Western Ski Resorts Sporting 'Snowliage'- Mother Nature's Dazzling Display Of Color

"Snowliage." A suddenly popular phrase on social media that isn't in the dictionary. What does it mean, and why are so many ski resorts throwing it around?

First, the etymology. The snow is self-explanatory, and the "liage" stems from foliage. Snow plus foliages equals snowliage.

Definition-wise, the word refers to visually appealing combinations of fresh snowfall and colorful foliage, making it particularly apt as a descriptor for all the western resorts currently seeing fresh snowfall amidst the turn of the seasons.

Here are some visual examples:

Normally, the early October pivot from summer to fall is a snow-free affair, producing gorgeous vistas with golden, yellow, and red leaves without the white stuff.

However, this fall has been a bit different, with several Western resorts getting the best of both worlds: fall colors and picturesque coatings of fresh snow.

Hence the rise of snowliage.

It makes me think. What if fall colors weren't such an impermanent thing? What if colorful snowliage was a season-long occurrence? I wouldn't mind making laps amidst colorful leaves during December, January, or February. In fact, I'd love it.

Perhaps the impermanence of fall is the point, though, acting as Mother Nature's reminder that some of the best things in life -- powder turns, golden leaves, some combination of both -- don't stick around forever.

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