What is the Ideal Amount of Snow?

What is average snow density in the East? I have no idea. But whatever it is, not glop, not blower, just snow, let say it fell at 25 degrees...

My question - in your opinion: what is the perfect amount of new snow to ski in the East?  You can have any skis/gear you want.

6 inches? Two feet? Four feet? What say you?

If I don't need a snorkel, It's not deep enough.

4 feet on opening day last year at Snow Ridge was ideal.

Minimum 2'.  Maximum? I'll let you know when it happens.

I really don't care. IMO any NEW snow is perfect. If I get to be picky I'll go with 2', but 2" can be fun too.

At Mountain Creek, they make their own snow for the most part, so their need for natural snow is mostly obsolete for them.  If it is enough to close school, it is good enough for me.  I say that there is too much snow when it causes me to loose momentum in the flat spots and I have to walk through it.  However, Mountain Creek usually grooms out most of the powder, so the flat spots are usually groomed.  You can only ski powder on the rare occasion that there is any on a couple trails because they can be counted on to groom out the remaining 90% of the powder.

As a demonstration of their need for natural snow, this is the amount on snow on their trails.


This is the help they got from nature.


Also, this is what most of their man made snow looks like.  I'd rather ski this than have to battle for first chair on a powder day (powder days bring out the worst behavior in skiers).  If only they could make this snow on the roads so that it would close school.


Look at these three pictures and try to say that Mountain Creek needs any natural snow to open and provide a great ski experience.

One foot is nice especially if it happens repeatedly

More than 2 feet gets problematic for flatter spots.  When I was cat skiing in bc had 4 feet which is too much.  You get Avy danger and it was too slow even in steep pitches

Enough to shut down 87 from Jersey to the Canadian border.

campgottagopee wrote

If I get to be picky I'll go with 2', but 2" can be fun too.

Are we really going to let this one slide?

Depends where you are.

If I was in Alta? 3-4'

If I was at Gore? 18-20" is nice because you can still ski the lower mountain and get around on the flat parts.

If I was at Mountain Creek... Tricked you, I'd never go there.

tBatt wrote

campgottagopee wrote

If I get to be picky I'll go with 2', but 2" can be fun too.

Are we really going to let this one slide?

Was waiting for someone to knock that meatball out of the park with a TWSS

figured it would be SJ, nice job tBatt

snoloco wrote

At Mountain Creek, their need for natural snow is mostly obsolete for them.    I'd rather ski this than have to battle for first chair on a powder day (powder days bring out the worst behavior in skiers).  try to say that Mountain Creek needs any natural snow to open and provide a great ski experience.

"youth is wasted on the young" George Bernard Shaw

I have to admit I was originally thinking:

• East Coast
• Natural Snow
• Avg East Snow Density

8"-12"

Right now a heavy frost will do

100"/month

Depends on the density. There is no such thing as an east coast average. I've skied blower and super dense just as often during a season as the mid-density stuff. A foot of blower is nothing. A foot of super dense means 30* plus slopes or don't bother. Ideal amount of snow to get the bottomless sensation varies by an extreme amount depending on snow density.

I like enough snow so it feels like I'm in it, not just surfing on top of it. When I can feel the snow blowing up above my boots, regardless of depth, its all good.

riverc0il wrote

Depends on the density.

Before I posted I tried to figure it out. I was thinking snow that fell at around 25 degrees with no mixing.  I'd thought Utah snow was between 4 and 8% but I have no idea.

You can see the snow density at Alta recorded on their website under snowfall history. 2% to 20% is not uncommon.
Our density can go as high as 50% which is considered a snow rain mix. There is no good data showing snow density history for New England (at least that I could find and I scanned several scientific journals on this as you posed an interesting question).  It doesn't really matter - I have been at Alta after low density snowfalls only to see them bake out by 11AM on the open terrain, I have been there on higher density days and have it dry out on the ground in the higher elevation trees.

 Last year we had a lot of snow but it fell on top of an ice base and the layering kept people off the slides due to avalanche danger until late spring when the snow pack consolidated.