Corduroy, Screaming Lobsters, Elephant Snot, Sastrugi, Harbor Chop and dozens more – they're not punk bands (as far as we know), they're just a few of the countless names for the many different types of snow that can be found across the North American continent and the rest of the world. Actually, we did try to keep a count, but figured we'd found enough after we passed the 200 mark.
It's all part of our research in compiling this Ultimate Snow Guide, and to help make sense of all the different types of snow, we're going to break it down into the two most basic characteristics of snowfall: dry and wet. Along the way, we'll get into some specifics where to find some of the many types of Powder, Crud or Cement (if you're a masochist), and of course, what all those weird phrases actually mean. To get started, let's head to the Rocky Mountains, that jagged spine running down the middle of continent where you're most likely to find...
DRY SNOW:
If you want to stay on steeps steeped in Champagne Powder and the like, follow one simple rule – stay inland. More than a century ago, when the West was still wild and unsettled, the federal government simply classified everything in between California and the great plains as the “arid zone.” Those conditions still exist today, creating that fine, dry powder that goes by names like Champagne, Fluffy or Chokable (so light and deep you just might fall through and choke on it). The official test of powder worthiness is to grab a handful and try to pack it into a snowball. If the task seems impossible, you're standing in a White Room full of The Goods.
Just about every mountain in the Rockies has claimed to be the “official” home of champagne powder at one point or another, but ask enough people who've been around more than a few slopes and Utah is likely to be the word that comes up again and again. Alta, Snowbird and the other Wasatch wonders seem to get the most consistent level of the really dry pow-pow. Jackson Hole, Grand Targhee and other Wyoming resorts also offer some of the best light stuff around, too; and we'd be in for a talking-to if we didn't mention Steamboat Springs and some of the other northern Colorado hills as among the best spots to make fresh, fine tracks. We'd also be remiss if we didn't mention Canada's Whistler / Blackcomb – located far enough inland to avoid most of the worst of the Pacific Northwest cement effect.
There is, of course, some room for debate – and it's not uncommon for someone to make the case for Northeastern or New England powder being of a very high quality at places like Stowe, and it certainly exists, but we think it's pretty safe to say that dry conditions mixed with the altitude and terrain make the Rockies the best bet for the best powder falling more consistently and sticking around longer – there's fewer concerns about the sun or rain washing away fresh powder at Vail than there is in Vermont.
BONUS – COLORADO:
How to choose from the dozens of resorts in this legendary heart of ski country, all of them claiming to get hundreds of inches of the fluffy stuff every winter? While there's no hard and fast rules about which hills in the Centennial State get the lightest, finest stuff – Vail, Steamboat, Aspen, Telluride and the Summit County slopes ALL get their fair share – we can offer a few truisms: For one – there's no shortage of powder in Colorado, but some areas also have no shortage of wind that can quickly strip away all that champagne. Check weather reports for wind advisories before you go, and ask around about wind conditions on higher slopes. Some of the state's budget areas, particularly along the continental divide, have a reputation for some real gales. All the big name resorts offer plenty of sheltered terrain, for the most part.
We can say safely that, on average, the areas in and around the San Juan Range, including Durango, Wolf Creek and Telluride get the most snowfall in the state, and often in the entire country – and plenty of it is fine and powdery.
Another secret that plenty of the resorts probably don't want us to tell you about, but meteorologists have confirmed for us – draw a east-west line across Colorado that roughly follows US Highway 50. This is roughly the line of influence on local snowfall from the La Nina and El Nino phenomena in the Pacific. To translate that into English – during El Nino years (including 2009-2010), the southwest and central mountains often see more snow, but it is a little less likely to be champagne due to increased moisture in the air. Keep an eye on snow reports during these years. If it seems that one area starts to really get the cherry stuff by January, plan to head there, because it's likely to stay that way through the end of the El Nino cycle. Conversely, during La Nina years, look for less snowfall in the south – but what little falls is almost guaranteed to be some of the finest around.
NOT SO DRY SNOW:
Ah, the firm feel of Sierra Cement, California and Cascade Concrete. It's tough to beat the view from Squaw Valley, descending towards the deep blue of Tahoe below, or gazing out at an endless vista from atop Mt. Bachelor, but there is often a price to pay. Denizens of the Pacific Northwest are used to their fair share of moisture, and winter sports are no different. Particularly in the resorts of the Cascades and other coastal areas, the high moisture content in the air and snow makes anything that can reasonably be called powder a rarity. Mashed Potatoes is the term you're more likely to hear. But here's the thing about skiing the West Coast, particularly the Sierras – when it snows here, it dumps. We're talking Donner Party snow – just ask the Donner Party.
And another thing about the Sierras – we probably shouldn't lump them in with the far northwest, because powder isn't an uncommon occurrence out by the Nevada state line, straddling the border of that old 19th-century “arid zone.” When all the stars align and the Sierras get a California-sized dump of champagne, there's really no better place to be.
BONUS - THE EAST:
If the Northwest is the best place to get soaked, and the Rockies are the best place to dry off in powder, then it could be said that the Northeast is a happy medium. Not willing to climb to 12,000 feet or risk your life on treacherous mountain roads to find fluffy stuff that could be just a quick ride to Killington away? Fair enough – we hear ya. That's what's kept crowds coming to Sugarloaf, Sugarbush and all the other sweet little New England slopes for decades. While a Nor'easter can easily drop a ton of heavy snow on the region, plenty of powder also falls throughout the year, and you're a little less likely to run into boilerplate (hard, frozen, uncarvable surfaces) conditions here than at some West Coast locales. After all, why go to the ends of the earth for paradise when it makes an appearance in your own backyard plenty of times every winter?
FINALLY, WHEN TO GO?
January is the traditional and statistical sweet spot for snowfall in the Central Rockies and much of the continent. Over the last half-century, it's been the month when the most powder falls on average. Of course, there's also plenty of fluff in February, and the January dump gives you a deeper base to start from. March is a time of spring skiing in the sun, which is great, but also increases the chances of running into that heavy, compacted late season corn snow.
For all you Eastern skiers, there's more evidence that January is a good month for powder in the Northeast, too. Of the last 16 major Nor'easters that dumped a few feet of heavy, wet mortar on New England, only two of them occurred in January. Plus, those coldest days of winter are best for making sure the brutal effects of the sun or even rain don't ruin your day on the slopes.
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