Mary on Caper

Mary on Caper

And the skiing was glorious!

This winter is heading towards the record books. The last time we had snow like this in Killington was 5 years ago in 2010 when the 10 year snow stake record of 35 7/8 inches was set on February 27th. We are closing in on that record.

Technically, we have had much more snow than 35 inches, or the 30 inches of snow recorded at the snow stake... The snow stake is recording the actual snow that is on the ground... not the snow that is falling. The snow depth on the ground gets modified in 2 directions. From the bottom of the snow pack, residual heat in the ground continiously melts the base, forming a layer of glacial ice on the bottom of the pack as the winter goes forward. Obviously this melts each year and we do not wind up with a glacier... but if we did, the melted snow at the base of the snow pack would be the origin.

From above, snow is also constantly compressing. When snow falls, air is trapped between the snow crystals. As more snow falls, the weight of the new snow compresses the air out of the snow that has previously fell, resulting in the appearance that the snow pack is "shrinking".

You will see the impacts of both bottom melting and compression on cold days when no new snow is falling. Because of the cold, the snow is not melting, but it's depth is changing none the less. A good example of this is what happened recently between February 5th and 6th. On the 5th the snow stake was measuring 25 3/8 inches. On the 6th, even though temperatures never got out of the mid-20's, the snow stake measured 24 1/2. The 7/8 inch reduction in snow pack was the combination of bottom melting and surface compression.

For you physics and chemistry geeks, there is also some sublimation taking place, where the snow goes from a solid to a vapor without transitioning to a fluid. In the low humidity winter air, certainly some sublimation is taking place. However, in recent days where we have had constantly falling snow and low temperatures, sublimation is not the major factor changing the depth of the snow that has fallen on the ground.

On the mountain today... well.... if you did the right thing and figured that work or school or your flight would be cancelled down south today, you scored. Skiing is just crazy good with powder (yes to my friends in Park City - Real waist deep in the woods powder) everywhere. What chop there was on the ski trails due to skier and rider traffic was soft and beautiful. Each run was a choice between (relatively) untracked by the woods on the side of the trail or soft little bumps down the middle. It did not matter which trail you travelled. They were all the same way, the result of continious snowfall at Killington over the last 72 hours.

And there is another storm predicted for Thursday night with the weather forecasters already whispering the magic foot word. If I were you, I would grab my skis and get to Killington.... oh wait... I am already here!

Let it snow!