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Article Excerpt
LEBANON, N.H., Feb. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Following are the latest skiing conditions information as supplied by SnoCountry Mountain Reports as of Friday, Feb 3 2006, 6:30:39 PM EST
Alpine Skiing/Riding conditions are subject to change due to weather, skier traffic and other factors. Be aware of changing conditions.
SNOW CONDITION DEFINITIONS & TERMS
This glossary of terms is used by all ski areas when they report to SCR. The code allows for communication with skiers in a universal language.
NOTE: The standard abbreviations next to each definition reflect the way ski reports are communicated in print (newspapers).
New Snow: Natural snowfall which has fallen in the past 24 hours or continuously for more than one day. An average accumulation from summit to base is reported.
Average Base Depth: An average of the high and low amounts of snow over the entire ski area. Machine made and natural snow amounts are combined.
Primary Surface Condition: The type of snow condition which covers at least 70 percent of the terrain open to skiers.
Secondary Surface Condition: The next most prevalent snow conditions, covering at least 20% of the skiing terrain open to skiers.
Powder-PDR: Cold, new, loose, fluffy, flaky and dry snow which has not been compacted.
Packed Powder-PP: Powder snow, either natural or machine made, that has been packed down by skier traffic or grooming machines. The snow is no longer fluffy, but is not so extremely compacted that it is hard.
Hard Pack-HP: When natural or machine made snow becomes very firmly packed. The snow has never melted and re-crystallized, but it's been tightly compressed through grooming and continuous wind exposure. You can plant a pole in hard packed snow, but it takes more effort than packed powder.
Machine Groomed Snow-MGS: Loose granular snow that has been repeatedly groomed by power tillers so that the texture is halfway between LSGR & PP. Some of the snow is granular & has been so pulverized that the crystals are like powder sugar. It's neither LSGR or PP.
Wet Snow-WETSN: Powder or packed powder snow that has become moist due to a thaw or rainfall, or snow which was moist when it fell.
Wet packed Snow-WPS: Natural or machine made snow that has been previously packed and becomes wet usually because of rainfall.
Loose Granular-LSGR: This surface results after powder or packed powder thaws, then refreezes and recrystalizes, or from an accumulation of sleet. This is also created by machine grooming of frozen or icy snow.
Frozen Granular-FRGR: This is undoubtedly the most misunderstood surface condition in ski reporting. It is defined as a hard surface of old snow formed by granules freezing together after rain or warm temperatures. Frozen granular will support a ski pole stuck into its surface while ice will chip away and not support a pole.
Wet Granular-WETGR: Loose or frozen granular snow which becomes wet after rainfall or high temperatures.
Icy-ICE: Not to be confused with frozen granular, ice is a hard, glazed surface created either by freezing rain, ground water seeping up into the snow and freezing or by the rapid freezing of snow saturated with water from rain or melting. Ice will chip away and not support a ski pole when stuck into it.
Variable Conditions-VC: When no primary surface (70%) can be determined, variable conditions describe a range of surfaces that a skier may encounter. Parts of trails can be Loose Granular, partly Packed Powder, and parts Frozen Granular, for example.
Corn Snow-CORN: Usually found in the spring, Corn Snow is characterized by large, loose granules during the day, which freeze together at night, then warm up again and loosen during the day.
Spring Conditions-SC: This is the spring version of Variable Conditions. It is used when no one surface can describe 70% or more of the terrain open for skiers.
Windblown Snow-WBLN: Powder or granular snow which has been blown by wind into forming a base.
Alpine Skiing/Riding conditions are subject to change due to weather, skier traffic and other factors. Be aware of changing conditions.
NORTHEAST CONNECTICUT Mohawk Mountain - Fri 1:20p loose granular machine groomed 35 - 40 base 23 trails, 96% open, 6 lifts Mt Southington - Reopen 02/04 Powder Ridge - Reopen TBA Ski Sundown - Fri 12:30p wet snow machine groomed 25 - 45 base 15 trails, 100% open, 4 lifts MAINE Black Mountain - Thu 3:00p packed powder machine groomed 16 - 40 base 9 trails, 45% open, 3 lifts Camden Snow Bowl - Fri 6:00p wet snow 12 - 16 base 4 trails, 35% open, 2 lifts Mt Abram - Fri 3:45p variable machine groomed 15 - 45 base 30 trails, 85% open, 4 lifts Mt Jefferson - Plan to Open TBA New Hermon - Thu 9:30p packed powder machine groomed 20 - 32 base 6 trails, 30% open, 1 lift Quoggy Jo Ski Center - Reopen TBA Saddleback - Fri 6:00p 3 new packed powder machine groomed 12 - 45 base 49 trails, 129 acres, 91% open, 5 lifts Shawnee Peak - Fri 1:30p 1 new wet snow machine groomed 20 - 30 base 25 trails, 180 acres, 57% open, 4 lifts Feb 04: 31 trails, 5 lifts, 210 acres, 88%, Sugarloaf/USA - Fri 3:48p 5 new packed powder machine groomed 14 - 38 base 90 trails, 39 miles, 441 acres, 68% open, 14 lifts Sunday River - Fri 2:30p 1 - 3 new wet packed snow machine groomed 22 - 40 base 109 trails, 42 miles, 519 acres, 85% open, 16 lifts MASSACHUSETTS Berkshire East - Fri 6:15p loose granular machine groomed 12 - 50 base 25 trails, 80% open, 4 lifts Blandford - Thu 5:15p wet granular 6 - 28 base 9 trails, 39% open, 4 lifts Blue Hills - Thu 10:00p variable 12 - 24 base 2 trails, 25% open, 3 lifts Bousquet - Thu 5:00p loose granular machine groomed 15 - 48 base 18 trails, 75% open, 3 lifts Bradford - Fri 6:00p wet snow machine groomed 9 - 18 base 12 trails, 95% open, 7 lifts Catamount - Fri 7:00a wet granular machine groomed 10 - 36 base 23 trails, 75% open, 4 lifts Jiminy Peak - Fri 8:00a wet packed snow machine groomed 18 - 50 base 31 trails, 11 miles, 142 acres, 85% open, 4 lifts Nashoba Valley - Reopen 02/04 Otis Ridge - Thu 8:40p wet granular machine groomed 20 - 40 base 7 trails, 64% open, 2 lifts Pine Ridge - Not Open 02/03-05 Ski Butternut - Fri 4:45p loose granular machine groomed 12 - 28 base 21 trails, 13 miles, 95% open, 10 lifts Ski Ward Ski Area - Thu 8:00p wet granular 20 - 20 base 5 trails, 71% open, 4 lifts Wachusett Mountain - Fri 3:00p wet snow machine groomed 15 - 30 base 19 trails, 93% open, 6 lifts NEW HAMPSHIRE Arrowhead - Reopen TBA Attitash - Fri 3:00p 1 new wet snow 24 - 48 base 49 trails, 18 miles, 218 acres, 84% open, 12 lifts Balsams/Wilderness - Thu 6:50p packed powder machine groomed 20 - 26 base 10 trails, 11 miles, 66% open, 3 lifts Black Mountain - Fri 4:50p wet snow machine groomed 18 - 24 base 7 trails, 8% open, 2 lifts Bretton Woods - Fri 4:50p 1 new wet packed snow 12 - 36 base 64 trails, 24 miles, 333 acres, 77% open, 8 lifts Cannon Mountain - Fri 3:45p wet packed snow machine groomed 15 - 30 base 37 trails, 65% open, 9 lifts Cranmore - Fri 7:00a packed powder machine groomed 12 - 24 base 23 trails, 56% open, 7 lifts Dartmouth Skiway - Fri 3:29p wet granular 8 - 22 base 8 trails, 27% open, 3 lifts Gunstock - Fri 7:00a packed powder machine groomed 24 - 26 base 38 trails, 76% open, 6 lifts King Pine - Thu 10:00p packed powder machine groomed 12 - 34 base 15 trails, 92% open, 5 lifts Loon Mountain - Fri 2:43p wet packed snow machine groomed 15 - 25 base 41 trails, 82% open, 10 lifts Mount Sunapee - Fri 5:45a loose granular machine groomed 20 - 36 base 50 trails, 13 miles, 194 acres, 77% open, 8 lifts Pats Peak - Fri 3:30p wet granular machine groomed 24 - 52 base 22 trails, 100%...
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