How Long Does a Powder Day Last in the East?

joshua_segal

Two criteria are really needed IMO to make a great powder day:

1. At least 5″ of snow that is relatively dry

2. Low enough windspeeds that one is not going from crust to drifts

Yesterday (1/18/2017) we (Crotched Mtn.) had a 7″ to 9″ without wind.  The major runs were reduced to chopped by 10AM.  I’ve experienced simiar at WV and Jay Peak.

(Naturally, if your area has glades, that extends the powder through most of the day, but there is a large segment of the skier community who avoid glades because of the risk of damage to skis.}

But IMO, a New England powder day last about one hour.  Your thoughts?

DrJeff

Mid week or weekend powder day?

Speaking from my Mount Snow perspective - on a midweek day you can get decent, mainly untracked (certainly not fully chopped up) runs on some trails (not glades) for a good 3 to 4 hours (and sometimes all day if you don’t mind skiing around the sides of some the the terrain park features) when the vast majority of the mountain is open

A weekend powder day at Mount Snow is an entirely different animal - maybe an hour tops before the majority of the trails are chopped up and won’t yield more than a turn or 2 of untracked snow

joshua_segal

On powder days, it’s my experience that weekdays/weekends makes no difference.  Atl the examples I cited in my opening post were weekdays.  Powder hounds make it a priority even on weekdays!  I am surprised to hear that it lasts so long at Mt. Snow.

NewEnglandSkier13

It depends on the weather, the snow, and the crowds. It could last a few hours on a busy weekend, but it could last a couple days with the right weather and low crowds.

joshua_segal

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“NewEnglandSkier13”>It depends on the weather, the snow, and the crowds. It could last a few hours on a busy weekend, but it could last a couple days with the right weather and low crowds.</blockquote>

I can only imagine that you didn’t understand the subject.  I am talking about more than a few turns on untracked snow.  Not just skiing in the chop after someone else had first tracks.

NewEnglandSkier13

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“joshua_segal”><blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“NewEnglandSkier13”>It depends on the weather, the snow, and the crowds. It could last a few hours on a busy weekend, but it could last a couple days with the right weather and low crowds.</blockquote>

I can only imagine that you didn’t understand the subject.  I am talking about more than a few turns on untracked snow.  Not just skiing in the chop after someone else had first tracks.</blockquote>I understand what you meant. I still stand by my answer because of experiences I’ve had in the past. For example when I visted Abram a few weeks ago two days after a big storm there were still large untracked areas in glades and on some of the lesser used trails.

joshua_segal

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“NewEnglandSkier13”><blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“joshua_segal”><blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“NewEnglandSkier13”>It depends on the weather, the snow, and the crowds. It could last a few hours on a busy weekend, but it could last a couple days with the right weather and low crowds.</blockquote>

OK.  I’ll be interested in hearing if others share your experience.

DrJeff

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“joshua_segal”>On powder days, it’s my experience that weekdays/weekends makes no difference.  Atl the examples I cited in my opening post were weekdays.  Powder hounds make it a priority even on weekdays!  I am surprised to hear that it lasts so long at Mt. Snow.</blockquote>

Midweek, when you can spread the folks out over 450 or so acres, before you even talk tree acreage, it can last a while at Mount Snow.  Heck, a few of my friends were sending me pictures yesterday afternoon of some trails that still had what looked to be 20+ turns of untracked snow on them at 3PM

lotsoskiing

Found fresh at Northeast Slopes 3-4 days after a storm :)

joshua_segal

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“lotsoskiing”>Found fresh at Northeast Slopes 3-4 days after a storm :)

</blockquote>

Right: They’re only open weekends and they have about 1000 (my guess) skier visits per season!

lotsoskiing

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“joshua_segal”><blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“lotsoskiing”>Found fresh at Northeast Slopes 3-4 days after a storm :)

</blockquote>

Right: They’re only open weekends and they have about 1000 (my guess) skier visits per season!</blockquote>

Actually I skied there New Year’s Day, and they had been open the whole holiday week before that.  

Go figure :P

Bill29

At some areas the groomers get out early, flatten the new stuff and groom it. Many in the paying public are not thrilled about skiing powder. 

mtsnow123

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“Bill29”>At some areas the groomers get out early, flatten the new stuff and groom it. Many in the paying public are not thrilled about skiing powder. </blockquote>

Thirlled to ride man-made, machine groomed. Wooo! Not…..

rickbolger

I think it depends on the hill, and how much it’s snowing.  Couple years ago had a group at Okemo and two guys skied powder on a Sunday morning until they were too tired to continue.  Other times I imagine it’s gone in an hour.

Black Mt NH I’ve skied “powder” all day long.  Middlebury it can last a while, days on some trails.

Not sure we can make a hard and fast rule for this

mapnut

I suppose if you’re lucky enough to be at the mountain while the roads are bad, you could have the powder to yourself.

JimK

In the mid-Atlantic most resorts groom out new snow before they open in the morning.  If the resort offers a bump run (not always guaranteed) it would be your best chance for first tracks in untouched powder.  And I would agree with Joshua that any ungroomed designated trails would quickly be cut up by the first 30 people to hit them.  Glades (with sufficient snow cover) are even rarer down here and the few ski areas offering those would be your best bet for multiple hours of fresh tracks. I was skiing in WV last January during a huge, multi-day storm.  First tracks on designated trails went real quick, but since the snow was kind of heavy the snow was also quite fun once it was cut up a bit.  Gladed areas refilled for fresh tracks for a couple days in the morning: http://www.epicski.com/t/145097/at-canaan-valley-wv-for-winter-storm-jonas-1-22-24-2016

ski_it

Untracked Powder? What is that of which you speak of?

NewEnglandSkier13

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“ski_it”>Untracked Powder? What is that of which you speak of?</blockquote>

Sometimes you just have to work for it. ;)

joshua_segal

<blockquote class=“Quote” rel=“ski_it”>Untracked Powder? What is that of which you speak of?</blockquote>

As a CM regular, you missed one yesterday!

jgreco

Before the lifts were updated on Spruce Peak at Stowe around 2004, you could find fresh lines 2-3 days after a storm. Not individual turns, but long sections of trail. Maybe you’d have to figure eight someone else’s track, but I still count it.