SnowWind
Read Hokkaido powder as a science, then ride it.
SnowWind Journal is the content hub of SnowWind — snow science, backcountry, gear and safety, for people who take snow seriously.
Series
SeriesThe Science of Powder
Why Hokkaido powder behaves the way it does — snow-liquid ratio, dryness, snow-type classification. One concept per instalment, every claim labelled.
The Science of Powder (Part 1): Why Hokkaido snow behaves the way it does
Hokkaido snow will not hold a snowball. Part 1 traces it to the Sea of Japan, the winter monsoon and temperature — and why 30 cm is not always 30 cm.
The Science of Powder (Part 2): Snow-liquid ratio, a dry-snow line you can measure
Snow-liquid ratio quantifies how airy a snowfall is. How it is calculated, how temperature drives it, and why forecast snowfall cannot give it to you.
The Science of Powder (Part 3): From SLR to a dryness score — fact and inference
Furano City publishes a 0–100 dryness index and one anchor point. How we wired it into our model, and why the line between must be labelled inference.
Sea-effect snow bands: the Sea of Japan's role in every snowfall
Next time we pull back to the whole Sea of Japan — why snow bands queue up to the coast.
Articles
ArticlesThe Science of Powder (Part 3): From SLR to a dryness score — fact and inference
Furano City publishes a 0–100 dryness index and one anchor point. How we wired it into our model, and why the line between must be labelled inference.
Read →The Science of Powder (Part 2): Snow-liquid ratio, a dry-snow line you can measure
Snow-liquid ratio quantifies how airy a snowfall is. How it is calculated, how temperature drives it, and why forecast snowfall cannot give it to you.
Read →The Science of Powder (Part 1): Why Hokkaido snow behaves the way it does
Hokkaido snow will not hold a snowball. Part 1 traces it to the Sea of Japan, the winter monsoon and temperature — and why 30 cm is not always 30 cm.
Read →Lay it all out on the floor first — the SnowWind backcountry gear list
Avalanche trio, snow saw, snowshoes, rope, first aid and food — the full pre-departure list for Hokkaido backcountry days, with a tick-box check table.
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