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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Vauhti RACE WET Liquid Glide Discontinued Version From 2021 Or Earlier | 80ml (10C/-1C)
Regular price $93.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$118.00 CADSale price $93.96 CADSale -
Vauhti KS RED Klister | 60g (10C/2C)
Regular price $23.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $23.96 CAD -
Toko Base Performance Yellow Paraffin Melt Wax
Regular price From $29.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / perToko Base Performance Yellow Paraffin Melt Wax
Regular price From $29.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / perToko Base Performance Yellow Paraffin Melt Wax
Regular price From $29.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per -
Swix TSP8 Powder Red, -4°C/+4°C
Regular price $149.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $149.96 CAD -
Vauhti Clean & Glide Liquid For Crown & Zero Skis | 80ml (10C/-1C)
Regular price $27.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $27.96 CAD -
Vauhti ONE LD Liquid Glide (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $43.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $43.96 CADVauhti ONE LD Liquid Glide (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $43.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $43.96 CADVauhti ONE LD Liquid Glide (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $43.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $43.96 CAD -
Save $3.74
Toko Nordic Klister Spray Universal
Regular price $21.22 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$24.96 CADSale price $21.22 CADSale -
Sold out
Swix F4 Warm Liquid Performance Wax
Regular price $32.95 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$39.95 CADSale price $32.95 CADSold out -
Swix Marathon White Block
Regular price $84.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per -
Gallium GIGA SPEED Maxfluor SUPER WET Liquid (10C/-1C) | 30ml
Regular price $228.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$285.00 CADSale price $228.00 CADSale -
Vauhti ALPINE BASE Liquid Glide | 200ml
Regular price $79.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $79.96 CAD -
Vauhti PRO WET Liquid Glide Discontinued Version From 2021 Or Earlier | 80ml (10C/-1C)
Regular price $69.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$89.96 CADSale price $69.96 CADSale -
Vauhti Skin Care RED Fluor-Free Liquid | 80ml (10C/-1C)
Regular price $37.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $37.96 CAD -
Swix F4 Universal Liquid Wax Spray
Regular price $39.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $39.96 CAD -
Swix HS10 Liquid Yellow, +2°C/+10°C
Regular price $59.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $59.96 CAD -
Save $9.00
Ski*Go HF Yellow Klister | 60g (20C/3C)
Regular price $36.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$45.00 CADSale price $36.00 CADSale -
Rex Wax NF41 Pink/Green UHW Liquid Glider | (5C/-20C)
Regular price From $78.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $78.00 CADRex Wax NF41 Pink/Green UHW Liquid Glider | (5C/-20C)
Regular price From $78.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $78.00 CADRex Wax NF41 Pink/Green UHW Liquid Glider | (5C/-20C)
Regular price From $78.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $78.00 CAD -
Rex Wax G11 Yellow N-Kinetic Liquid Glider (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $31.99 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$45.70 CADSale price From $31.99 CADRex Wax G11 Yellow N-Kinetic Liquid Glider (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $31.99 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$45.70 CADSale price From $31.99 CADRex Wax G11 Yellow N-Kinetic Liquid Glider (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $31.99 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$45.70 CADSale price From $31.99 CADSale -
Save $10.01
Gallium PINK HF Paraffin (10C/0C) | 50g
Regular price $49.99 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$60.00 CADSale price $49.99 CADSale -
Vauhti UP WET Liquid Glide Discontinued Version From 2021 Or Earlier | 80ml (10C/-1C)
Regular price $49.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$73.96 CADSale price $49.96 CADSale -
Swix TS10 Liquid Yellow, +2°C/+10°C
Regular price $159.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $159.96 CAD -
Rode Silver Extra Klister K52 | 60g (4C/0C)
Regular price $23.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $23.96 CAD -
Rode SKIN SKI RACING YELLOW WAX KIT | 100ml (10C/-3C)
Regular price $29.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$39.95 CADSale price $29.96 CADSale -
Rex Wax NF11 Yellow Liquid Glider | (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $78.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $78.00 CADRex Wax NF11 Yellow Liquid Glider | (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $78.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $78.00 CADRex Wax NF11 Yellow Liquid Glider | (10C/-2C)
Regular price From $78.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $78.00 CAD