Alpine/ Snow Reporting Procedures

SnoCountry Mountain Reports is a service of SnoCountry Areas Association PO Box 505  Lebanon, NH 03766 USA  Phone: 603.443.8812  Fax: 603.443.8838 Email: [email protected]  Web: www.snocountry.com Welcome to SnoCountry Ski Areas Association

SnoCountry Works For You!

SnoCountry Ski Areas Association (SnoCountry) is a not-for-profit ski industry trade (marketing) association started in 1968 with a mission to promote the fun, excitement and experience at ski resorts. SnoCountry's primary service is known as SnoCountry Mountain Reports.

Our job is to raise awareness, interest and visibility for ski resorts while motivating people to visit your resort.

Our niche is the daily collection and distribution of your snow conditions, events and resort information that is packaged as a "ski report" and made available to a vast network of contracted media.

Key SnoCountry clients include USAToday, The Weather Channel, Associated Press, Mountain Media (publishers of Mountain Sports + Living magazine and MTNaccess.com), New York Times, RSN, Ski Central and many more.

Since its beginning in 1968, SnoCountry has created and continually refined standard ski reporting terminology and the ski reporting processes. In that spirit, we provide the following instructions and guidelines on how best to market your through "ski reports". This is a detailed "how-to" on ski reporting. Should you wish clarification on any part of these procedures, please be sure to call SnoCountry!

How Do I Report To SnoCountry? • Submitting your snow report to SnoCountry is easy with one of our 3 methods of reporting: o On-line (preferred method – offers the most promotional opportunities) o Email (basic information only) o Fax (basic information – use only when necessary…help us save a few trees) • Everything you need to know about snow reporting to SnoCountry is on the following pages - if you have any trouble or have questions we have not answered here, please give us a call. • We are here to serve you and always happy to lend a hand

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard Where Do I Start? • Since you got this far, we gather you have your User Name and Password, found the SnoCountry web site and clicked on Admin in the upper right corner • This is your section, and everything you need may be found here: o If you have not yet done so, please download a copy of the Profile Instructions Manual - this guidebook will explain all the tools listed on the left hand side o Then for the Snow Reporting Forms & Reporting Procedures – this is the last element on the left hand side list

Reporting Forms & Procedures • This section offers many tools. The things you will find here include: o Pre-season check list o Tips for snow reporting o Event Entry Form completion tips o Snow Reporting Daily Timeline o Other services SnoCountry offers ski areas o Reporting forms for email and fax reporting o Reporting Procedures – the heart of this tutorial • Our main focus will be the on-line reporting form, but if you plan to report by email or fax, download the appropriate forms to follow along

The SnoCountry Reporting Area  When you first logged in to the Administration section, you saw a list of items on the left hand side - described above - now, let’s look at the Daily Reporting Area (Shown below (also in the tutorial) with a full description on the next few pages)  Message from SnoCountry – from time to time you may see a message here (this will only show up when there is a message)

Quick Status Report  Quick Status Report  Shows date and time last report was submitted and by whom  View last report in printable format • Use this form to fax and/or email the report you just completed • Use this feature to save your daily report for your own records • Also, listed on the left side list

Snow Report Distribution • Reports to Radio and Web media begin at 4:00am Eastern Time and continue throughout the day.

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard Reporting Guidelines • Report will automatically populate with information form your last report EXCEPT for the following fields: (Today's Radio, Comment/Today’s Inside Scoop, Events & Deals). Note: Events and Deals already submitted will stay active until they end. • Review the report; click submit if the report is correct; otherwise edit necessary fields and add content to Today's Radio, Comments/Today’s Inside Scoop, Events and Deals. • Questions? Call 603-443-8812 or email us at [email protected]

What’s Next? • Use the:  Daily Reporting Area to enter your daily snow report  View data in printable format – Use to print/fax/email your completed Daily Report – this page can also be saved for your own records

Daily Snow Reporting Area • We will take you through all the sections of the daily snow reporting form • We will highlight the on-line form, but you will be able to find most everything on both the fax & email forms • Fax & email forms are in the following formats: o PDF – you will need Adobe Acrobat, a free program, to view o Word – used with Microsoft Word (Important note: the fax & email forms use tables) o RTF – Rich Text Format, may be brought in to any word processing program  We’ve incorporated diagrams of the on-line section in the tutorial part of this presentation

When to Report • 4am EST: Reports to radio stations start and continue all morning long • 4am EST: Reports to major Web media start and continue throughout the day • 5pm EST: Last report to major media and the AP for next day newspapers • Keep the above deadlines in mind and report as soon as you can in the morning (the earlier the better), especially when it is snowing o Web viewers can see the last date and time a report was submitted o If you are not open daily, report your ski resort’s schedule 2 days prior to the day of operation o Reminder: Report your opening day to us as soon as you know it (this can be updated as conditions change)

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard When to Update • Update your conditions any time if weather variations (new snow, rain, wind) have impacted snow conditions, open terrain, and/or operating status to insure the media receive your most current information • Media updates: o Sent throughout the day, between 4am EST and 5pm EST o Radio reports start at 4am EST and continue in to the early afternoon – the majority of reports are completed in the early morning o Even if you sent in an overnight report, and it’s still snowing, make sure you update SnoCountry to insure the media receive your most current information

Operating Status  First, place the date that this report is for. If it is late in the afternoon and this report is for tomorrow, use tomorrow’s date. Also, it is helpful to have the name of the person completing the report in case we have any questions.  Are you open for today (or date the report is for)? If not, complete this section: o Check the Not Open Today box o Specify your reopening date and time, if possible o Use the Plan to Open for pre-season as soon as you know your plan to open date – update as needed o Once the Not Open Today box is checked, you can add information such as new snow that may have fallen, or any upcoming events/deals, or you may complete the “Today’s Inside Scoop” for details about what a skier/rider might expect once you are open. This is a great tool for part- time areas to use.

Conditions/Weather Tab Hours of Operation Report your hours of operation (once placed, the hours will remain here until you change them): • Weekday (Monday – Friday) hours • Weekend (Saturday & Sunday) • Holiday hours/specific dates that don’t follow normal hours (Ex. Dec 25: 1p-10p) under special hours

New Natural Snow  Report new natural snow in inches (Canadian areas will have the option of choosing inches or cm)  The range of new snow should be measured at both the summit and base  Show snowfall from the last 24 hours  Show snowfall from the last 48 hours

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard  Show the storm total: place the amount and use the drop down box to show the timeframe (3 days, 4 days, 5 days, 6 days, 7 days, storm total)  SnoCountry keeps track of the date of the last snowfall, date of the previous snowfall and season snow totals.

Surface Conditions • All ski resorts use our standard glossary of terms when they report to SnoCountry. These terms allow for consistent communication with skiers in a universal language allowing skiers/riders to make educated decisions while helping to achieve integrity, credibility and allegiance with your guests as a source of honest & reliable information. • The primary surface condition is the trail surface type, which describes conditions on most of the terrain open to skiers/riders. • The secondary surface condition should be the next most prevalent surface type, which describes conditions on some of the terrain open to skiers/riders. This condition should be used when it materially affects the skiing; e.g.; icy patches, thin spots, frozen granular patches, etc. • The primary surface condition and the secondary surface condition should not be the same. A secondary surface condition is not always needed and may be left blank. • Using the right terms help limit the guesswork of describing conditions. Consistent data increases credibility with consumers. Constant reinforcement of these terms will help to promote increased knowledge so skiers/riders can make educated decisions.

Standard Snow Reporting Terms • In 1968, SnoCountry developed the standard glossary of terms used in snow reporting still used today. • Next we will take you through all the terms o The on-line form lists these terms in the drop down box – “Select Condition” shows up to start – just click the down arrow to get the list of terms

Surfaces: Powder • Cold, new, loose, fluffy, dry snow that has not been compacted • Always the product of fresh, natural snowfall – not from machine-made snow

Surfaces: Packed Powder • Powder snow, either natural or machine-made, that has been packed down by skier traffic or grooming machines • The snow is no longer fluffy, but it is not so extremely compacted that it is hard

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard Surfaces: Hard Packed Snow • When natural or machine made snow becomes very firmly packed • This type of snow has never melted, but has been tightly compressed through grooming and continuous wind exposure • Edgeable surface - you can plant a pole in hard packed snow, but it takes more effort than packed powder • Generally white in color Surfaces: Granular Snow • Loose Granular o This surface results after powder or packed powder thaws, then refreezes, or from an accumulation of sleet o This is also created by machine grooming of frozen or icy snow • Wet Granular o Granular snow which has become wet from warm temperatures, rain or humidity o This is typically an easy to ski surface – “ego” snow • Frozen Granular o Frozen granular is a hard surface of old snow formed by granules freezing together after a rain or warm temperatures o Wide range of surfaces offering different textures:  May be easy to turn on and others may be more difficult and require sharp edges  Will support a ski pole stuck into the surface, unlike “ice”  Opaque in color

Surfaces: Wet Snow • Wet Snow o Powder snow which has become moist and heavy due to a thaw or rainfall o New snow with a very high water content as it fell • Wet Packed Snow o Natural or machine made snow that has been previously packed and becomes wet from warm temperatures, rain or humidity o Easy to ski

Surfaces: Variable Conditions • Variable Conditions o Used when no primary surface (70% or more) can be determined o Describes a range of surfaces that may be encountered o Could mean that:  part of the trails are loose granular  part are packed powder  part are frozen granular  part are wet granular  any combination of the above

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard Surfaces: Spring Time Snow • Spring Conditions o May not be used prior to March 1st o Spring version of Variable Conditions o Used when no one surface can describe 70% of the terrain open for skiing o It is not uncommon for other evidence of spring to be present such as: o Bare spots o A discolored surface from melting and traffic o Firm frozen snow in cool shady spots can be found while heavy wet snow is found in open sunny areas • Corn Snow o Usually found in the spring o Characterized by large, loose granules during the day which freeze together at night, and then loosen again during the day

Surfaces: Rarely Used Terms • Windblown Snow o A windy day can blow the surface snow, either powder or granular, into drifts in some places, leaving a firmly packed snow base • Icy o Not to be confused with frozen granular o A hard, glazed surface o Created by:  Freezing rain  Ground water seeping up into the snow and freezing  Rapid freezing of snow saturated with water from rain or melting o Translucent

Average Base Depths – Surface Conditions • Report on your open terrain – terrain available for “Today’s” report • Measure in several locations: o Near the lowest base station across a regularly skied trail or slope o Near or somewhat below the summit of the highest lift-serviced area o Avoid extreme areas:  high traffic sections  piles of snow  drifts o Measure in the same trail locations

Weather Forecast • Report noon time weather for the day of the report - We’ve incorporated a drop down box for weather to make things easier for you • Include forecasted noon time temperature at base and summit

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard Roads Conditions • Drop downs provided for each topic • Especially important if roads are affecting operation

Open Terrain • Downhill Terrain: o How many trails, lifts, miles and acres of terrain are open o What is the percentage of terrain open (required information for The Weather Channel)? If you choose to leave this field blank, our system will automatically calculate this for you using total trails. o We also show you the maximum values we have for trails, lifts, miles and acres. If these need to be adjusted, you may “click to set max values”. This opens the Mountain Stats portion of your profile. This will open in a new tab/window. Changes to the Mountain Stats portion of your profile are submitted to SnoCountry for updating and will not show up immediately.

Cross Country • Cross Country Terrain: o This is a mini cross-country report and includes basic information (included with your Alpine report details). • Check the box if cross-country skiing is available for the day of the report • List the total KM available for Classic skiing and Skate skiing o For a more detailed cross country report, please complete an online report using your cross country user name and password or the cross country forms o This information does not go to media that receive cross-country conditions. /Tubing These 2 sections will expand when you check the box – only check the box if Night Skiing and/or Tubing are available for the day of the report. • Night Operations: o Tell us the number of trails and lifts available o Include projected night operations information in “Comments/Today’s Inside Scoop”, a few days before they begin • Tubing o List the Tubing hours for report day o Show how many tubing lanes are open today o Projected tubing operations should be placed in “Comments/Today’s Inside Scoop”, a few days before they begin

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard /Grooming These 2 sections will expand when you check the box – only check the box if Snowmaking and/or Grooming took place for the day of the report. • Snowmaking Past 24 hours: o Check the box if you made snow in the last 24 hours o Show the % of trails where snowmaking took place in the past 24 hours o Show the number of trails where snowmaking took place in the past 24 hours • Grooming Overnight on open terrain: o Check the box if you groomed in the last 24 hours o Show the % of trails where grooming took place in the past 24 hours o Show the number of trails where grooming took place in the past 24 hours • Snowmaking/Grooming on terrain not yet available for skiing/riding should be listed in “Comments/Today’s Inside Scoop” (described later on)

Terrain Parks and Pipes These 2 sections will expand when you check the box – only check the box if your Terrain Park(s) and/or Half Pipe are open for the day of the report. • Half Pipe: o Check the box if your pipe is open for the day of the report o Tell us the location of your Half Pipe(s) o Use the calendar function to place the date the pipe was last cut • Terrain Park: o Check the box if your terrain park is open for the day of the report o Tell us the location of the park(s) o List the number of Terrain Parks open on the mountain o Show the number of Terrain Park features open on mountain

Comments/Events/Deals Tab • The left hand box shows a list of current comments/deals/events – if an event or deal shows up here, there is no need to add it again. • The right side column is for your Comments/Today’s Inside Scoop, new events and deals.

Comments/Today’s Inside Scoop • This space is for your editorial about Today’s report – this is where you can enhance the report with more details • Available to on-line reporters only o Valid only for the report day selected in the top section o No web addresses o No HTML code o Use for projected ops, expanded snowmaking, details that will enhance your guests experience today.

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard o Please do not copy and paste your printed snow report here. o If you use the words “Today” or “Tomorrow”, the system will automatically convert those to the date

New Special Event • Click calendar for last day of the event • In the text box: o Specify Event date or date range when this is a multi-day event o List the Name & Description of the event • Things to keep in mind: o One (1) event per entry – if you wish to enter multiple events, please use Events & Deals Admin from the left side list o No web addresses please – they will be removed (this is a text field and SnoCountry provides a link to your web site from this page) o Product sponsor names will be removed • Available to on-line reporters only

New Special Deals • Click calendar for the day the deal ends • In the text box: o Specify deal date or date range when this is a multi-day deal o List the Name & Description of the deal • Things to keep in mind: o One (1) deal per entry – if you wish to enter multiple deals, please use Events & Deals Admin from the left side list o No web addresses please – they will be removed (this is a text field and SnoCountry provides a link to your web site from this page) o Product sponsor names will be removed • Available to on-line reporters only • SnoCountry is not responsible for this information. Should things change, please make sure you have updated this information – use the Events & Deals Admin from the left side list (located above Profile Forms)

How do I know the difference between an event and a deal? • An event is an activity a guest can either participate in or watch • A deal is a discount of some sort

Today’s Radio • Available to on-line reporters and for radio buyers only • Limited to 250 characters • Use this section of the report to emphasize what you would like mentioned on “Today’s Radio” reports — include only 1 or 2 key points each day • This information goes directly to each radio broadcaster and is for use at their own discretion – radio reports start at 4am EST

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard In Summary Thank you for taking the time to go through this tutorial — we hope you found it helpful. If you still have questions about snow reporting, please give us a call or drop us a note:

Phone: 603-443-8812 Email: [email protected] or [email protected]

If you would like information about SnoCountry Mountain Reports Radio, please give us a call at 603-443-8819

SnoCountry Mountain Reports is a not-for-profit ski industry association managed by ski areas for ski areas. Our sole mission is to promote the fun at your ski resort each day. We are here to serve you!

SnoCountry Mountain Reports – a Service of SnoCountry Ski Areas Association Snow Conditions Reporting Procedures – Alpine/Snowboard