Halfway down the long yellow page of coded reports on snow conditions around the country was the word “Whoopee!” Another two inches down the page was entered “Second Whoopee!” These two exuberances in the first ski report received at the St. Louis Public Library herald the return of snow to U.S. ski slopes and the opening of the library’s “Ski Hot Line.” Information from the weekly reports may be obtained by telephone or visit to the Telephone Reference Desk at the Main Library, 1301 Olive St.
Regular reports are received from Western Union each Friday at the Main Library. The long yellow sheets which emerge from the teletype machine give detailed information on snow conditions in all of the principal ski areas across the country, from New England to the Rocky Mountains and west coast. Reading of the coded snow descriptions is enough to move any skier toward boots and poles.
The reports describe snow quality – new, powdered, packed, loose or frozen granular snow – and whether the snow cover is thin or windblown, natural or machine-made snow. Coded citations indicate names of areas in operation, ski runs for novice, intermediate or expert skill levels, and the types of lifts available at specific locations.
Areas included in the reports are ski centers in New England; New York State sections, also cross country; New Jersey; upper and lower Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota in the Midwest; the Rocky Mountain states of Colorado, Utah, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico, and the far west centers in Oregon, Idaho, California and Nevada.
The St. Louis Public Library’s “Ski Hot Line,” in the Main Library Humanities/Social Sciences Department, is open during regular library hours, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Telephone inquiries to 241-2288, Telephone Reference, are answered between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The service is free to the public.
Originally published in The Paper, February 1978.
Read this article in the original newspaper issue.
Original source: SD_Times1978_02.pdf, printed page(s) 4, 5; PDF page(s) 4, 5.
