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Article Excerpt
LEBANON, N.H., Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Following are the latest skiing conditions information as supplied by SnoCountry Mountain Reports As of Thursday, Feb 15 2007, 6:26:39 PM EST
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 - Thu 5:00p 3 - 5 new powder machine groomed 36 - 46 base 23 trails, 96% open, 5 lifts Mt Southington - Wed 9:30p packed powder machine groomed 45 - 55 base 13 trails, 90% open, 6 lifts Ski Sundown - Thu 9:15a 5 new loose granular machine groomed 60 - 80 base 15 trails, 100% open, 4 lifts Woodbury - Thu 5:29a t 4 new packed powder machine groomed 20 - 50 base 15 trails, 100% open, 6 lifts MAINE Black Mountain - Thu 4:00a w 8 new powder machine groomed 14 - 16 base 4 trails, 19% open, 2 lifts Camden Snow Bowl - Thu 5:15p 10 new packed powder machine groomed 20 - 28 base 10 trails, 100% open, 2 lifts Eaton Mountain - Thu 5:48a 16 new powder machine groomed 24 - 48 base 19 trails, 100% open, 1 lift Hermon Mtn - Thu 4:00a 10 new powder machine groomed 15 - 36 base 20 trails, 100% open, 1 lift Lost Valley - Thu 4:00a w 13 new powder machine groomed 28 - 68 base 12 trails, 67% open, 2 lifts Mt Abram - Thu 5:00p 22 new packed powder machine groomed 44 - 55 base 44 trails, 28 miles, 225 acres, 100% open, 5 lifts Mt Jefferson - Thu Open Sat/Sun 4:00a w 3 - 4 new powder machine groomed 4 - 8 base 5 trails, 42% open, 2 lifts Saddleback - Thu 5:30p 36 - 40 new powder machine groomed 12 - 36 base 60 trails, 100% open, 5 lifts Shawnee Peak - Thu 4:40p 22 new packed powder machine groomed 24 - 38 base 40 trails, 100% open, 3 lifts Sugarloaf/USA - Thu 4:40p 31 new powder 25 - 40 base 122 trails, 52 miles, 613 acres, 92% open, 9 lifts Sunday River - Thu 4:30p 34 new powder machine groomed 28 - 48 base 125 trails, 48 miles, 650 acres, 95% open, 12 lifts Titcomb Mountain - Thu 4:00a w 15 new packed powder machine groomed 22 - 30 base 15 trails, 88% open, 2 lifts MASSACHUSETTS Berkshire East - Thu 6:05p 24 new packed powder machine groomed 12 - 65 base 45 trails, 100% open, 4 lifts Blandford - Thu 3:45a 12 new powder machine groomed 18 - 40 base 20 trails, 100% open, 5 lifts Blue Hills - Thu 10:45a w 1 new packed powder machine groomed 18 - 36 base 3 trails, 38% open, 3 lifts Bousquet - Thu 8:30a 13 new packed powder machine groomed 22 - 48 base 18 trails, 86% open, 3 lifts Bradford - Thu 7:00a 10 new packed powder machine groomed 15 - 36 base 13 trails, 100% open, 8 lifts Catamount - Thu 9:00a w 16 new powder machine groomed 18 - 40 base 25 trails, 78% open, 4 lifts Jiminy Peak - Thu 6:42a 25 new powder machine groomed 18 - 55 base 42 trails, 12 miles, 153 acres, 90% open, 5 lifts Nashoba Valley - Thu 9:39a 9 new packed powder machine groomed 18 - 36 base 17 trails, 100% open, 8 lifts Otis Ridge - Thu 4:00a w 6 new powder machine groomed 5 - 26 base 8 trails, 73% open, 2 lifts Ski Butternut - Thu 4:40p powder machine groomed 20 - 45 base 22 trails, 14 miles, 110 acres, 100% open, 4 lifts Ski Ward Ski Area - Thu 10:47a w 8 - 11 new powder 36 - 48 base 8 trails, 100% open, 5 lifts Wachusett - Thu 7:23a 10 new packed powder machine groomed 30 - 52 base 22 trails, 111 acres, 100% open, 6 lifts NEW HAMPSHIRE Arrowhead - Thu Reopen 02/16 1:21p 24 new powder machine groomed 1 - 4 base 1 trail 7 acres, 40% open, 1 lift Attitash - Thu 6:47a 19 new powder machine groomed 20 - 40 base 65 trails, 20 miles, 273 acres, 94% open, 7 lifts Balsams/Wilderness - Thu 5:00p 24 - 32 new packed powder machine groomed 24 - 32 base 16 trails, 1 mile , 10% open, 3 lifts Black Mountain - Thu 7:02a 15 new powder machine groomed 24 - 36 base 38 trails, 95% open, 2 lifts Bretton Woods - Thu 4:25p 32 new powder 18 - 36 base 90 trails, 89% open, 7 lifts Cannon Mountain - Thu 2:45p 26 - 27 new powder machine groomed 14 - 32 base 53 trails, 97% open, 6 lifts Cranmore - Thu 7:00a 24 new powder machine groomed 26 - 46 base 40 trails, 100% open, 5 lifts Crotched Mountain - Thu 8:15a 16 new packed powder machine groomed 30 - 60 base 18 trails, 100% open, 3 lifts Dartmouth Skiway - Thu 6:30a 14 - 16 new powder machine groomed 4 - 24 base 27 trails, 90% open, 3 lifts Gunstock - Thu 7:36a w 15 new powder machine groomed 25 - 50 base 42 trails, 84% open, 5 lifts King Pine -...
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