Snow 
Snow

Snow, we’ve got a lot of it up here at Mammoth Mountain and Lakes area and a few names for it as well. You may have heard that the Eskimo-Aleut languages have hundreds or more names for snow, sorry to say its an urban legend. English has as many or more and the total is under twenty. The Eskimo-Aleut speech takes all the attributes of a sentence about snow and make it all one word. Such as “Blowing snow piling up around my igloo and burying my seal skins” becomes one word. And one we have the Inuit do not have is extraterrestrial snow, yes snow has been observed on other planets!

Snow has acoustic properties for sound dampening and something I never thought of is being underwater and hearing the sound of snow falling on the surface. It does have a sound! But not likely one that many of us will hear. Kinda scary and chilly to think about actually.

One of my favorite words for snow is watermelon snow. I first discovered this as a kiddo climbing Mt. Lassen, of course I had to eat it! Like the first people to discover it I thought it was from minerals leaching out of the mountain but it’s actually a form of green algae.

Here are some names for Shapes of snow and names for snow on the ground that I found on Wikipedia from the American Meteorological Society.
Columns
A class of snowflakes that is shaped like a six sided column. One of the 4 classes of snowflakes.
Dendrites
A class of snowflakes that has 6 points, making it somewhat star shaped. The classic snowflake shape. One of the 4 classes of snowflakes.
Graupel
Precipitation formed when freezing fog condenses on a snowflake, forming a ball of rime ice. Also known as snow pellets.
Ground blizzard
Occurs when a strong wind drives already fallen snow to create drifts and whiteouts.
Lake-effect snow
Produced when cold winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water, picking up water vapor which freezes and is deposited on the lake's shores.
Needles
A class of snowflakes that are acicular in shape (their length is much longer than their diameter, like a needle). One of the 4 classes of snowflakes.
Rimed snow
Snowflakes that are partially or completely coated in tiny frozen water droplets called rime. Rime forms on a snowflake when it passes through a super-cooled cloud. One of the 4 classes of snowflakes.
Sleet
In Canada and Britain, rain mixed with snow; Some people refer to this as sleet, while others refer to sleet as ice pellets formed when snowflakes pass through a layer of warm air, partially or completely thaw, then refreeze upon passing through sufficiently cold air during further descent.

On the Ground

Artificial snow
Snow can be also manufactured using snow cannons, which actually create tiny granules more like soft hail (this is sometimes called "grits" by those in the southern U.S. for its likeness to the texture of the food). In recent years, snow cannons have been produced that create more natural-looking snow, but these machines are prohibitively expensive.
Blowing snow
Snow on ground that is being moved around by wind. See ground blizzard.
Chopped powder
Powder snow that has been cut up by previous skiers.
Corn
Coarse, granular wet snow. Most commonly used by skiers describing good spring snow. Corn is the result of diurnal cycle of melting and refreezing.
Cornice
An overhanging formation of windblown snow. Important in skiing and alpine climbing because the overhang can be unstable and hard to see from the leeward side.
Crud
This covers varieties of snow that all but advanced skiers find impassable. Subtypes are (a) windblown powder with irregularly shaped crust patches and ridges, (b) heavy tracked spring snow re-frozen to leave a deeply rutted surface strewn with loose blocks, (c) a deep layer of heavy snow saturated by rain (although this may go by another term). Crud is negotiated with an even weighting along the length of the skis, and smooth radius turns started, if necessary, with a pop or jump. When an advanced skier falls over on crud, it is probably because it is 'heavy crud.'
Crust
A layer of snow on the surface of the snowpack that is stronger than the snow below, which may be powder snow. Depending on their thickness and resulting strength, crusts can be termed "supportable", meaning that they will support the weight of a human, "breakable", meaning that they will not, or "zipper", meaning that a skier can break and ski through the crust. Crusts often result from partial melting of the snow surface by direct sunlight or warm air followed by re-freezing.
Depth hoar
Faceted snow crystals, usually poorly or completely unbonded (unsintered) to adjacent crystals, creating a weak zone in the snowpack. Depth hoar forms from metamorphism of the snowpack in response to a large temperature gradient between the warmer ground beneath the snowpack and the surface. The relatively high porosity (percentage of air space), relatively warm temperature (usually near freezing point), and unbonded weak snow in this layer can allow various organisms to live in it.
Finger drift
A narrow snow drift (30 cm to 1 metre in width) crossing a roadway. Several finger drifts in succession resemble the fingers of a hand.
Heavy crud
See 'Crud'.
Ice
Densely packed material formed from snow that doesn't contain air bubbles. Depending on the snow accumulation rate, the air temperature, and the weight of the snow in the upper layers, it can take snow a few hours or a few decades to form into ice.
Firn
Snow which has been lying for at least a year but which has not yet consolidated into glacier ice. It is granular.
Packed powder
The most common snow cover on ski slopes, consisting of powder snow that has lain on the ground long enough to become compressed, but is still loose.
Packing snow
Snow that is at or near the melting point, so that it can easily be packed into snowballs and thrown at other people or objects. This is perfect for snow fights and other winter fun, such as making a snowman, or a snow fort.
Penitentes
Tall blades of snow found at high altitudes.
Pillow drift
A snow drift crossing a roadway and usually 3 to 4.5 metres (10-15 feet) in width and 30 cm to 90 cm (1-3 feet) in depth.
Powder
Freshly fallen, uncompacted snow. The density and moisture content of powder snow can vary widely; snowfall in coastal regions and areas with higher humidity is usually heavier than a similar depth of snowfall in an arid or continental region. Light, dry (low moisture content, typically 4-7% water content) powder snow is prized by skiers and snowboarders. It is often found in the Rocky Mountains of North America and in most regions in Japan.
Slush
Snow which partially melts upon reaching the ground, to the point that it accumulates in puddles of partially-frozen water.
Snirt
Snow covered with dirt, which occurs most often in spring, in Prairie States like North Dakota, where strong winds pick up black topsoil from uncovered farm fields and blow it into nearby towns where the melt rate is slower. The phenomenon is almost magical; one goes to sleep with white snow outside and awakens to black snow. Also, snow that is dirty, often seen by the side of roads and parking lots near areas that have been plowed.
Snowdrift
Large piles of snow which occur near walls and curbs, as the wind tends to push the snow up toward the vertical surfaces.
Surface hoar
Faceted, corn-flake shaped snow crystals that are a type of frost that forms on the surface of the snow pack on cold, clear, calm nights. Subsequent snowfall can bury layers of surface hoar, incorporating them into the snowpack where they can form a weak layer. Sometimes referred to as hoar frost.
Watermelon snow
A reddish/pink-colored snow that smells like watermelons, and is caused by a red-colored green algae called Chlamydomonas nivalis.
Wind slab
A layer of relatively stiff, hard snow formed by deposition of wind blown snow on the leeward side of a ridge or other sheltered area. Wind slabs can form over weaker, softer freshly fallen powder snow, creating an avalanche hazard on steep slopes.

Here’s a link to many names for snow from other cultures and English.
I love the Italian name for snow; Neve which is also an English term for the upper part of a glacier.
http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/snow.htm
This is a fun link to all the different types of snow crystals.
http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snow ... /class.htm

Now all you need to do is rent a condo by owner and see how many types of snow you can find up here. Bring a magnifying glass and take a close look at snow flakes while your at it!
http://www.mammothrentalbyowner.com/

And if you want to take a close look at different types of sand try http://www.lejena.com/


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Awe 
I am in AWE a lot up here, but the current snow conditions and the prospect of some champagne pow this coming weekend has me on AWE-overload! No need to do a study to know that scenery and light fluffy pow like this are nourishment for the soul. A few days in Mammoth will relax your mind, cleanse your soul, lift your spirits, make teenagers fun to be around, un-wrinkle your skin, make your gray go away and cause you to fall in love all over again. Oh and OMG is the sky blue up here or what?
Take a bus, fly Alaska Airlines, carpool, ride your bike but just get up here and rent a condo from an owner, preferably with a hot tub! You'll be feeling so good you won't need to take your vitamins for a week:)
http://www.mammothrentalbyowner.com/

Have you friended us on facebook yet?
Look us up under Millie Freed MammothRentalByOwner

For rejuvenation with condos for rent by owners around the world visit us here at http://www.lejena.com/

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Staying in Mammoth and need baby equipment 
If you are visiting Mammoth Lakes and staying at one of the many Mammoth Rental By Owner vacation rentals and need baby gear such as crib, jogger, back carrier,high chair,infant car seat,basket of toys,swing,bouncy seat,activity gym, bath tub, potty chair baby monitor, yard gate and lots more we can help you out.

You can rent all these items and more knowing they are name-brand items, clean, safe and assembled. Baby equipment is delivered stright to your vacation rental door. Make this a hassle free vacation and leave all the baby equipment at home.

For more information and prices contact http://www.mammothrentalbyowner.com/ or call (818)883-2488

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Check out the snow in Mammoth 
Oh yeah, it's been snowing lots in Mammoth. Check out the picture of our company car.

Need a place to stay try http://www.mammothrentalbyowner.com/

Call (818)883-2488 if you have a question

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Winter Culture 
Yea!! 4 day President's Weekend for many folks. If you’re one of those lucky enough to be launching into some powder bowls on Mammoth Mountain there’s an inspiring après carving event you can take your noodley legs to and launch into some culture. The Mono Council for the Arts is throwing a Winter Art Festival at the Minaret Mall. This festival will be showcasing local as well as visiting artists and proceeds go to connecting art to kids through after school art programs and summer camps.
February 18, 19, 20, Hours are 10AM to 6PM
Winter Art Shows are at Minaret Mall in Mammoth Lakes (indoors by the Twin Theaters in the Vons shopping center and check out their new gallery on Main St.in the Luxury Outlets. For more info:
http://www.monoarts.org/


On Friday the 18th when your done with you're tour of the gallery you can experience elegant adventure dining with a Full Moon Winemakers Dinner at The Parallax Restaurant. Board the Gondola at 6PM for unique entree’s such as Elk Tenderloin with Roasted, Bacon, Cherry, White Bean Cassoulet, Brown Sugar Glacè. Reservations required. More info at http://www.mammothmountain.com/ResortAc ... erDinners/

If you don’t already have a Mammoth Condo rented check our site http://www.mammothrentalbyowner.com/ for any last minute cancellations and high tail it on up here to the best place to be this weekend!

For elsewhere in the world link over to http://www.lejena.com/ for vacation properties for rent directly from the owner.

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