How cold is too cold to ski?

[Christy]

Maybe others have said similar things in this thread, but since I'm not used to cold temps, I was surprised at Sun Valley today by how grippy and slow the snow was today in temps 0-5 (I waited until it was above 0 to go out). So on cat tracks without much pitch there was much poling and skating; I was on supposedly zippy demo Stocklis and it felt like they hadn't been waxed in a hundred years, but others told me, no, it's the snow. And it was so hard to flex my boots! Actually I think it's more accurate to say I wasn't flexing them, so I skied quite poorly. High clouds so no bright sun. It was a lot of work. If it's the same tomorrow I'll probably pass.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Yeah, cold snow is sticky. I know a guy who hurt himself landing a jump in the cold - the snow on the landing was like velcro.

You can get a cold weather wax, but I'm lazy.

I think my new boots flex better in the cold - my fitter said that this boot has less flex variance across temperatures than boots made with other plastics. Last year at Aspen, I was skiing terribly - no idea why until DH asked if I was able to flex my boots. Uh ... no.

I was pretty toasty today on a very cold day. I was much less active than I usually am while skiing, but also was not up at the top of the mountain where it's windy and coldest.

Lower layers: omni-heat tights, Arc'teryx puffy pants, insulated (enough to look puffy) snow pants.

Upper layers: heavy merino base layer, chemical heat pack stuck to lower back (omg yes - it's like having a seat heater but all the time), fleece, puffy vest, and insulated jacket.

 

[Jilly]

Yup - wrong wax is just like glue. Cold snow is drier. If you've ever done any XC skiing the wax for cold is harder than the warm. Being an eastern skier, I'm used to cold. And Christy, answering your query on FB - last winter because of the ice I wore spikes on my outdoor shoes most of the winter. Available at Costco.

 

[Christy]

Maybe I'll send an email to the Sun Valley demo shop about that. I don't know that they didn't use cold-weather wax, but it's certainly not hard to imagine a rental shop just might use one wax all the time rather than assessing conditions each day and waxing accordingly.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Maybe I'll send an email to the Sun Valley demo shop about that. I don't know that they didn't use cold-weather wax, but it's certainly not hard to imagine a rental shop just might use one wax all the time rather than assessing conditions each day and waxing accordingly.

I would rather a ski shop use an all-weather wax than assume I'm skiing, say, tomorrow, when actually I plan to ski in a week when the weather will be completely different.

Some of the "grungier"/"realer" places will ask you what wax you want. Most of the more "retail-y" places won't.

 

[Jilly]

Usually it's just all purpose wax. Might have been on too thick too.

 

[Christy]

I would rather a ski shop use an all-weather wax than assume I'm skiing, say, tomorrow, when actually I plan to ski in a week when the weather will be completely different.

Some of the "grungier"/"realer" places will ask you what wax you want. Most of the more "retail-y" places won't.

These were demos that I reserved the day before. I can see how waxing for conditions would be problematic, but it would be nice if there was some sort of system for waxing for conditions when you knew that people had reserved. Not practical to do that for your whole fleet I know. I do feel like I wasted $70. I couldn't get a handle on whether I actually liked the skis because of it.

Or maybe being given the option to pay extra for new wax. Some ski areas have places that will wax skis right in front of you.

 

[bounceswoosh]

These were demos that I reserved the day before.

Oh! Sorry - I missed that. Yeah. I think really they should just ask - do you have a preference for all temps or (depending on weather) vs warm/cold wax? But I guess that's a lot to ask when they're processing so many clients, as they always are.

 

[Gloria]

These low temps in this region are low, like not -10 with wind chill, -10 no wind at all. Universal wax is too sticky right now. Scraping the wax off works better than universal, but I can see why a shop wouldn't want to send someone out with a no wax job. Once you wax skis for these temps, then when it warms up they stick again, there is a spray on wax or a stick you can use that is more temporary that sometimes helps.

 

[bounceswoosh]

Yeah - my concept of cold is +10 degrees. No idea of snow temp, which is actually what's most relevant.

If it's negative, it's too cold to snow, so I don't feel compelled to ski.

 

[heather matthews]

It never really gets too cold here but when I've been overseas it certainly has been cold enough for sticky snow and the potential for frostbite.I still ski but end up skiing from mountain restaurant to mountain restaurant. It sounds like cold is more of a regular issue in the US and Canada than in Europe.

 

[Jilly]

-20C with a wind chill makes for short days. Glad its a season pass.

 

[sibhusky]

I had newly waxed with cold wax skis on today and it was just a pleasure. This was a layer of CH2+4 (edges and center) followed by RaceWax green (which is actually a slightly warmer wax). No issues at all. Freshly fallen talcum-like snow, tracked snow, compacted talcum, all good. It's been cold here for a week? 2? Looking back, on the 11, we got up to 18°F, but down to -14° at night and most days this week running 8° and down. It was -3° when I got to the summit today. I just love these kind of days! Today's wind chill was a mere -8°. Warm enough to run the lifts, unlike the last two days of closed lifts.

By the way, it was snowing, and I had to clean off my car when I left the slopes and again by the time I got home (issue with melted snow causing dampness in the garage). Not "too cold to snow". Heck, I've got two feet of "too cold to snow" on my front lawn.

 

[Gloria]

I had newly waxed with cold wax skis on today and it was just a pleasure. This was a layer of CH2+4 (edges and center) followed by RaceWax green (which is actually a slightly warmer wax). No issues at all. Freshly fallen talcum-like snow, tracked snow, compacted talcum, all good. It's been cold here for a week? 2? Looking back, on the 11, we got up to 18°F, but down to -14° at night and most days this week running 8° and down. It was -3° when I got to the summit today. I just love these kind of days! Today's wind chill was a mere -8°. Warm enough to run the lifts, unlike the last two days of closed lifts.

By the way, it was snowing, and I had to clean off my car when I left the slopes and again by the time I got home (issue with melted snow causing dampness in the garage). Not "too cold to snow". Heck, I've got two feet of "too cold to snow" on my front lawn.

I agree, once you get off the groomed snow, there is no stick despite wax. And the cold just pulls the moisture out and makes the snow perfect. As long as you dress warm enough without over dressing it's quite do able and it always dumps right before the temperatures drop.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

0-5F is pretty typical in January at Sugarloaf, Maine. Sometimes MUCH colder (as quite a few divas can attest, from experience!). Blue wax or bust. I've started out at -10F, but that was then - not sure I could hack it now.... have also ended days where it went back down below zero.

 

[bounceswoosh]

By the way, it was snowing, and I had to clean off my car when I left the slopes and again by the time I got home (issue with melted snow causing dampness in the garage). Not "too cold to snow". Heck, I've got two feet of "too cold to snow" on my front lawn.

I believe you! I haven't experienced it. *snuggles more deeply into her sweater*

 

[MaineSkiLady]

^ True this. In more humid climiates/at lower elevations (i.e., east), any snow that falls when it's below 20F (ideally, closer to 10 or lower) is pure blower. We bundle up and cheer.

 

[Albertan ski girl]

I haven't gone skiing in the last week here. We've had a real bitter cold snap, with temperatures hovering around -20 F f0r 10 days straight and that is before windchill. When the projected high for the day in Calgary (and that's at 4000 feet, not 9000, like the resorts) is supposed to be -10 F before windchill, it is very likely that the mountain won't see me. SO and I have skied down to almost -25 F, but it's pretty miserable. This week though, it's warming up to highs of between 0 and 15 F! So I'll be back. The early season cold snap is over! Let's hope it's the last one for a while! Higher temps also mean more snow! It hasn't snowed in a week, but this week's weather report has nothing but snowflakes!

 

[Jilly]

-29C at Tremblant this morning. I'm at work, so I don't care, but.......looked great on the webcam. Sunshine...

 

[Jenny]

I haven't gone skiing in the last week here. We've had a real bitter cold snap, with temperatures hovering around -20 F f0r 10 days straight and that is before windchill. When the projected high for the day in Calgary (and that's at 4000 feet, not 9000, like the resorts) is supposed to be -10 F before windchill, it is very likely that the mountain won't see me. SO and I have skied down to almost -25 F, but it's pretty miserable. This week though, it's warming up to highs of between 0 and 15 F! So I'll be back. The early season cold snap is over! Let's hope it's the last one for a while! Higher temps also mean more snow! It hasn't snowed in a week, but this week's weather report has nothing but snowflakes!

If you could arrange temps hovering around 20F for our January week I would totally appreciate it!