
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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Save $29.19
Vauhti RACE OLD SNOW BLACK Block | 12g
Regular price $116.77 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$145.96 CADSale price $116.77 CADSale -
Save $8.00
Start SG4 Glider Red (7C/-3C)
Regular price From $26.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$34.00 CADSale price From $26.00 CADStart SG4 Glider Red (7C/-3C)
Regular price From $26.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$34.00 CADSale price From $26.00 CADStart SG4 Glider Red (7C/-3C)
Regular price From $26.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$34.00 CADSale price From $26.00 CADSale -
Save $6.39
Vauhti ONE LD Melt Wax 2024 (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $25.57 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$31.96 CADSale price From $25.57 CADVauhti ONE LD Melt Wax 2024 (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $25.57 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$31.96 CADSale price From $25.57 CADVauhti ONE LD Melt Wax 2024 (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $25.57 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$31.96 CADSale price From $25.57 CADSale -
Save $13.19
Vauhti UP LDR Melt Wax 2024 (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $52.77 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$65.96 CADSale price From $52.77 CADVauhti UP LDR Melt Wax 2024 (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $52.77 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$65.96 CADSale price From $52.77 CADVauhti UP LDR Melt Wax 2024 (5C/-10C)
Regular price From $52.77 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$65.96 CADSale price From $52.77 CADSale -
Save $35.04
Swix Marathon Powder Black 2023 Version
Regular price $84.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$120.00 CADSale price $84.96 CADSale -
STAR TARGET K5 - Spring Klister | 60g (0C/10)
Regular price $40.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $40.00 CAD -
Rode Fast Red FK40 Klister | 60g (4C/-2C)
Regular price $19.95 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$36.00 CADSale price $19.95 CADSold out -
Rode RL Liquid Glide Kit (0C/-15C)
Regular price $139.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $139.96 CAD -
Rex Wax NFX Gold Block Glider (5C/-5C) | 20g
Regular price $118.95 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $118.95 CAD -
HWK HX Hydrospray Warm Liquid (10C/-2C) | 90ml
Regular price $109.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $109.96 CAD -
HWK HX Racewax Warm Melt Wax (15C/-2C) | 100g
Regular price $199.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $199.96 CAD -
Kuu MACH+ Speed Warm Yellow (15C/-5C)
Regular price From $24.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $24.00 CADKuu MACH+ Speed Warm Yellow (15C/-5C)
Regular price From $24.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $24.00 CADKuu MACH+ Speed Warm Yellow (15C/-5C)
Regular price From $24.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $24.00 CAD -
MasterWax Professional FLUORFREE Wet Wool-Apply Wax (0C/-3C) | 20g
Regular price $209.96 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $209.96 CAD -
Save $6.00
Start SG Liquid Glider Red (10C/-2C) | 80ml
Regular price $26.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$32.00 CADSale price $26.00 CADSale -
Optiwax HydrOX Glide Tape 1 | 5C/-10C
Regular price From $36.95 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $36.95 CADOptiwax HydrOX Glide Tape 1 | 5C/-10C
Regular price From $36.95 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $36.95 CADOptiwax HydrOX Glide Tape 1 | 5C/-10C
Regular price From $36.95 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price From $36.95 CAD -
Save $2.70
MountainFlow Quick Wax Warm
Regular price $24.30 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$27.00 CADSale price $24.30 CADSale -
Vauhti 360 Skin Ski Care | 80ml
Regular price $34.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $34.00 CAD -
Vauhti 360 ALL TEMP Liquid Glide | 80ml
Regular price $42.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $42.00 CAD -
Save $5.99
Vauhti ONE WARM Melt Wax 2024 (7C/-3C)
Regular price From $23.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$29.96 CADSale price From $23.97 CADVauhti ONE WARM Melt Wax 2024 (7C/-3C)
Regular price From $23.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$29.96 CADSale price From $23.97 CADVauhti ONE WARM Melt Wax 2024 (7C/-3C)
Regular price From $23.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$29.96 CADSale price From $23.97 CADSale -
Save $17.99
Vauhti PRO LDR Melt Wax | 45g (5C/-10C)
Regular price $71.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$89.96 CADSale price $71.97 CADSale -
STAR Uniblock Plus - Universal Warm Wax | 1kg (5C/-5)
Regular price $109.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $109.00 CAD -
MasterWax Wet Professional ECOPOWER LF Wool-Apply Wax (0C/-3C) | 20g
Regular price $149.98 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$299.95 CADSale price $149.98 CADSale -
Save $61.00
Gallium GIGA SPEED Wet Powder (10C/-1C) | 30g
Regular price $239.00 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$300.00 CADSale price $239.00 CADSale -
Red Creek Fluoro-Free Racing Pink Wet and New Snow Liquid Glide Wax (2C/-5C) | 90ml
Regular price $109.97 CADRegular priceUnit price / per$0.00 CADSale price $109.97 CADSold out