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Article Excerpt
LEBANON, N.H., Feb. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Latest Skiing Conditions Information as Supplied By SnoCountry Mountain Reports. (Copyright: SnoCountry) As of Sunday, February 29 2004, 6:04:10 AM 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 - Sat 4:00p loose granular machine groomed 45 - 55 base 22 trails, 92% open, 6 lifts Mt Southington - Sat 9:00p loose granular machine groomed 26 - 56 base 14 trails, 100% open, 7 lifts Powder Ridge - Sat 5:01p loose granular machine groomed 24 - 60 base 15 trails, 90% open, 6 lifts Ski Sundown - Sat 8:00p loose granular 40 - 60 base 15 trails, 100% open, 4 lifts Woodbury - Sat 8:30a frozen granular machine groomed 30 - 50 base 12 trails, 35 acres, 90% open, 4 lifts MAINE Bigrock - Sat 8:00a packed powder machine groomed 19 - 55 base 18 trails, 95% open, 2 lifts Big Squaw - Sat 3:00p packed powder machine groomed 8 - 18 base 15 trails, 47% open, 2 lifts Black Mountain - Fri 6:20p packed powder machine groomed 18 - 42 base 15 trails, 5 miles, 45 acres, 100% open, 3 lifts Camden Snow Bowl - Sat 4:00p packed powder machine groomed 20 - 35 base 10 trails, 100% open, 2 lifts Eaton Mountain - Sat 3:15p loose granular machine groomed 11 - 35 base 20 trails, 100% open, 1 lifts Lost Valley - Sat 6:00p loose granular machine groomed 8 - 35 base 17 trails, 94% open, 2 lifts Mt Abram - Sat 2:00p variable machine groomed 30 - 50 base 38 trails, 95% open, 5 lifts Mt Jefferson - Sat 6:00a packed powder machine groomed 20 - 24 base 11 trails, 100% open, 3 lifts New Hermon - Sun 4:30a packed powder machine groomed 20 - 36 base 20 trails, 50 acres, 100% open, 3 lifts Saddleback - Sat 9:30p packed powder machine groomed 18 - 40 base 44 trails, 100% open, 5 lifts Shawnee Peak - Sat 5:45p packed powder machine groomed 27 - 57 base 39 trails, 231 acres, 97% open, 5 lifts Sugarloaf/USA - Sat 1:27p packed powder machine groomed 22 - 56 base 125 trails, 95% open, 14 lifts Sunday River - Sat 5:15p packed powder machine groomed 25 - 52 base 126 trails, 48 miles, 640 acres, 98% open, 11 lifts Titcomb Mountain - Sat 7:00p packed powder machine groomed 32 - 32 base 15 trails, 100% open, 3 lifts MASSACHUSETTS Berkshire East - Sat 8:00p packed powder machine groomed 25 - 86 base 37 trails, 85% open, 5 lifts Blandford - Sat 11:15p loose granular machine groomed 8 - 36 base 19 trails, 85% open, 3 lifts Blue Hills - Sat 9:30a packed powder machine groomed 18 - 54 base 5 trails, 62% open, 3 lifts Bousquet - Fri 7:50p packed powder machine groomed 42 - 76 base 21 trails, 100% open, 3 lifts Bradford - Sat 4:24p loose granular machine groomed 23 - 28 base 13 trails, 100% open, 7 lifts Catamount - Sat 1:15p packed powder machine groomed 24 - 48 base 29 trails, 100% open, 4 lifts Jiminy Peak - Sat 4:32p packed powder machine groomed 30 - 75 base 36 trails, 14 miles, 150 acres, 93% open, 5 lifts Nashoba Valley - Sat 9:00p loose granular machine groomed 30 - 52 base 17 trails, 52 acres 100% open, 9 lifts Otis Ridge - Sat 10:15p loose granular machine groomed 25 - 50 base 9 trails, 90% open, 2 lifts Ski Butternut - Sat 6:00p loose granular machine groomed 28 - 40 base 22 trails, 12 miles, 110 acres, 100% open, 4 lifts Ski Ward Ski Area - Sat 8:30a loose granular machine groomed 20 - 50 base 9 trails, 100% open 4 lifts Wachusett Mountain - Sat 7:00p packed powder machine groomed 24 - 52 base 20 trails, 99% open 6 lifts NEW HAMPSHIRE Arrowhead - Fri...
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