Yellow Snow Conditions (Wet, Slushy, Old Snow, +20°C to 0°C)
Yellow conditions occur when old snow is thoroughly saturated with water. It's slushy; it's wet; it's warm; it's old and usually coarse-grained and dirty. The temperature range for these conditions is 0C to... the warmest it can be with snow on the ground! 'Yellow' snow is heavily transformed. It has been through a melt/freeze cycle or two and has become corny or coarse-grained. Because the snow transformed, it tends to drain better than 'Pink' snow since the space between the individual ice crystals allows water to drain away. You're still dealing with a lot of water either way, so your main waxing consideration will be to get rid of water from the ski base! The big difference between pink and yellow conditions is the amount of dirt deposited on top of the snowpack. Choosing a wax with compounds to limit the effects of dirt is also key when waxing for yellow conditions.
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Friction Characteristics
Physically, the wet snow crystal structure has the most rounded edges. This means kinetic friction is very low. The main source of friction in this snow type is suction friction from the vast amounts of liquid water between the ski base and the snowpack. The top priority for glide waxing for these conditions is getting rid of water from the bottom of the ski base. Waxes for this temperature range used to be physically softer (soft waxes are more hydrophobic than harder ones), but in recent years, glide waxes for this temperature range have become much harder to help keep ski bases free of dirt. Fluoro compounds are massively hydrophobic, so anything with fluorination will likely be an excellent choice. Adding aggressive structure to your ski base with a rill tool will have the biggest benefit to glide as the grooves and channels will give water an escape route. Often waxes with dirt-repellent compounds have a leg up on others since dirt builds upon the surface of the snow as it melts. Waxes with molybdenum or graphite tend to stay fast in yellow conditions over long distances.
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Kick Waxing
Snow crystals in yellow conditions have melted into round, wet blobs. This makes finding a grip wax that is able to stick to snow crystals very tricky. The water surrounding the snow crystals acts as a lubricant, which is the equivalent of having oil on your brake pads. This means in order to find a kick wax that gets grip in this kind of snow; you'll have to get something as soft and sticky as possible: hence, klister! Hard wax is a no-go when the snow gets this wet, but rub skis (hairys or zeros), skin skis, and fish scales tend to work quite well if Klister isn't your thing. Again, a klister with Fluoros or other dirt and water-repelling compounds will help your grip wax glide.
Products for Yellow Snow Conditions
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Red Creek Fluoro-Free Warm (Silver Wet Snow) Melt Glide Wax (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $59.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $59.97 CAD35 in stockRed Creek Fluoro-Free Warm (Silver Wet Snow) Melt Glide Wax (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $59.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $59.97 CADRed Creek Fluoro-Free Warm (Silver Wet Snow) Melt Glide Wax (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $59.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $59.97 CAD -
Vauhti KS VIOLET Klister | 60g (1C/-10C)
Regular price $24.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $24.00 CAD23 in stock -
Save $17.99Vauhti PRO BASE Liquid Glide
Regular price From $71.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$89.96 CADSale price From $71.97 CAD1 in stockVauhti PRO BASE Liquid Glide
Regular price From $71.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$89.96 CADSale price From $71.97 CADVauhti PRO BASE Liquid Glide
Regular price From $71.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$89.96 CADSale price From $71.97 CADSale -
STAR BETA WARM Fluoro-Free Wool-Apply BLOCK | 28g
Regular price $90.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $90.00 CAD16 in stock -
Rode RXLW WC Racing Liquid Warm (0C/-4C)
Regular price From $99.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $99.96 CAD39 in stockRode RXLW WC Racing Liquid Warm (0C/-4C)
Regular price From $99.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $99.96 CADRode RXLW WC Racing Liquid Warm (0C/-4C)
Regular price From $99.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $99.96 CAD -
Vauhti RACE LDR Klister | 60g (5C/-10C)
Regular price $38.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $38.00 CAD24 in stock -
Swix F4 Universal Liquid Wax | 100ml
Regular price $30.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $30.00 CAD12 in stock -
Swix Base Prep Warm BP99 Melt Wax
Regular price From $37.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $37.00 CAD5 in stockSwix Base Prep Warm BP99 Melt Wax
Regular price From $37.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $37.00 CADSwix Base Prep Warm BP99 Melt Wax
Regular price From $37.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $37.00 CAD -
STAR NEXT Durable Long Distance Base Powder
Regular price From $90.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $90.00 CAD14 in stockSTAR NEXT Durable Long Distance Base Powder
Regular price From $90.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $90.00 CADSTAR NEXT Durable Long Distance Base Powder
Regular price From $90.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $90.00 CAD -
Swix Marathon White Block | 40g
Regular price $120.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $120.00 CAD10 in stock -
Guru Red Klister (5C/15C) | 55g
Regular price $40.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $40.00 CAD15 in stock -
MasterWax RACING FLUORFREE Wet Wool-Apply Wax (0C/-3C) | 20g
Regular price $149.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $149.96 CAD10 in stock -
Rode WC Racing Liquid Wet (0C/-2C)
Regular price From $99.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $99.96 CAD64 in stockRode WC Racing Liquid Wet (0C/-2C)
Regular price From $99.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $99.96 CADRode WC Racing Liquid Wet (0C/-2C)
Regular price From $99.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $99.96 CAD -
Swix HS10 Liquid Yellow (10C/2C) | 125ml
Regular price $75.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $75.00 CAD5 in stock -
Save $9.00Ski*Go HF Universal Klister | 60g (10C/-5C)
Regular price $36.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$45.00 CADSale price $36.00 CAD17 in stockSale -
Rex Wax Gold Molybdenum Klister (4C/-5C) | 55ml
Regular price $34.95 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $34.95 CAD1 in stock -
Vauhti GW Universal + Liquid Discontinued Version From 2021 Or Earlier (5C/-2C)
Regular price From $17.25 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$23.00 CADSale price From $17.25 CAD10 in stockVauhti GW Universal + Liquid Discontinued Version From 2021 Or Earlier (5C/-2C)
Regular price From $17.25 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$23.00 CADSale price From $17.25 CADVauhti GW Universal + Liquid Discontinued Version From 2021 Or Earlier (5C/-2C)
Regular price From $17.25 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$23.00 CADSale price From $17.25 CADSale -
Vauhti Skin Care RED Fluor-Free Liquid | 80ml (10C/-1C)
Regular price $34.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $34.00 CAD11 in stock -
Guru Red-Silver Klister (5C/15C) | 55g
Regular price $40.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $40.00 CAD21 in stock -
Save $6.00Rode Base Klister Spray | 100mL (0C/-20C)
Regular price $23.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$29.96 CADSale price $23.96 CAD30 in stockSale -
Rex Wax TK-2251 World Cup Klister (10C/0C) | 55ml
Regular price $34.95 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $34.95 CAD5 in stock -
Gallium PINK HF Paraffin (10C/0C) | 50g
Regular price $49.99 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$60.00 CADSale price $49.99 CADUnavailableSold out -
Vauhti RACE RED Klister | 60g (10C/-1C)
Regular price $38.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $38.00 CAD22 in stock -
STAR LG20 WARM Liquid Glide Wax (Sponge Applicator) (5C/-10C) | 75ml
Regular price $33.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $33.00 CAD8 in stock






