This morning brought about 9cm of fluffy powder to Chelsea, and the parkways have been groomed. Unfortunately the snow is so light and fluffy that it has compacted down to a very thin layer. The machine-groomed classic tracks have gone right through to pavement in many places. Even in the skate lane the snow has been scraped right down to pavement in places. I skated a few km in each direction from P6. Skating was possible, but it was essential to focus on keeping the ski flat, and even then I broke through a few times. There is no ice layer under the snow, so when skis break through, they grind into the pavement. Classic skiing in skied-in tracks on the grass beside the parkway looked like the best bet. I would recommend a fairly hard glide wax since the snow is quite dry and powdery. Sadly it is probably not worth the drive up from Ottawa unless you are desperate to ski. Let's hope the snow forecast for Monday night arrives!