When you think of snow, you will often immediately think of wet snow or fresh powder snow. What many people don’t know is that there are several types of snow. But let’s start with the concept of ‘snow’, what is snow actually? If you pick up the dictionary, it will contain the following definition: frozen precipitation that falls in the form of flakes. In this article we will purely talk about the various types of snow that you can encounter during winter sports, especially on the slopes as a surface.
POWDER SNOW
We’ll start right away with the most beautiful and tastiest snow there is and that is powder snow of course. Also known as Powder or POW among avid winter sports enthusiasts. Powder snow is cold snow that is very light and contains little moisture. A disadvantage of this is that it moves quickly when the wind blows hard and snow dunes can form.
CRUD SNOW
Skiers and snowboarders who regularly go off-piste will particularly recognize this type of snow. Crud snow is used when the surface is uneven and consists of both loose and compact snow. A combination of powder snow and snow with a greater density.
CRUST SNOW
Crust snow is when a layer of crust forms on top of the snow. This is because the top layer of snow has melted due to the sun and higher temperatures and then freezes when temperatures drop again. A slope with a crispy layer, if there is crust snow.
SLUSH SNOW
This is perhaps the most annoying snow for us as winter sports enthusiasts. Slush snow forms during high daytime temperatures. Especially during the day, the slopes become very bad and snow piles form. Also known as the annoying moguls, which demand a lot from your technique and require an enormous amount of strength.
ARTIFICIAL SNOW
For those ski areas that are unfortunately not affected by the winter precipitation, there is always the option of spraying artificial snow on the slopes. In many cases, this requires freezing. This artificial snow is made by many snow cannons that are positioned along the slopes.
ICE
It is not really a type of snow, but it is a type of surface. The subsoil is formed when melted snow freezes again. This creates a hard, smooth ice sheet. This surface is not pleasant, especially for novice winter sports enthusiasts, as it is difficult to find grip. You need to cut your corners carefully on such surfaces.