Champagne Powder
Encyclopedia
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.
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.
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.
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
, which is great for skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
. The term originates from the ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
, which often have these snow conditions. The name derives from the sparkling wine
Sparkling wine
Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...
champagne.
Locations
The term Champagne Powder snow was coined in Steamboat Ski ResortSteamboat Ski Resort
Steamboat Ski Area is a major ski area in northwestern Colorado, operated by the Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation in Steamboat Springs. It is located on Mount Werner, a mountain in the Park Range in the Routt National Forest. The ski area first opened on January 12, 1963.The ski area has 165...
back in the 1950s by a local rancher to describe the light, dry quality of the snow in Northwest Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
According to scientists from the Desert Research Institute
Desert Research Institute
The Desert Research Institute is the nonprofit research campus of the Nevada System of Higher Education , the organization that oversees all publicly-supported higher education in the U.S. state of Nevada...
, who operate a climate
Climate
Climate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and other meteorological elemental measurements in a given region over long periods...
laboratory atop the resort’s Storm Peak
Storm Peak
Storm Peak is a flat-topped peak, 3,280 m, standing 3.5 nautical miles north of Blizzard Peak in the Marshall Mountains, Queen Alexandra Range. So named by the New Zealand Geological Survey Antarctic Expedition because of the stormy conditions experienced in the area....
, there is a good scientific basis behind the name. The abundant snowfall is a result of Steamboat’s location within the Park Range
Park Range
Park Range may refer to:*The Park Range in northern Colorado in the United States.*The Park Range in Nevada in the United States....
, which is the first significant barrier in the Northern Colorado Rockies to storms arriving from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. Although the moisture from these storms has been depleted after passing the Wasatch Range
Wasatch Range
The Wasatch Range is a mountain range that stretches approximately from the Utah-Idaho border, south through central Utah in the western United States. It is generally considered the western edge of the greater Rocky Mountains, and the eastern edge of the Great Basin region...
in Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, 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
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
, 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.