Waterproof Rating
The waterproof rating on
snowboard jackets refers to how many millimeters of rain pounding the material the jacket is made out of (or coated with) can take in a day before you get wet. Essentially a 10K snowboard jacket (10,000mm waterproof rating) can withstand almost 33ft of water in a day before you feel it.
Snowboard jackets are available in a variety of waterproof ratings, from 3k waterproof to 20k waterproof. Jackets with a waterproof rating between 3K to 8K are good if you are snowboarding in very dry conditions (think of powdery, delicious snow in crystal clear conditions) with little chance of rain or snow while you are up on the hill. 10K waterproofing is good for a normal day of snowboarding with light-to-mid precipitation and no out-of-the-ordinary weather conditions. 15K waterproofing would be optimal if the snow is falling from the sky (and you are going down the mountain singing "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!" all day long). 20K waterproofing would keep you dry in seriously wet conditions, such as that day when school is canceled because the snow is coming down faster than an Acme anvil on Wile E. Coyote's head, and you and your friends are hiking up the highway to the mountain because the roads are shut down.
Lower waterproof ratings are often a little easier on the pocketbook, and offer ever-so-slightly easier motion (because of the lower density material or less dense coating), but if you snowboard in an area with generally high chance of precipitation, look to 10k or higher waterproof snowboard jacket.
