conditions on Monday 12/17?

[billski]

Most VT-NH resort snow reports are showing "powder" for primary conditions. Is this so? I'm waiting for tonight's user-reports. I thought pretty much everyone got some ice crispies atop all that pow; that we would find it all munged up by the groomers and called "packed powder". Thoughts?

 

[KingM]

Most VT-NH resort snow reports are showing "powder" for primary conditions. Is this so? I'm waiting for tonight's user-reports. I thought pretty much everyone got some ice crispies atop all that pow; that we would find it all munged up by the groomers and called "packed powder". Thoughts?

The snow is very good. The bigger problem is the wind. I haven't been up today, but there might be some wind holds today.

 

[JD]

Um...yes. Ice here, BAD ice. And windy as heck.













































Actually it was windy but our pow was creamy. 20+ with heavy wind movement and some wind packing up high and some aspects actually scoured off.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

We received 21 inches at Whiteface (15th and 16th), but most of the lifts have been on windhold. Skiing was great yesterday.

 

[billski]

We received 21 inches at Whiteface (15th and 16th), but most of the lifts have been on windhold. Skiing was great yesterday.

did you get any ice crust?

 

[castlerock]

I can't speak for Whiteface, but there was nothing remotely like "ice crust" at Sugarbush. There was a short "almost sleet" like period Sunday morning just before the dry slot of the storm came through. Then the storm kicked in again with another 6-8 of snow (15-20 total) and then the wind kicked in.

Ice crust wasn't part of the picture north or west of where I was. As for NH or Kmart and points south, I can't say.

 

[tjf67]

did you get any ice crust?

Ice Crust? we got 21 inches where would the ice crust have come from? It did sleet for about 4 hours yesterday but then it turned back around 2 and snowed another 6 or 7 inches. Winds are going crazy right now.

 

[billski]

Ice Crust? we got 21 inches where would the ice crust have come from? It did sleet for about 4 hours yesterday but then it turned back around 2 and snowed another 6 or 7 inches. Winds are going crazy right now.

good. I thought you had sleet at the end. I am glad to be wrong. What is the powder like? Is it fluff or is it what is called "Sierra Concrete"?

 

[castlerock]

Even if the sleet was at the end, sleet isn't freezing rain. It doesn't make a crust. Sleet is snow that has partially melted and then re-frozen before it gets to the surface, due to an intermediate warm air level. It makes the snow thick and slow, more like sand, not crusty (freezing rain) or even Sierra cement (high moisture content) like.

I'd bet there was freezing rain in Southern NH or possibly Southern VT.

 

[tjf67]

good. I thought you had sleet at the end. I am glad to be wrong. What is the powder like? Is it fluff or is it what is called "Sierra Concrete"?

Yesterday the powder shots were anywhere from mid boot to your thigh. Mostly about knee level.

The stuff called sierra concrete is some of my favorite snow. Muscle builders. I am guessing it is going to be wind wipped powder. There will be places with Granite showing and large swathces of ice as well as powder shots up to you boobs. You have to take a look at where the wind was blowing and head to the catch basins. when you hit the ice go straight and avoid the granite at all cost.

 

[billski]

Even if the sleet was at the end, sleet isn't freezing rain. It doesn't make a crust. Sleet is snow that has partially melted and then re-frozen before it gets to the surface, due to an intermediate warm air level. It makes the snow thick and slow, more like sand, not crusty (freezing rain) or even Sierra cement (high moisture content) like.

I'd bet there was freezing rain in Southern NH or possibly Southern VT.

thanks for the definition. I never knew how to tell them apart.
On the topic of definitions, what is "freezing fog"? I see that on NWS a lot lately.

 

[castlerock]

On the topic of definitions, what is "freezing fog"?

It is what causes Rime ice. Yesterday during the dry slot, we got some of that. There was enough supercooled moisture in the air that it would condense out of vapor immediately to the solid state. The temperature/humidity/pressure condition allowed it to freeze as a thin layer on your goggles.

Wiki has a reasonable definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fog

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

good. I thought you had sleet at the end. I am glad to be wrong. What is the powder like? Is it fluff or is it what is called "Sierra Concrete"?

Cold smoke, lite as can be. Perfect. I always bring my camara with me, but I forgot it this weekend. I'm so pissed at myself cause I could have gotten some great powder shots.

 

[MountSnowReporter]

sunday's conditions

 

[tomski]

Mount Snow had some freezing rain yesterday.

 

[skibum9995]

Nice light powder at Cannon today off Zoomer, Winds blew most of the snow into the woods on the rest of the hill. TR with a few video clips coming later tonight.