Corn Snow Anyone who has skied Squaw Valley, or Tahoe for that matter, surely has experienced skiing, or at least heard of, its famous corn snow.- In late season months or even long, dry periods during the winter, getting some good turns in on some velvety corn snow is almost comparable to bluebird powder days.- So what exactly is it? By definition, corn snow is large-grained, rounded crystals formed from repeated melting and freezing of the snow. Under Corn Snow or Melt-Freeze conditions, a crust forms on the surface that will support your weight when frozen, but turns to deep slush during the heat of the day. The combination of below freezing temperatures at night followed by the long, sunny days that Tahoe often experiences, particularly in the Spring, sets up the perfect conditions for prolonged periods of corn snow and is just one of the reasons Squaw Valley is considered by many the spring skiing capital of the world. For more on corn snow and other snow conditions, check out Avalanche.org