Guide contents
Reading the answer
The Surface row
Snowpace's estimate of the snow surface for skate and classic, and why it isn't part of the score yet.
For classic and skate, the detail ends with Surface (not scored): one word for what the weather is likely doing to the snow surface.
| Word | Roughly |
|---|---|
| Fresh | New snow on top. |
| Soft | Loose or damp snow that hasn't set up. |
| Packed | Settled snow, groomed and holding. |
| Firm | Set up hard, often after a cold night. |
| Icy | Refrozen after a melt or rain. |
| Slushy | Wet snow in the warmth. |
It names the surface at 10 AM, and adds the 2 PM word when it changes: "Firm → Slushy" means firm in the morning and slushy by the afternoon. On bare ground there's no surface, so it shows a dash.
How it works
Snowpace follows the snow hour by hour through the past week and into the forecast. New snow buries the surface; dry snow settles, more slowly in the cold; warmth, sun and rain wet it; and below freezing it refreezes into firm snow and ice. It assumes normal overnight grooming: a pass in the small hours that packs the snow and breaks up ice. A centre that doesn't groom will be softer after snow, and icier after a freeze, than the word says.
Why it isn't scored yet
It's new, and it hasn't been checked against real winter days. Until it has been, it's shown for information only: no colour, and no effect on the score. Once checked, it's planned to replace the freeze–thaw factor for classic and skate. If a word doesn't match what you skied, tell me: reports like that are how it gets checked.
This guide describes Snowpace 1.0.0.