Ski area snowfall calculations / information.

[smootharc]

Been thinking about the usefulness of most ski area snow reports. What would core skiers (that's you guys/gals) find to be most useful in terms of understanding the true "snowiness" of an area ?

What popped into my head was:

Base totals.
Summit totals.
Mid-mountain totals.
Single snow events of 6" or greater.
Single snow events of 12" or greater.
Snow moisture content.
Snowmaking capable days.

Anyone else have some thoughts here ?

I also think the words "Packed" and "Powder" should be outlawed from use in the same sentence by ski area operators.

 

[riverc0il]

i think base, mid, and max snowfall would be helpful. most ski areas seem to use the deepest drift formula. base depth is irrelevent, especially given the ludicrous ranges some areas use (e.g. 2"-54" -- yea, nice. compare your deepest snowmaking base depth and a natural trail just barely opened, that is really helpful). typically, i am distrustful of stats provided by most ski areas and always seek out a non-biased source for more accurate reporting. as you mentioned, packed powder almost always means "machine groomed" and is my number one reporting pet peave. i very rarely get to ski on true packed powder. real packed powder is awesome and you'll never find real packed powder on a trail that receives snow making or grooming.

i generally follow reputable snow forecasters such as powderfreak over on FTO, the easternwx forums, noaa, mwo, mrg, etc. and deduce based on personal experience at various areas and how the storm looks the relative accuracy of a particular ski area's report. reports don't much matter to me any ways, i was probably going to be skiing any ways. it is only the issue of which area got the most powder that becomes the issue after a storm.

 

[lloyd braun]

what we have here on the Aspen/Snowmass website is all of those things you mentioned but what I really look at is;

snow in the last 24 hours

snow in the last 48 hour

snow in the last 7 days

when you have snow reported consistantly the mountain seems to ski the best. Unless you get like 24inches at once, then it don't matter.

We have 4 mountains to choose from so which ever ski area is reporting the most consistant snowfall leads us to choose that one.

 

[ctenidae]

I tend to go to whatever mountain says "We've got xx inches of packed powder, for the best top to bottom skiing in the East!!!!11!11"

Who believes any area's snow report? I'll take NOAA, thanks.

 

[AHM]

Pay no attention to the ski report..................

Yeah, sure they try to make it accurate, but they are in the business of selling a product/experience (many owners of areas struggle with this concept, but the bottom line is they are in the marketing business). As a dedicated skier, I simply "pound" NOAA. I look at the forecast discussion section which is by meterologists for meterologists. I find this pretty accurate as to when it is gonna snow, where it will be the heaviest and how much wind will be associated. This last item, the wind, has a whole lot to do with how much skiing you get. When I see a dumper with a lot of wind coming (about every eastern storm) I make sure I take some touring skis to the hill and have the skins ready................................cus if they don't run the lifts.................then it is time to skin.

 

[knuckledragger]

Never beleive a ski area!!!!!!! Jay is the worst in VT for over stating what they have gotten.
One day we were in the parking lot and the ski report said 10 inches but from he BOnni parking lot you could see the wind blown ice. We called from the parking lot and they said the sking was great. Meanwhile the lifts were on wind hold. That cost them 4 seasons pass holders.

 

[awf170]

Never beleive a ski area!!!!!!! Jay is the worst in VT for over stating what they have gotten.
One day we were in the parking lot and the ski report said 10 inches but from he BOnni parking lot you could see the wind blown ice. We called from the parking lot and they said the sking was great. Meanwhile the lifts were on wind hold. That cost them 4 seasons pass holders.

But they still get the most snow in the east...


Also, that area in front of the Bonni parking lot is always an ice rink. I bet there were glades up to with 2 ft. of snow in them. Lying about the wind hold though is pretty horrible and always gets me mad.

 

[smootharc]

Good ones....

what I really look at is;

snow in the last 24 hours

snow in the last 48 hour

snow in the last 7 days

when you have snow reported consistantly the mountain seems to ski the best. Unless you get like 24inches at once, then it don't matter.

Those make good sense.

 

[JimG.]

Yeah, sure they try to make it accurate, but they are in the business of selling a product/experience (many owners of areas struggle with this concept, but the bottom line is they are in the marketing business). As a dedicated skier, I simply "pound" NOAA. I look at the forecast discussion section which is by meterologists for meterologists. I find this pretty accurate as to when it is gonna snow, where it will be the heaviest and how much wind will be associated. This last item, the wind, has a whole lot to do with how much skiing you get. When I see a dumper with a lot of wind coming (about every eastern storm) I make sure I take some touring skis to the hill and have the skins ready................................cus if they don't run the lifts.................then it is time to skin.

I stick to NOAA also...listen to it in my car on weather band as I'm driving. In a sense, my attitude that I'm going skiing regardless makes weather info somewhat irrelevant to me...I'm gonna be skiing regardless. And like you, I just chuck all the equipment in the car and sort it out when I arrive at my destination.

Wind holds are the powderhound's best friend!

 

[smootharc]

I had forgotten about wind factors, too.

Also, perhaps, big thaw's (not likely to find those mentioned on resort hotlines).

Good thoughts from everybody.

 

[2knees]

snow in the last 7 days

lol that's great for aspen but in the east, this stat doesnt take into account the 3" of rain in the same time period.

 

[FRITOLAYGUY]

lol that's great for aspen but in the east, this stat doesnt take into account the 3" of rain in the same time period.

Well that is a great point, you never hear about the rain lol

 

[Big Game]

Dudes we can't rely on them. First of all, who are they catering too? Probably some fred who isn't going to touch anything ungroomed. That's why we got to rely on ourselves. I pledge to give more trip reports this year. Maybe even some pics.