After the recent fresh snowfalls across the European Alps, I was inspired to share some insights about this magical, ephemeral substance which brings so much joy to so many people each winter season! However, if you’re unlucky enough to get the wrong type of snow, it can really put a dampener on your ski holiday. It’s a complicated business - snow isn’t simply frozen water. Snow is actually ice crystals in the shape of hexagonal prisms that form when water freezes in the air that then join together to form snowflakes. Conditions when, and after it snows, explain why there is more than one type of snow! Read on to find out more…
The amount of snow that falls and subsequent weather conditions can really make or break your ski holiday! Not enough snow and you’ll have to face rocky or grassy patches which are unpleasant and dangerous. Too much snow in one snowfall and you’ll either have to face the blizzards and poor visibility or even closed lifts and ski runs! If you’re a hard core, extreme skier, of course, these conditions will not impede you in the slightest! However, for beginners or families with young children on their first ski holiday, conditions at both ends of the spectrum can seriously spoil everyone’s ski holiday experience.
Some ski areas, such as Espace Killy, which is shared by the ski resorts of Val d'Isere and Tignes, the 3 Valleys, home to the top ski resorts of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens and the Portes du Soleil, where you’ll find the popular ski resorts of Avoriaz, Morzine and Les Gets, are often thought to be some of the safest bets due to their high altitude and/or locations. However, theAustrian Alps can claim to having more snow (sometimes up to 10 meters in one season) and ski resorts such as St. Anton, Lech and Zurs are therefore high up on the best snow list.
Once the snow has fallen, it doesn’t stay in one form for long! Powder is freshly fallen, “dry”, soft snow which remains untouched. Once snow is packed down (either by skiers, snowboarders or piste bashers) it is no longer considered to be powder. For those who have learnt the necessary techniques involved in off-piste skiing, powder represents the perfect type of snow. Because of the air trapped between each snowflake, you have the impression you are skiing on a huge white cushion – great for breaking falls! It can be a whole different snowball game for those who are not familiar with off-piste skiing, which can end in a tiring battle to retrieve lost skis or get moving again after sinking into thick snow! Powder snow is ephemeral – it spoils quickly once temperatures rise and it gets packed down by the masses – you need to get your skis on to make the most of it!
Crud is what forms off-piste (and on piste if the slopes are not well-maintained) once temperatures rise and many people have left tracks through the powder. This creates an uneven surface with some untouched but rather heavy powder, piles of snow that build up where many people have turned, and icy patches that have been uncovered. This is very challenging terrain – you need to have strong thighs and be ready for anything in these conditions.
Slush is probably everyone’s least favourite type of snow. Slush forms often later in the season or in the afternoons when the air temperature rises above zero and the snow starts to melt quickly. Lower parts of ski areas can often turn into huge slush puppies and this wet snow is heavy and sticky and will slow you down when turning. Often the cause of those “last run down” accidents!
Ice is what happens next of course! If slush is not groomed at nightfall it becomes one of the most dangerous terrains the next morning – an icy, uneven surface that is hard and slippery! Whatever you do, however badly you ski or snowboard in this kind of conditions, just try and stay upright or you’ll end up black and blue! When there is ice up on the slopes, it difficult to keep an edge, whether snowboarding or skiing, but it is essential to turn less aggressively to keep control while keeping your eyes open for nasty surprises. In these conditions, it is essential that your ski or snowboard be in good shape - unsharpened edges are your worst enemy on ice! Oh, and watch your speed – ice does not slow you down!
It is clear that the amount of snow that falls isn’t the only factor involved in snow conditions up on the ski slopes: Here are the main influences:
Don’t forget that you can stay informed of snow conditions with our free SnowAlert service. By filling in a simple form, you will receive regular emails about snow and weather conditions in the ski resort(s) of your choice.
After the recent fresh snowfalls across the European Alps, I was inspired to share some insights about this magical, ephemeral substance which brings so much joy to so many people each winter season! However, if you’re unlucky enough to get the wrong type of snow, it can really put a dampener on your ski holiday. It’s a complicated business - snow isn’t simply frozen water. Snow is actually ice crystals in the shape of hexagonal prisms that form when water freezes in the air that then join together to form snowflakes. Conditions when, and after it snows, explain why there is more than one type of snow! Read on to find out more…
The amount of snow that falls and subsequent weather conditions can really make or break your ski holiday! Not enough snow and you’ll have to face rocky or grassy patches which are unpleasant and dangerous. Too much snow in one snowfall and you’ll either have to face the blizzards and poor visibility or even closed lifts and ski runs! If you’re a hard core, extreme skier, of course, these conditions will not impede you in the slightest! However, for beginners or families with young children on their first ski holiday, conditions at both ends of the spectrum can seriously spoil everyone’s ski holiday experience.
Some ski areas, such as Espace Killy, which is shared by the ski resorts of Val d'Isere and Tignes, the 3 Valleys, home to the top ski resorts of Courchevel, Meribel and Val Thorens and the Portes du Soleil, where you’ll find the popular ski resorts of Avoriaz, Morzine and Les Gets, are often thought to be some of the safest bets due to their high altitude and/or locations. However, theAustrian Alps can claim to having more snow (sometimes up to 10 meters in one season) and ski resorts such as St. Anton, Lech and Zurs are therefore high up on the best snow list.
Once the snow has fallen, it doesn’t stay in one form for long! Powder is freshly fallen, “dry”, soft snow which remains untouched. Once snow is packed down (either by skiers, snowboarders or piste bashers) it is no longer considered to be powder. For those who have learnt the necessary techniques involved in off-piste skiing, powder represents the perfect type of snow. Because of the air trapped between each snowflake, you have the impression you are skiing on a huge white cushion – great for breaking falls! It can be a whole different snowball game for those who are not familiar with off-piste skiing, which can end in a tiring battle to retrieve lost skis or get moving again after sinking into thick snow! Powder snow is ephemeral – it spoils quickly once temperatures rise and it gets packed down by the masses – you need to get your skis on to make the most of it!
Crud is what forms off-piste (and on piste if the slopes are not well-maintained) once temperatures rise and many people have left tracks through the powder. This creates an uneven surface with some untouched but rather heavy powder, piles of snow that build up where many people have turned, and icy patches that have been uncovered. This is very challenging terrain – you need to have strong thighs and be ready for anything in these conditions.
Slush is probably everyone’s least favourite type of snow. Slush forms often later in the season or in the afternoons when the air temperature rises above zero and the snow starts to melt quickly. Lower parts of ski areas can often turn into huge slush puppies and this wet snow is heavy and sticky and will slow you down when turning. Often the cause of those “last run down” accidents!
Ice is what happens next of course! If slush is not groomed at nightfall it becomes one of the most dangerous terrains the next morning – an icy, uneven surface that is hard and slippery! Whatever you do, however badly you ski or snowboard in this kind of conditions, just try and stay upright or you’ll end up black and blue! When there is ice up on the slopes, it difficult to keep an edge, whether snowboarding or skiing, but it is essential to turn less aggressively to keep control while keeping your eyes open for nasty surprises. In these conditions, it is essential that your ski or snowboard be in good shape - unsharpened edges are your worst enemy on ice! Oh, and watch your speed – ice does not slow you down!
It is clear that the amount of snow that falls isn’t the only factor involved in snow conditions up on the ski slopes: Here are the main influences:
Don’t forget that you can stay informed of snow conditions with our free SnowAlert service. By filling in a simple form, you will receive regular emails about snow and weather conditions in the ski resort(s) of your choice.
Being lucky enough to have parents who were crazy about skiing, my love for the mountains started when I was 4 years old on our first family ski holiday to Austrian ski resort of Obergurl. One ski holiday a year was never enough and tears rolled down my face as I looked out the back window of the car on the drive down the valley on the way home!
