Why I’m launching snow.news
November 9, 2023
snow.news is a free multimedia newsletter for people who love snow and want to know what’s happening with the American West’s snowpack.
Welcome to the SnowSlang blog
Learn the latest skiing slang, snowboarding lingo, and snow science terminology
Ski goggles technology and terminology
March 14, 2021
Goggles are one of the most important pieces of skiing and snowboarding gear. Without them, you could be in for a long day on the slopes.
Sick day, as in ski sickness (aka Häusler’s disease)
May 3, 2018
Ski sickness is a form of motion sickness that can strike skiers when visibility is poor in fog, whiteout, blizzards, and flat light conditions.
Alpenglow: fire on the mountain
November 9, 2017
Learn the origin, meaning, and cause of alpenglow, a rosy hue seen on mountains around sunrise and sunset.
Shred the gnar: meaning and origin of the saying
November 4, 2016
You won’t spend much time on the slopes without hearing the quintessential slang phrase.
Graupel, a “supercooled” type of precipitation
November 3, 2016
Is it sleet? Hail? No, it’s graupel, a relatively obscure form of precipitation that resembles balls of Styrofoam.
Wolfpack: your posse on a powder day
October 1, 2016
A wolfpack is a group of friends, usually guys, who ski or ride together, similar to a posse.
Face shot: powder nirvana and a staple of ski porn
September 15, 2016
What is a face shot? A face shot occurs when snow sprays a skier or snowboarder’s face on a powder day. The snow must be deep and light enough (e.g., blower, Champagne Powder®) and the rider must have sufficient speed to elevate the snow to face level. I took the shot above with a GoPro camera attached to the end