Champagne powder

Champagne powder is a very smooth and dry snow, which is great for skiing. The term originates from the ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains, which often have these snow conditions. The name derives from the sparkling wine champagne.

Locations

The term Champagne Powder snow was coined in Steamboat Ski Resort back in the 1950s by a local rancher to describe the light, dry quality of the snow in Northwest Colorado.

According to scientists from the Desert Research Institute, who operate a climate laboratory atop the resort’s Storm Peak, there is a good scientific basis behind the name. The abundant snowfall is a result of Steamboat’s location within the Park Range, which is the first significant barrier in the Northern Colorado Rockies to storms arriving from the Pacific Ocean. Although the moisture from these storms has been depleted after passing the Wasatch Range in Utah, the Park Range causes a so-called ‘feeder’ or orographic cloud to form. The orographic cloud is primarily filled with tiny super-cooled droplets, which cause the ‘white-out’ the locals call it being in the white room one sometimes experiences while on the mountain. It is this rare combination of feeder and seeder clouds that is responsible for the frequent occurrence of rimed crystals resulting in the formation of Steamboat’s famous Champagne Powder snow. Less technically, it is observed as frozen fog, created in an arid, high elevation environment. The "fog-snow" that is created is unique in that it is the result of a temperature inversion where low humidity air at severe low temperature rises to warmer elevation. but still freezing temperature, and precipitates as snow. The snow crystals are extremely small and as a result, of the lowest density that approaches 14 inches of snow per inch of liquid water.

Formation

The main cause of the formation of champagne powder is the arctic high pressure areas that turn up over the Pacific Ocean and transport cold air into the south. This produces the high volume of snow and powder.

The snow in the Rockies is a bit warmer when it snows, what is important for the development of the snowflakes. As a result of the cold air at an altitude of 3000 to 4000 meters the snow cools down immediately and freezes. Also, due to its altitude, the snow also remains extremely dry and doesn't get wet and heavy.

The climate in the European Alps is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, which provides humid air but doesn't normally become cold enough. This produces a large amount of powder as well, but not quite as much as in the Rockies.

Also in The Iranian mountains, there is Champagne Powder, which is there known as Persian Powder.

External links

• Article from Spiegel magazine (German)