Coldest temps you've skied?

[AlpsSkidad]

In February we skied -21 celsius ( -6 F ) with no sun. That was the coldest day I can remember ever skiing. The kids still had a ball, just complained mid-day of cold fingers so we called it quits at lunch. (they seemed warm everywhere else- and hands were actually fine, but I didn't want to risk it). We had to cover our faces etc but otherwise enjoyed rather empty slopes since most others stayed inside.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Approx -40. At that point F and C are the same. You pretty much can't breathe, and when you move, it feels (and sounds) like your clothes are going to break. The slopes are not crowded though.

 

[scott43]

Yah I think around -28C without the wind chill. That was pretty cold. Boots were the limiting factor..just couldn't keep my feet warm for more than 30 or 45 mins..

 

[surfsnowgirl]

We had cold front come in after christmas through January. Not sure what the exact temps were but on one of the days it was 40 below zero with wind chill. These were days when only the lower mountain was in operation because the wind gusts were too high so the summit was closed. It was very cold but the sun was shining and so long as you kept all skin covered and took frequent breaks it was fine. The conditions were fantastic, simply fantastic. Chair lift rides were probably the worst part but once you slid on the snow and felt that awesomeness beneath your skis your smile grew and you forgot about the cold. We also were at the eastern townships of quebec over our MLK weekend in mid January and it was probably 10 degrees below zero, somewhere around there. Another sunny day and I convinced my friend to drive down from montreal to come ski with us. It was a great weekend. On my cold Bromley Mountain days there weren't always lessons to be had so I got to do a lot of free skiing. One of the days was when Killington actually shut down and Mount Snow only had the bunny hill going. Stratton might have even closed. Bromely was open from mid mountain down and the skiing was outstanding. Someone called me a die hard during this period. That was probably some of the best skiing I could remember in a while. It was soft packed powder fantasticness.

 

[coskigirl]

Approximately -25 F before accounting for windchill. And it was when I was coaching. We stopped for warm up breaks in lodges at both the top and bottom of every run. Brutal. The only time I ever had a coaching day get canceled for weather was a really bad wind event where we couldn't even see eachother on the mountain. I'll never forget our head coach coming over the radio and asking if there was anywhere on the mountain that wasn't windy. If he is complaining you know it's bad.

 

[cantunamunch]

Approx -40. At that point F and C are the same. You pretty much can't breathe, and when you move, it feels (and sounds) like your clothes are going to break. The slopes are not crowded though.

Pretty funny how fast you notice the sunny/shaded temperature difference when it's that cold.

Days like that is why I kept my Reliable Racing padded overboots until the foam crumbled to dust inside.

 

[Bill Miles]

About -10 F, and only then with sunshine and minimal wind. I am a wimp in my old age.

 

[Ken_R]

probably -15ºF or so. Not fun. Now that I live close to ski resorts I just dont go out when its that cold unless its a bluebird pow day...

 

[Atomicman]

-12 F at Stevens Pass, WA in late 60's

 

[Bill Talbot]

I'd phrase it differently...

Coldest days I wouldn't ski! When I start having to put on so much clothing that I look and feel like Bib, to me it just ain't worth it.
Blizzards are a whole 'nuther matter! I won't miss them for anything if I can help it

 

[TQA]

-25 c at Lake Louise with clear skies and no wind. We stopped for a warm up every two runs. We stayed out most of the day.

I have given up after a hour or so in =10 c with significant wind when we started to get waxy cheeks even with silk balaclavas.

Never had trouble with cold fingers after buying sheepskin mitts that looked like giant boxing gloves. Worn with wool inners they did the business.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

Lots of days at around negative 15 in Michigan, where the humidity makes the temperature much more severe. Coldest was minus 25 at Mont Tremblant. Sunshine made it tolerable.

 

[François Pugh]

I've skied a few days that were below -40 without the wind chill, not bell-to-bell though; I did come in to warm up my toes a few times during the day. I am curious though, so I looked it up. The windchill at -40 and 60 mph is -91F!

 

[Jerez]

30 below F. The snow was so sticky, you had to pick your feet up to move in the lift corral.

BTW -40 is the same F and C. I lived in a very cold place as a kid and it would get there regularly. That's when you don't expose your ears or fingers for even a few minutes.

 

[Talisman]

-25*F without wind chill and only because I was required to. On a still sunny day -15*F is tolerable and there needs to be a good reason to be skiing like fresh cold smoke.

 

[Doug Briggs]

I don't know how cold it was, in the single digits I would guess. But we were racing DH so windchills were with 60 mph winds.

Doug (l) and Erik (r)

 

[Jilly]

Below-20C is normal for January at Tremblant. Think I was out at -28C this year .

 

[dbostedo]

-25*F without wind chill and only because I was required to. On a still sunny day -15*F is tolerable and there needs to be ... skiing...

FIFY

That said, I've been in about -10 a couple of times now - once at Okemo where that was the base temperature. And once in Aspen where that was the peak temp. Suffice it to say, it felt much colder at Okemo.

 

[DanoT]

When it is brutal cold there is no lolly gagging, pretty looking ski instructor turns as it is get off the chair and then down off the mountain as fast as you can.

Had a one run day once where we calculated the wind chill at "get the hell off the mountain speed" to be minus 76C. With my mittened hands holding my ski poles out in front of me, breaking thru the wind, I got a touch of frost bite on the tops of my thumbs, right through the mitts.

 

[whitefeathers]

-25°F. And many in the negative teens. Good old Minnesota.