Snow Texture and Quality
(numbers refer to page references for Ryd and Rassa's book)
Terms for snow texture and quality:
habllek (70) very light, fresh, dry powder snow, particularly when falling, but also when newly on the ground
slievar (71) light, loose, dry snow on ground; one sinks deeply into it making walking or skiing slow
säŋásj (73) coarse, granula snow in the middle of a snow bank that has sat for a while ("corn snow")
tsievve (78) solid surface of snow that can bear weight without breaking; hardpack. Forms when snow has sat on the ground and been exposed to wind and sunlight for an extended period. Can be slippery. (For crust, see also tjarvva and ruhtta under Skiing Conditions)
skártta (59) hard, icy snow adhering to the ground underneath a layer of deeper snow. Forms when snow has partly melted and then refrozen, making it difficult for animals like reindeer to reach edible plants.
jäekŋa (63) ice of any sort, as differentiated from snow.
släbtsát (56) wet, slushy snow on ground.
