With global warming, milder winter days are more common and so is winter rain. While we are not lovers of skiing in the rain you can still have a wonderful ski in the rain if you are prepared. Make sure you have all your gear as prepared as possible so you can jump out of your car put on your boots and skis and get moving as quickly as you can. A quick transition from the car to skiing will make a world of difference. Once you get cold it can be exceedingly difficult to warm up again while skiing in the rain. If you do need a bit of time to make the transition have a set of spare gloves to wear while getting ready and then as you are about to get moving, throw them back in the car and put on your ski gloves.
Backcountry & off the groomed trails
When conditions are warm and wet it is important to make sure you have a route that is avalanche safe and that there is no risk of falling into open water. We will assume you know your route and have a safe one planned. Check your avalanche forecast before going out.
Clothing
In the rain we always wear our helmet in the backcountry because it keeps your head dry. We also wear glasses or goggles in case the rain makes it hard to see. A full outfit of waterproof breathable pants and jacket plus a light base layers makes an excellent foundation. If you have rigid plastic boots your feet will be perfect, otherwise make sure you have wool socks on in your boots since your feet will get wet. The hands are the hardest thing to keep comfortable. If you have Gore-Tex gloves or something similar, they can be great, but they are often too warm. We have found rubber dipped gardening gloves or thin rubber coated wool work gloves excellent and cheap alternatives in this weather, but we make sure to bring our warmer gloves just in case.
If you are planning a longer ski a wool hat, extra gloves, and an extra base layer shirt are a good idea. Maybe pack a warmer base layer shirt if you expect the weather to turn cold again.
Gear
The good news is that most waxless skis and skins work excellently in the rainy conditions if they do not ice up. Keep moving and stand you skis up and wipe the snow off them if you do stop. Carry some anti-ice if you are using skins and some rub on wax just in case it does get sticky. Once your skis ice up it can make skiing very difficult if not impossible. Some anti fog for your glasses and a cloth to wipe the water off them can also be helpful. Lots of days you will not even notice it’s raining once you get moving and if you don’t stop you should have a great ski.
On the groomed trails
Often ski areas will close during the rain to preserve the snow and to reduce the work needed to get the trails back in perfect shape again. However, if you do go out on the groomed trails you again can have a wonderful skiing experience.
Clothing
If you are going for just a slow tour you can follow our backcountry recommendation except swap out the helmet for a thin hat or headband. If you are out for a workout or a faster ski, then just wear your regular ski clothing. You can try the wool coated gloves, but we just use our regular ski gloves and leave a change of gloves either in the day lodge or in our hydration pack. If your hands get cold switch them out for a dry set. Once you stop in your wet regular ski clothing you will get cold quickly.
Gear
There is good news on the gear front when it comes to skiing on the groomed trails. Most of the waxless skis, especially the newer technologies, are perfect for classic skiing in the rain. Racers may want to have “zero”, warm weather or klister skis for these conditions since regular skis will be slower but they are not necessary for most people.
If you do have waxable skis, chances are a red or violet klister will work. Klister is not the messy process it once was. Many are sprayed on, and they come off very easily with wax remover. They can be applied in about a minute and removed almost as fast. Just follow the manufacturers’ instructions. There are also many rub on waxes for wet conditions and they make a world of difference to your glide. Waxing for the rain is not difficult like it was 10 years ago. Just get some of the new products and go skiing!
Things to pack in your car or to leave in the day lodge
The worst part of skiing in the rain is the commute home. You can get the chills very quickly in the car or even just waiting for your friends in the day lodge. When you are done skiing change your shirt, mitts, hat, socks and put on dry footwear and a dry coat. If you have a longer journey you should completely change. Then when you get home, you will be warm and comfortable enough to deal with all your wet gear. Get your skins and skis cleaned of any dirt and if you have used klister clean it off. Scape as much as you can off with a plastic scrapper then use wax remover and shop cloth if there are no product specific instructions. It should take about a minute or two per ski. Hang your skins to dry if you used them and deal with all your wet cloths. Nothing worse than trying to deal with them the next morning! Finally have a nice warm cocktail (see our suggestions – 6 Simple After Ski Warm Cocktails) and brag to your friends about your epic ski in the rain.
Final pro tip: If you used klister you can stick some toilet paper or paper towel on top of it for the drive home and then you have no worries about it getting on your other skis, your car, or you!
