Powder day
Meaning: A day when fresh, deep, fluffy snow has fallen, creating perfect skiing or snowboarding conditions.
A powder day is the holy grail of skiing and snowboarding. Fresh, untracked powder snow — deep, light, and dry — makes for the most exhilarating riding experience. 'Powder day' is an unofficial holiday in ski towns. People call in sick to work, pull kids from school, and line up at lifts before they open. 'No friends on a powder day' means everyone is racing to get first tracks. The culture around powder days is almost spiritual.
Examples
- Twelve inches overnight — it is a powder day! I am calling in sick. 一夜之间下了12英寸的雪——粉雪日!我要请病假。Treinta centímetros durante la noche — ¡es un día de polvo! Voy a llamar al trabajo diciendo que estoy enfermo.一晩で12インチ積もった――パウダーデイだ!仮病で休む。밤새 30센티가 쌓였다 — 파우더 데이다! 회사에 아프다고 할 거야.
- No friends on a powder day — everyone was fighting for first chair. 粉雪日没有朋友——所有人都在争抢第一趟缆车。No hay amigos en un día de polvo — todos peleaban por ser los primeros en el telesilla.パウダーデイに友達はいない――みんなファーストチェアを争っていた。파우더 데이에 친구는 없다 — 다들 퍼스트 체어를 차지하려고 경쟁했다.
- She moved to Colorado just for the powder days. 她搬到科罗拉多就是为了粉雪日。Se mudó a Colorado solo por los días de polvo.彼女はパウダーデイのためだけにコロラドに引っ越した。그녀는 파우더 데이 때문에 콜로라도로 이사했다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: skiing, snowboarding, winter
Tone: ecstatic, urgent
✓ Do Say
- Powder day!粉雪日!¡Día de polvo!パウダーデイだ!파우더 데이!
- No friends on a powder day.粉雪日没有朋友。No hay amigos en un día de polvo.パウダーデイに友達はいない。파우더 데이에 친구는 없다.
✗ Don't Say
- In ski towns, this is taken very seriously — it is not a joke.在滑雪小镇,这件事是很认真的——不要当玩笑。En las estaciones de esquí esto se toma muy en serio — no es broma.スキータウンではこれは真剣に受け止められている――冗談ではない。스키 타운에서는 매우 진지하게 받아들인다 — 농담이 아니다.
Origin & History
Ski culture terminology. 'Powder' has described fresh snow since the early days of skiing. The cult of the 'powder day' grew with ski culture in the 1960s–70s.
Cultural Context
Era: 1960s–present
Generation: All generations
Social background: Middle to upper class
Regional notes: Mountain states — Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming
More From This Topic
More from Outdoors & Nature
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free