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Is this Spring snow?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi All

On a recent trip to Madonna Di Campiglio in late March I found pockets of snow on piste that had the consistency of ice cream - smooth and creamy. I found this snow absolutely lovely to ski on.

Is the fabled Spring snow or hero snow that I hear so much about? If so at what time of the day and what slope orientation I am likely to find it on?

Thanks
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Griggs, spring snow is somewhat sugary - smooth and creamy is more likely windblown.

Spring snow found on sunny slopes at the right time of day (not always easy to catch). - Depends on temps, sunniness, aspect, etc.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Not sure I agree with @under a new name, I think what you are describing is one form of spring snow as is the sugary type he mentions. Essentially spring snow is the result of transformation by freeze thaw cycles.
If the thaw results in slushy crystals those often become sugary after they freeze then soften slightly again.
But if snow becomes wet and dense but not broken up into slush it will freeze as a hard smooth layer and when this softens again it can become like a thick layer of butter (ice cream perhaps) for about 30 minutes before it goes past this to slush.

How do you find it? You have to move around the mountain finding the snow that has been in direct sun just long enough to thaw the top layer. It normally has to be on sunny elevations not north facing slopes but if you get there too late in the morning it will be mash potatoes rather than ice cream. Too early and it's ice.
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 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
@jedster, this is why the Inuit have 1,400 words for snow*

The ice cream like texture I am describing is definitely a result of gentle windpacking of fresh snow. Spring snow to my mind is always somewhat granular.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/spring-snow, "noun- skiing -granular snow formed by alternate freezing and thawing"

* not a true FACT
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
At a small local hill towards the end of March the snow (man made) was literally like someone had dumped tons of sugar on the slope. Hard little separate grains. Quite bizarre and not pleasant to ski on.
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