, and tele'd almost everything.

I'd venture to say that even Jason would have had fun.

Brownski wrote

I saw at least two mountains I follow declare a powder day this morning. In the east it's kind of understandable to stretch the definition of powder a little but isn't it a little much to call today a "powder day"? Considering that all the reports are that it's coming down wet and heavy, can't we just be happy

i call soft spring corn snow powder.its soft, your skies go under it and its the north east.  with so few genuine powder days i will take anything soft and enjoy it.  saturday was wind blown slabs. and it was a blast.

sig wrote

 genuine powder

So maybe we call all snow powder, but reserve "genuine powder" for well... powder.

Harvey wrote

sig wrote

 genuine powder

So maybe we call all snow powder, but reserve "genuine powder" for well... powder.

Perfect Powder

Harvey wrote

This kind of bugs me too, not sure why really it's just words.

Friday was definitely a powder day at Plattekill. I'll bet most who were there would agree.  I'd day the first five or six inches were borderline, but the next two feet were pow. Eastern pow?  Maybe.

When the snow is really good, even if your skis aren't that fat (97mm for me), the skiing becomes almost effortless. I skied all day, and tele'd almost everything.

I can vouch for Harv.  My family had the opportunity of a lifetime to ski Platty on Friday and Saturday for Telefest.  It was only heavy when you fell in it on Friday.  Saturday it did set up with wind-packed cement (but got broken up by a few thousand new friends who got turned away from the other Catskill ski area.  A ton of fun both days and I only had 95mm underfoot and my wife pulled it off with 88's.  

Good to see you Telerider. Your son is a hoot. How old is he? He has his own vortex.

He also loves the Slides. He told me all about them. I asked him how he learned so much, he told me he found all this info "on a website."

Benny Profane wrote

Betcha you have a Bellayre sticker on your laptop.

Nope.

Harvey wrote

So maybe we call all snow powder, but reserve "genuine powder" for well... powder.

This got me to thinking about a guide to writing a snow report:

Snow depth:
Trace (only use pre-October 1)
Almost 6"
Over 6"
Storm of the Year | Decade

Storm Name:
Refer to NWS web site, or:
Invent name proportional to month of season, e.g. November - December names in letters starting from A-F; Jan. -Feb. use names G-K; after April use a name starting with letter Q.
Note:  Best to use non-specific gender names.  Safe to use the name of any kid born after 2010.

Snow Adjectives:
Huge dump (default)
Pounded with snow
Boot deep
Knee deep
Reaches grandpa's testicles (<--social media use only)

Trails Open:
100%
100% but may vary according to ski patrol discretion

Punctuation Options:
!
!!
!!!!

Conditions Converter:
Bare spots = natural hazards (always exist)
Rocks = summer moguls
Snow coverage like a Holstein cow = spring conditions
Rain = spring conditions
Freeze/thaw = pre-storm preparation
WROD = pond skimming weekend
WROD = great deck weather (if pond skimming has already been used)

Woodstream?  Try reopening Deer Run, where we Oneonta gen-xers learned to shred.

I think that real powder snow should now be referred to as "unpacked granular of microscopic proportions".

Turd Ferguson wrote

I think that real powder snow should now be referred to as "unpacked granular of microscopic proportions".

That's awesome. How about "highly aerated future granular"?

Had super fun on Saturday and Sunday, and agree lets not call this stuff powder. Whats up with Windham though, had never been there and they weren't up for the task of hosting so many riders. The lifts that were running were old and slow, and some lifts were not running.

Saratogahalfday wrote

Woodstream?  Try reopening Deer Run, where we Oneonta gen-xers learned to shred.

I'd love to, but It's owned by some Jewish camp now and I'm not sure how well a ski area would thrive in Stamford. It would have to be marketed as a locals area, and I love that idea, but not sure if it would work or now.