Is a 25 inch base enough snow for a ski resort to stay open in 50-60 degree weather for 4 days?

Question

I would be skiing at Appalachain. The night temperatures are between 30-40 degrees. And I forgot to add, the depth is now 24"-69".

Answer 1

I agree with what some of the others have said however there are some other little know facts to consider. 25'' is probably the deepest snow they can find. Resorts put their snow stakes off the trails and out of the way of skiers and wind. Don't be surprised to see rocks and dirt in heavy traffic, sun exposed terrain. They are also slow to downgrade conditions. They don't want to turn people away but they don't want to lie either. Its a fine line the marketing department plays.

Answer 2

I agree on the previous answer, and will expand some.  It also depends on what days you are talking about.  If it is some holiday weekend, no.  I'd say that stuff will be gone soon.  But if it is a regular week, there may be a chance.  Like the previous guy said, the night temp will be a factor.  Which resport will also be a factor.  If it is a popular one, again, it'd be pretty tough.  Grooming is an other issue.  If they do a good job at night, get everything evened out properly, then it could work.

Answer 3

yup

Answer 4

I'd say so

Answer 5

if its down to 25" then you are at the base which should be fairly frozen if the slopes are at a location that the night temps are in the 30s or even the low 40s. its been in the 50s here with rain. i thought it would be a good soft time to learn to snowboard. we had rain. cleared. got to 55. I went night session at 6:00. it was icy. hard pack with a little frozen granular on top. not at all the conditions i was expecting. unless there is downpours expected at those temps the slopes should do surprisingly well.

Answer 6

I have personally seen many winters come and go. I grew up in Michigan, where all it took was a day of those temperatures to melt a good foot of snow. I would say that a mostly manmade base of that depth will last for probably 2-3 more days. If the base is pretty much made of natural snow, i'd say you have a good day and a half left, and resorts pretty much wrap it up then. Although there are more factors to consider, such as elevation, cloud cover, and precipitation, this will be pretty acurate.

Hope this helps.

P.S. Manmade snow will generally last longer than natuarl snow because the kind of ice crystal it forms bonds together better than naturl snow. Many resorts now also use a fluoride additive that makes their snow last longer.

Answer 7

Depends on a lot of factors, including whether or not it gets cold enough at night to freeze the snow.  Snow last a lot longer when it freezes at night.  It also depends on what is under the snow.  If it is smooth grass you can ski on very few inches.  However if rocks and sticks start to show through you need a lot more.