RPTR (ACR CAPT) TAXIED FOR TKOF AFTER A RECENT SNOWFALL AND REQUESTED INFO FROM THE ATCT GND CTLR. THE GND CTLR DID NOT HAVE CURRENT INFO AND REFERRED THE CAPT TO THE CITY; ON ANOTHER FREQ. THE RPTR LEARNED THAT THE RWY WAS CONTAMINATED AND HAD TO CONTACT THE COMPANY LOAD PLANNING FOR A REVISED LOWER TKOF WT.

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WE WERE GIVEN TAXI CLRNC TO RWY 28 FOR TKOF. IT HAD JUST FINISHED SNOWING; AND SEVERAL INCHES HAD ACCUMULATED ON THE GND. I ASKED GND CTL FOR A RWY CONDITION RPT. GND CTL SAID THE RWY HAD BEEN PLOWED AND A DEPARTING ACFT HAD GIVEN A 'FAIR' BRAKING RPT. AS IT HAD JUST STOPPED SNOWING; I ASKED GND WHEN IT HAD BEEN PLOWED. GND SAID IT HAD BEEN PLOWED SOMETIME BEFORE HIS SHIFT BEGAN; BUT HE DIDN'T KNOW FOR SURE. THE FAIR BRAKING RPT (FROM A DEPARTING ACFT) DIDN'T HELP ME OUT ANY. I TOLD GND CTL THAT I WAS DISAPPOINTED HE COULDN'T TELL ME ANYTHING MORE SPECIFIC FROM HIS OWN RWY. HE TOLD ME TO STOP TAXIING; STOP WHERE I WAS; AND CALL 'CITY' ON A DIFFERENT FREQ. I DID SO; AND FOUND OUT FROM THEM THAT THERE WAS UP TO 2 INCHES OF SNOW ON PARTS OF THE RWY. WITH THIS INFO THEN; I WAS ABLE TO INFORM OUR COMPANY LOAD PLANNING OF THE RWY CONTAMINATION; AND THEY GENERATED A REVISED; LOWER TKOF WT FOR US. GND CTL SHOULD NOT CLR ACFT TO A RWY UNLESS THEY KNOW ITS CONDITION. THEY SHOULD ALSO KNOW THAT A DEPARTING ACFT CANNOT GIVE A REALISTIC BRAKING RPT. AND IF THEY DON'T HAVE AN ACFT RPT; THEY SHOULD SEND A GND VEHICLE DOWN THE RWY TO GET AN APPROXIMATION.