Low visibility used to throw me off completely. The mountain goes flat, the snow turns into one tone of grey and every rollover looks smooth… until it is not. I learned pretty quickly that you cannot force speed through that. You have to change the way you ride.
These days I follow a few simple rules whenever the clouds drop or the light goes dead. Nothing complicated. Just small adjustments that keep me in control and stop the day turning into a fight. I use them when I teach, when I guide and when I am out riding for myself. They work every time.
I slow everything down
Not a crawl. Just enough that I can react to what my feet are telling me. In good light my eyes do most of the work. In low visibility my feet take over. I stay light on the board and keep my speed in a range where I can change direction without guessing.
I switch to a low light lens
When the clouds are coming in, I change lenses early. Waiting until the visibility is already gone is the fastest way to lose confidence. A good low light lens pulls contrast out of flat snow and gives you enough detail to read texture again. It will not make the world bright, but it gives your eyes something to work with.
I carry one simple rule. If I am thinking about switching lenses, I switch. That small change has saved more storm days than anything else on this list.
If you want goggles that handle flat light well, I wrote a full breakdown here:
I follow texture, not color
Flat light kills depth. If I stare straight ahead the entire slope looks the same. I look for texture instead. Small ripples in the snow. Old tracks. Wind patterns. Anything that gives the surface shape. Once you start reading texture, the run feels less like riding into a blank screen.
I stay closer to the side of the trail
The middle of a run is where the light feels the flattest. The sides give you trees, walls and shade that help your eyes pick out shape. I do not hug the edge, but I use that contrast to keep my vision anchored.
I keep my turns tighter
Wide, fast turns feel great on clear days. In low visibility they feel blind. I tighten the radius, stay centered and let the board work underneath me. Shorter turns give me more control and more chances to adjust if the snow changes.
I drop my stance a little lower
Not a deep squat. Just a little more flex through the ankles and knees. It smooths out surprise bumps and keeps me balanced when I hit something I couldn’t see coming.
I trust my first read
When the light is bad my brain wants to second guess everything. That delay is what causes problems. If my feet tell me the snow is firm, I ride it as firm. If it feels soft, I switch to a softer edge set. Making a clean decision is better than hesitating on every turn.
I avoid big rollers (unless I know the terrain)
Rollovers are the number one thing that catch people out in low visibility. If I’m not sure what is behind it, I ease over the top rather than commit at speed. This is the rule that has saved me the most trouble over the years.
I take breaks when my eyes get tired
Flat light can be exhausting. Your eyes work harder and your reactions slow down. I stop for a minute, look down at my board or the snow at my feet and let my vision/brain reset. It keeps the rest of the run cleaner.
I stay humble about conditions
Storm days are fun, but low visibility can turn a good run into a sketchy one fast. I never force it. Some days are for cruising, not charging. I remind myself that good snow is still good snow, even if the visibility is terrible. Japan is perfect evidence for that!
Final Thoughts
Low visibility used to rattle me. Especially when taking a small army of students out. Now it is just another part of the day. Once you slow things down and trust your feet, the whole mountain feels manageable again. Most riders fight the conditions instead of adjusting to them. That’s when things get messy.
These rules keep me steady on storm days. They help me read snow without relying on my eyes and they stop small surprises turning into big ones. If you ride long enough you will hit plenty of bad light. Having a plan keeps the day fun instead of frustrating.
If you only take one thing from this, let it be this. Do not push speed when you cannot see. Stay in control, keep your turns clean and let the terrain come to you.
