Names for different kinds of Snow

joshua_segal

It seems to me we had a thread on this subject, but I couldn't find it. If I remember correctly, I started the thread.

It has been said that Eskimos have 47 different words for snow. Studies of languages of Norway, Sweden and Finland, conclude that the languages have anywhere from 180 to 300 snow- and ice-related words.

We skiers also have many words for snow. Things like:
powder, packed powder, champagne powder
loose granular, frozen granular, groomed granular
corduroy, froze-aroy
wet, slush, Sierra Cement
graupel, pellets, sleet
hard packed, ice

etc.

Do any of you have such a list, and if not, perhaps we can compile one here.

lotsoskiing

death cookies: ice balls caused by poor grooming. Like skiing on marbles.

Immature/Underdeveloped snow = r@%n

justkeepmovingne

I have no idea if its a localized term or not, but scrapple is one I learned growing up to describe packed, iced over snow that usually is extremely bumpy to ski over. Usually the kind of snow you'd find on a spring morning in a bowl that you wouldn't touch until the afternoon sun melts it down into mashed potatoes (there's another one for you)

hazlntskier

Crud and Crud powder

DrJeff

Chowder - Heavy, wet powder
Bulletproof - HARD snow surface
Worldcup Quality Snow - HARD, icy snow surface

NELSAP

Dust on crust - a dusting of snow over crusty or frozen snow

woodcore

Corn

skelley19

Chunder/death balls: similar to death cookies but larger.

Snirt: snow that is mostly dirt

ceo

Don't forget New England Loud Powder (aka glare ice)

joshua_segal

I've tried to summarize all received to date and categorize what I've got so far:

Summary #1
Freshly fallen snow:
Powder (Also: pow or pow-pow)
packed powder
champagne, blow(er), white smoke
Dust
Chowder (Also: Chop)
Tracked out (next step of wear following chowder)
Dump
Freshies, Free refill

Granular:
loose granular, frozen granular, groomed granular
corduroy, froze-aroy

Above freezing:
Corn
Butter, cream cheese
Wet, Slush, Sierra Cement (Also: Cascade Concrete)
Crud, Mashed potatoes
Scrapple (packed, iced over snow that usually is extremely bumpy to ski over. Usually the kind of snow you'd find on a spring morning until the afternoon sun softens it.)
Chowder - Heavy, wet powder
Snirt: spring snow that includes dirt

As precipitation
Graupel, pellets, sleet, soft hail, Styrofoam
Immature snow (i.e. Rain)

Icier:
hardpacked, blue ice
Death cookies, Chunder
Dust on crust
Loud Powder
Boiler plate, Bulletproof, Worldcup Quality Snow
Chicken heads

Surface ice on snow:
Crust
Breakable Crust

Snow that is easy to ski
Ego snow
Hero Snow

Wind related
Windblown
Wind packed, Sastrugi (also: Zastrugi)
Drifted

What else?

Kayaker

It has been said that Eskimos have 47 different words for snow.

Maybe not. Don't know about Norwegian, Swedish, or Finnish. But Finnish is a non Indo-European language and is very different from Norwegian or Swedish. From my favorite ligustics site:

https://www.languagesoftheworld.info/language-and-mind/let-it-snow-let-it-snow-let-it-snow.html

Brklynskier

Marshmallow fluff: Light powder somewhere between Chop and tracked out.

I'm also not sure if MRG's infamous "Fast Grass" qualifies for thin coverage.

lotsoskiing

Brklynskier;c-68310 wrote
I'm also not sure if MRG's infamous "Fast Grass" qualifies for thin coverage.

That's my favorite...

joshua_segal

Brklynskier;c-68310 wrote ...
I'm also not sure if MRG's infamous "Fast Grass" qualifies for thin coverage.

"Snirt" at least had snow content associated with it. "Fast Grass", I think, crosses the imaginary line of what constitutes a type of snow!

riverc0il

Kayaker;c-68305 wroteMaybe not. Don't know about Norwegian, Swedish, or Finnish. But Finnish is a non Indo-European language and is very different from Norwegian or Swedish. From my favorite ligustics site:

https://www.languagesoftheworld.info/language-and-mind/let-it-snow-let-it-snow-let-it-snow.html

Yea, the "X language has # words for Y" thing seems to have really attached itself to popular belief.

English has so many words in the outdoor person's vocabulary for snow, and if you add in compound words, the combinations in English are significant. Like, when conditions are bad, I often describe snow as "frozen groomer tracks". Every skier knows exactly what that type of snow is, and it is a very specific condition.

I really want to learn Finnish at some point, but the lack of cognates makes it difficult to get into. I am currently learning a bit of Norwegian, though I haven't learned any skiing or winter specific vocabulary yet.

z1000307470

Lake ice

joshua_segal

riverc0il;c-68317 wrote
Kayaker;c-68305 wroteMaybe not. Don't know about Norwegian, Swedish, or Finnish. But Finnish is a non Indo-European language and is very different from Norwegian or Swedish. From my favorite ligustics site:

https://www.languagesoftheworld.info/language-and-mind/let-it-snow-let-it-snow-let-it-snow.html
Yea, the "X language has # words for Y" thing seems to have really attached itself to popular belief.

English has so many words in the outdoor person's vocabulary for snow, and if you add in compound words, the combinations in English are significant. Like, when conditions are bad, I often describe snow as "frozen groomer tracks". Every skier knows exactly what that type of snow is, and it is a very specific condition.

I really want to learn Finnish at some point, but the lack of cognates makes it difficult to get into. I am currently learning a bit of Norwegian, though I haven't learned any skiing or winter specific vocabulary yet.

I, of course, found the concept of "Eskimos have 47 different words for snow. Studies of languages of Norway, Sweden and Finland, conclude that the languages have anywhere from 180 to 300 snow- and ice-related words" on the most reliable of all sources: the internet/google :)

I used that as an intro to this thread to develop a list of skier terms for snow. We seem to be doing that pretty well. Thanks for your inputs.

jgreco

Cod meat: Basically the same as boilerplate, usually appearing under/through thoroughly frozen granular... it's the grey sheets of ice with the skid tracks in it from the groomer.

It looks like the silvery sheen on a filet of cod.

ceo

joshua_segal;c-68303 wroteI've tried to summarize all received to date and categorize what I've got so far:
[...]
Loud Powder

To nitpick, I've only ever heard this as New England Loud Powder. (And it's funnier that way)

joshua_segal

ceo;c-68348 wrote
joshua_segal;c-68303 wroteI've tried to summarize all received to date and categorize what I've got so far:
[...]
Loud Powder
To nitpick, I've only ever heard this as New England Loud Powder. (And it's funnier that way)

I'm pretty sure I heard it as "Northeast Loud Powder" at a NY area!