You're praying to the wrong snow god
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Ullr (pronounced "ooo-lar") is widely known by many snow seekers as the God of Snow. But was he really? The legend of Ullr lives in Norse mythology and he was the son of the grain goddess Sif and stepson of Thor, God of Thunder.
It is established he was cold-loving and an excellent hunter, skater and skier, not to mention exceedingly handsome. But mythology more often points to him as a great deity to invoke for aid before combat than a snow god.
Regardless, when autumn falls and the snowline begins to creep down Ullr is the name on our lips as we mumble our wintry wish list.
So: which god or goddess of snow should you pray to?
Since Ullr really isn’t the god of snow, according to Norse mythology anyway, perhaps we should all try swapping out our beloved Ullr for a goddess named Khione in our prayers for powder.
Khione is the Greek goddess of snow; daughter of Boreas, the north wind and Oreithyia, the lady of mountain gales.
A nod to both god and goddess coupled with a pair of sacrificial skis to the bonfire might be all we need to get twice as much snow this season!
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Of course, there's more to scoring powder days than just offering up prayers. Here are a few more resources you might find useful.
Snow gods and weather science
Gods can be fickle and so can weather patterns, but we put together a 2023-24 ski season snow forecast that will help you get a bead on what's happening month to month through the season.
Daily snow conditions (for the layperson)
And for daily conditions, be sure to check our Snow Conditions report—the only aggregated snow report exclusive to Western Canada, giving you the latest at all major Alberta and BC ski resorts.
Go deeper
Keep going! We are here to help you find your snowy paradise, snow gods or no. Here are a few articles you may be interested in.
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