How to Read and Understand a Ski Report

One of the best things about having a schedule that’s flexible enough to pounce on last minute ski deals is, of course, the savings. Here’s the other one: the deals that turn up are close enough to your holiday dates – often immediately– so the ski reports for those dates at the resorts you have in mind are already available!

Having these reports on hand for the dates available on those last minute ski deals makes it easier for you to make decisions pertinent to your holiday. They make decisions like what to pack, how much skiing to plan for, which mountains you can look forward to tackling and even what resorts to go for or pass up much easier. Of course, you will need to actually know how to read one, for it to be useful to you. Here’s a quick run down on ski reports and what they mean.

Who Does Them?

Most ski reports are created by the resorts as a service to their customers and potential customers. Most often, the resort has a dedicated team of snow patrollers, whose job it is to take readings daily, record those into databases and then broadcast them on the website. This is done early in the mornings at the same time daily– this is important in order for them to be able to accurately report the amount of snowfall in a 24-hour period.

The Weather

Weather is definitely one of the things to watch out for in a ski report. Not only does it tell you what to pack and how to dress, but more importantly, it will give you an accurate reading on skiing conditions.

Temperatures. Mountain temperatures and wind chill for instance are key– anything below -10 F (-23.3 C) is going to be terribly unpleasant, while anything below -20 F (-29 C) can be downright dangerous.

Wind. Wind chill and wind speeds are other things to look at in the reports, as they affect trail conditions. Some experts will tell you that winds blowing above 35 mph can be dangerous and trip safety devices on lifts, so if high winds are included in the forecast, you may want to forgo those last minute ski deals.

Rain and Storms. Rain is usually bad news for skiing– it means slushy snow, frozen and icy trails and wet clothes. Often, however, the big resorts will have industrial equipment to groom those trails, so just make sure you look at how many trails are open and opening soon. In terms of storms, lifts are prone to lightning strikes and are often shut down at the first sign of electrical storms.

The Snow

Snow reports can help you predict what kind of skiing you’ll be getting with those last minute ski deals. Reports will indicate the amount on the ground, on the trails and on the mountains, as well as the quality of the snow.

Powder– fresh, loose snow that hasn’t been compacted– is of course the best, followed by packed powder. Granular snow– the kind you get when powder thaws and then refreezes and crystallizes– is also skiable, as long as it is loose or wet. Watch out for descriptions such as icy, however– this means it will be too hard to put a pole in and will be too slippery.

Knowing to read ski reports helps ensure that you know what’s ahead when you book last minute ski deals. And it gets easier the more often you practice.

Belinda Smythson works for Ski Amis, a specialist ski travel agency and booking service offering bonded holidays in La Tania and other fantastic locations. If you're looking for last minute ski holidays in catered or self catered chalets, we can help. For a luxury or good-value skiing holiday call Ski Amis.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.