If you’re an avid skier, it’s important to know about the different types of snow–and there are a lot. This knowledge can help you interpret the latest ski reports. More importantly, it can help you become a better skier as you learn to recognize the challenges (and joys) that different snow types present.
Snow Glossary
Ball Bearings - Little firm balls of snow that form around or under skis.
Blue - Clear ice, the ground is visible underneath it.
Breakable Crust - Top is frozen solid but underneath there is soft powder.
Brown - Mud showing through, often during springtime.
Bulletproof - White, but so densely packed it is hard to carve into.
California Concrete - Heavy wet snow that is created by a Pacific storm.
Chokable - Powder that is so fine and deep you could choke on it.
Chop - Powder that has had several fresh trails carved through it, but few lumps.
Chowder - Heavy, wet, lumpy snow.
Colorado Super Chunk - Heavy, wet snow about two days after a spring storm.
Cornice - A formation of windblown snow, also known as an overhang, that is unstable and hard to see from the windward side.
Cauliflower - Snow found near the base of the snow gun, lumpy and ungroomed.
Champagne Powder - Snow with extremely low moisture content, often found out West.
Cold Smoke - The airy trail of powder that follows skiers in fresh powder.
Corduroy - The finely ridged surface of the snow after a snowcat has groomed a trail.
Corn - Wet and granular, as it melts during the day it may become sloppy and heavy.
Crud - Powder that has been heavily skied on and needs to be groomed.
Crust - Soft snow that has a frozen top layer caused by freezing rain or melting and refreezing.
Dust on Crust - A light covering of loose snow on top of the snow that has a hard, icy outer layer.
Freshie - Virgin new-fallen snow on the mountain found first thing in the morning.
Frozen Granular - Snow with a consistency like sugar.
Granular - Snow that has big flakes that resemble rock salt.
Grapple - Small hail or sleet that may be rounder and thicker than typical hail or sleet.
Hardpack Snow - Firm compressed snow that is almost icy.
Loose Granular - Small, loose pellets of snow created by the grooming of wet or icy snow.
Mashed Potatoes - Lumpy, soft snow usually found in springtime.
Penitents - Tall blades of snow found at higher altitudes.
Pillow Drift- A snow drift across a road.
Poo Ice - Packed, dirty snow.
Pow-Pow or Pow-Fresh - Loose and fluffy powder.
Powder - Freshly fallen, extremely soft snow formed by tiny flakes.
Packed Powder - Snow that is compressed and flattened either by ski traffic or by grooming equipment.
Salt on Formica - Looks and feels like loose white salt granules sliding on top of a hard surface.
Sierra Cement - Similar to mashed potato snow but cold, very heavy, wet, and often found in the Sierra Mountain range.
Slush - Snow that is starting to melt, very heavy and very wet.
Smud - Brown or muddy snow.
Snirt - Snow covered in dirt, most often during the spring months.
Snowdrift - Large piles of snow near walls or curbs formed by the wind.
Souffle Dure - Naturally packed, firm snow that occurs after a snowfall on steep, north-facing gullies called couloir.
Styrofoam - Looks and feels like skiing on Styrofoam and sounds very hollow or empty.
Surface Hoar - Corn-flake shaped frost that forms on the surface of snowpack on cold, clear nights.
Snow Grains - Very small, white, grains of ice.
Snow Pellets - A form of precipitation that is created when supercooled droplets of water collect and freeze on a snowflake.
Watermelon - A reddish/pink snow that smells like watermelon, caused by red-green algae.
Wet Granular: Very wet snow, often found in spring conditions, that packs easily.
Wet Powder - Powder that has been rained on, making it very fast and hard to ski on.
Wind Slab - A layer of stiff, hard snow created by deposition of wind-blown snow on the leeward side of a ridge.
Yukimarimo - Balls of fine frost formed at low temperature in places like Antarctica during weak wind conditions.
Zastrugi - Snow surfaces created by wind blowing into ridges and grooves.
If you’re an avid skier, it’s important to know about the different types of snow–and there are a lot. This knowledge can help you interpret the latest ski reports. More importantly, it can help you become a better skier as you learn to recognize the challenges (and joys) that different snow types present.
Snow Glossary
Ball Bearings - Little firm balls of snow that form around or under skis.
Blue - Clear ice, the ground is visible underneath it.
Breakable Crust - Top is frozen solid but underneath there is soft powder.
Brown - Mud showing through, often during springtime.
Bulletproof - White, but so densely packed it is hard to carve into.
California Concrete - Heavy wet snow that is created by a Pacific storm.
Chokable - Powder that is so fine and deep you could choke on it.
Chop - Powder that has had several fresh trails carved through it, but few lumps.
Chowder - Heavy, wet, lumpy snow.
Colorado Super Chunk - Heavy, wet snow about two days after a spring storm.
Cornice - A formation of windblown snow, also known as an overhang, that is unstable and hard to see from the windward side.
Cauliflower - Snow found near the base of the snow gun, lumpy and ungroomed.
Champagne Powder - Snow with extremely low moisture content, often found out West.
Cold Smoke - The airy trail of powder that follows skiers in fresh powder.
Corduroy - The finely ridged surface of the snow after a snowcat has groomed a trail.
Corn - Wet and granular, as it melts during the day it may become sloppy and heavy.
Crud - Powder that has been heavily skied on and needs to be groomed.
Crust - Soft snow that has a frozen top layer caused by freezing rain or melting and refreezing.
Dust on Crust - A light covering of loose snow on top of the snow that has a hard, icy outer layer.
Freshie - Virgin new-fallen snow on the mountain found first thing in the morning.
Frozen Granular - Snow with a consistency like sugar.
Granular - Snow that has big flakes that resemble rock salt.
Grapple - Small hail or sleet that may be rounder and thicker than typical hail or sleet.
Hardpack Snow - Firm compressed snow that is almost icy.
Loose Granular - Small, loose pellets of snow created by the grooming of wet or icy snow.
Mashed Potatoes - Lumpy, soft snow usually found in springtime.
Penitents - Tall blades of snow found at higher altitudes.
Pillow Drift- A snow drift across a road.
Poo Ice - Packed, dirty snow.
Pow-Pow or Pow-Fresh - Loose and fluffy powder.
Powder - Freshly fallen, extremely soft snow formed by tiny flakes.
Packed Powder - Snow that is compressed and flattened either by ski traffic or by grooming equipment.
Salt on Formica - Looks and feels like loose white salt granules sliding on top of a hard surface.
Sierra Cement - Similar to mashed potato snow but cold, very heavy, wet, and often found in the Sierra Mountain range.
Slush - Snow that is starting to melt, very heavy and very wet.
Smud - Brown or muddy snow.
Snirt - Snow covered in dirt, most often during the spring months.
Snowdrift - Large piles of snow near walls or curbs formed by the wind.
Souffle Dure - Naturally packed, firm snow that occurs after a snowfall on steep, north-facing gullies called couloir.
Styrofoam - Looks and feels like skiing on Styrofoam and sounds very hollow or empty.
Surface Hoar - Corn-flake shaped frost that forms on the surface of snowpack on cold, clear nights.
Snow Grains - Very small, white, grains of ice.
Snow Pellets - A form of precipitation that is created when supercooled droplets of water collect and freeze on a snowflake.
Watermelon - A reddish/pink snow that smells like watermelon, caused by red-green algae.
Wet Granular: Very wet snow, often found in spring conditions, that packs easily.
Wet Powder - Powder that has been rained on, making it very fast and hard to ski on.
Wind Slab - A layer of stiff, hard snow created by deposition of wind-blown snow on the leeward side of a ridge.
Yukimarimo - Balls of fine frost formed at low temperature in places like Antarctica during weak wind conditions.
Zastrugi - Snow surfaces created by wind blowing into ridges and grooves.
If you’re an avid skier, it’s important to know about the different types of snow–and there are a lot. This knowledge can help you interpret the latest ski reports. More importantly, it can help you become a better skier as you learn to recognize the challenges (and joys) that different snow types present.
Snow Glossary
Ball Bearings - Little firm balls of snow that form around or under skis.
Blue - Clear ice, the ground is visible underneath it.
Breakable Crust - Top is frozen solid but underneath there is soft powder.
Brown - Mud showing through, often during springtime.
Bulletproof - White, but so densely packed it is hard to carve into.
California Concrete - Heavy wet snow that is created by a Pacific storm.
Chokable - Powder that is so fine and deep you could choke on it.
Chop - Powder that has had several fresh trails carved through it, but few lumps.
Chowder - Heavy, wet, lumpy snow.
Colorado Super Chunk - Heavy, wet snow about two days after a spring storm.
Cornice - A formation of windblown snow, also known as an overhang, that is unstable and hard to see from the windward side.
Cauliflower - Snow found near the base of the snow gun, lumpy and ungroomed.
Champagne Powder - Snow with extremely low moisture content, often found out West.
Cold Smoke - The airy trail of powder that follows skiers in fresh powder.
Corduroy - The finely ridged surface of the snow after a snowcat has groomed a trail.
Corn - Wet and granular, as it melts during the day it may become sloppy and heavy.
Crud - Powder that has been heavily skied on and needs to be groomed.
Crust - Soft snow that has a frozen top layer caused by freezing rain or melting and refreezing.
Dust on Crust - A light covering of loose snow on top of the snow that has a hard, icy outer layer.
Freshie - Virgin new-fallen snow on the mountain found first thing in the morning.
Frozen Granular - Snow with a consistency like sugar.
Granular - Snow that has big flakes that resemble rock salt.
Grapple - Small hail or sleet that may be rounder and thicker than typical hail or sleet.
Hardpack Snow - Firm compressed snow that is almost icy.
Loose Granular - Small, loose pellets of snow created by the grooming of wet or icy snow.
Mashed Potatoes - Lumpy, soft snow usually found in springtime.
Penitents - Tall blades of snow found at higher altitudes.
Pillow Drift- A snow drift across a road.
Poo Ice - Packed, dirty snow.
Pow-Pow or Pow-Fresh - Loose and fluffy powder.
Powder - Freshly fallen, extremely soft snow formed by tiny flakes.
Packed Powder - Snow that is compressed and flattened either by ski traffic or by grooming equipment.
Salt on Formica - Looks and feels like loose white salt granules sliding on top of a hard surface.
Sierra Cement - Similar to mashed potato snow but cold, very heavy, wet, and often found in the Sierra Mountain range.
Slush - Snow that is starting to melt, very heavy and very wet.
Smud - Brown or muddy snow.
Snirt - Snow covered in dirt, most often during the spring months.
Snowdrift - Large piles of snow near walls or curbs formed by the wind.
Souffle Dure - Naturally packed, firm snow that occurs after a snowfall on steep, north-facing gullies called couloir.
Styrofoam - Looks and feels like skiing on Styrofoam and sounds very hollow or empty.
Surface Hoar - Corn-flake shaped frost that forms on the surface of snowpack on cold, clear nights.
Snow Grains - Very small, white, grains of ice.
Snow Pellets - A form of precipitation that is created when supercooled droplets of water collect and freeze on a snowflake.
Watermelon - A reddish/pink snow that smells like watermelon, caused by red-green algae.
Wet Granular: Very wet snow, often found in spring conditions, that packs easily.
Wet Powder - Powder that has been rained on, making it very fast and hard to ski on.
Wind Slab - A layer of stiff, hard snow created by deposition of wind-blown snow on the leeward side of a ridge.
Yukimarimo - Balls of fine frost formed at low temperature in places like Antarctica during weak wind conditions.
Zastrugi - Snow surfaces created by wind blowing into ridges and grooves.
If you’re an avid skier, it’s important to know about the different types of snow–and there are a lot. This knowledge can help you interpret the latest ski reports. More importantly, it can help you become a better skier as you learn to recognize the challenges (and joys) that different snow types present.
Snow Glossary
Ball Bearings - Little firm balls of snow that form around or under skis.
Blue - Clear ice, the ground is visible underneath it.
Breakable Crust - Top is frozen solid but underneath there is soft powder.
Brown - Mud showing through, often during springtime.
Bulletproof - White, but so densely packed it is hard to carve into.
California Concrete - Heavy wet snow that is created by a Pacific storm.
Chokable - Powder that is so fine and deep you could choke on it.
Chop - Powder that has had several fresh trails carved through it, but few lumps.
Chowder - Heavy, wet, lumpy snow.
Colorado Super Chunk - Heavy, wet snow about two days after a spring storm.
Cornice - A formation of windblown snow, also known as an overhang, that is unstable and hard to see from the windward side.
Cauliflower - Snow found near the base of the snow gun, lumpy and ungroomed.
Champagne Powder - Snow with extremely low moisture content, often found out West.
Cold Smoke - The airy trail of powder that follows skiers in fresh powder.
Corduroy - The finely ridged surface of the snow after a snowcat has groomed a trail.
Corn - Wet and granular, as it melts during the day it may become sloppy and heavy.
Crud - Powder that has been heavily skied on and needs to be groomed.
Crust - Soft snow that has a frozen top layer caused by freezing rain or melting and refreezing.
Dust on Crust - A light covering of loose snow on top of the snow that has a hard, icy outer layer.
Freshie - Virgin new-fallen snow on the mountain found first thing in the morning.
Frozen Granular - Snow with a consistency like sugar.
Granular - Snow that has big flakes that resemble rock salt.
Grapple - Small hail or sleet that may be rounder and thicker than typical hail or sleet.
Hardpack Snow - Firm compressed snow that is almost icy.
Loose Granular - Small, loose pellets of snow created by the grooming of wet or icy snow.
Mashed Potatoes - Lumpy, soft snow usually found in springtime.
Penitents - Tall blades of snow found at higher altitudes.
Pillow Drift- A snow drift across a road.
Poo Ice - Packed, dirty snow.
Pow-Pow or Pow-Fresh - Loose and fluffy powder.
Powder - Freshly fallen, extremely soft snow formed by tiny flakes.
Packed Powder - Snow that is compressed and flattened either by ski traffic or by grooming equipment.
Salt on Formica - Looks and feels like loose white salt granules sliding on top of a hard surface.
Sierra Cement - Similar to mashed potato snow but cold, very heavy, wet, and often found in the Sierra Mountain range.
Slush - Snow that is starting to melt, very heavy and very wet.
Smud - Brown or muddy snow.
Snirt - Snow covered in dirt, most often during the spring months.
Snowdrift - Large piles of snow near walls or curbs formed by the wind.
Souffle Dure - Naturally packed, firm snow that occurs after a snowfall on steep, north-facing gullies called couloir.
Styrofoam - Looks and feels like skiing on Styrofoam and sounds very hollow or empty.
Surface Hoar - Corn-flake shaped frost that forms on the surface of snowpack on cold, clear nights.
Snow Grains - Very small, white, grains of ice.
Snow Pellets - A form of precipitation that is created when supercooled droplets of water collect and freeze on a snowflake.
Watermelon - A reddish/pink snow that smells like watermelon, caused by red-green algae.
Wet Granular: Very wet snow, often found in spring conditions, that packs easily.
Wet Powder - Powder that has been rained on, making it very fast and hard to ski on.
Wind Slab - A layer of stiff, hard snow created by deposition of wind-blown snow on the leeward side of a ridge.
Yukimarimo - Balls of fine frost formed at low temperature in places like Antarctica during weak wind conditions.
Zastrugi - Snow surfaces created by wind blowing into ridges and grooves.
