by Mr.
Klister
Reading Snow Conditions
If snow were consistent there would be no challenge to
waxing, but it's not. Newly fallen snow below freezing
temperatures consists of tiny, hard crystals. Above freezing,
snow is made up of a mixture of water and larger grains
of ice. Old, re-frozen snow is also made up of grains
of ice, this time without the water. Different waxes,
for both grip and glide, exist that match the properties
of snow in these different states. Knowing how to read
the snow so that you can pick the right wax will ensure
that you can get the most out of your equipment and technique.
Being snow wise is easy. The first thing to realize is
that the temperature range on the wax tin refers to snow
temperature, not air temperature. Air temperature can
sometimes be several degrees different than snow temperature.
If in doubt, stick a thermometer in the snow in a shady
place.
The next thing to keep in mind is that the moisture content
of snow is also important. An easy way to check the moisture
content of snow is to grab a handful of it and squeeze.
If the snow blows away when you open your hand, it is
considered dry. If forms a ball, the snow is moist. If
the snow melts in your hand and water drips out, then
it is wet. Moist and wet snow generally require using
a warmer color wax than you normally would, based on temperature
alone.
As snow ages the sharp edges of the crystals get knocked
off. So, old snow is sort of like warmer snow. Old snow
is affected by humidity more than new snow, which means
if you are planning to ski on old snow and the humidity
is high, you may want to wax warmer. Another reason snow
can change is due to the heat of the sun on it, so that
by afternoon a warmer wax is needed. Wind dries snow out,
so if you are skiing on windboard you may want to use
a colder wax to keep from clumping.
A knowledge of daily weather patterns can also be put
to good use. After a clear night, snow temperature can
be colder than air temperature for several hours in the
morning. This is a case where it may be better to start
out by waxing colder.
Lastly, keep in mind that machine grooming also knocks
the points off of snow crystals. So, if you are going
skiing on a groomed trail you may want to wax warmer to
compensate. Even if a trail is not machine groomed, but
has had a lot of skiers go over it, this same effect may
be present. Similarly, when skiing off-trail the last
person in a group may experience very different snow conditions
than the person up-front breaking trail. Understanding
this may help to explain why a certain color wax works
for one person, but not another, ceteris paribus.
