(* Free to re-publish in whole or part so long as credited to www.J2ski.com with hyperlink to http://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast )
Revelstoke opening day, 2012
After last weeks snowy forecast, which has certainly delivered, it looks as if The Alps are in for a couple of cold, clear days... after which it's going to snow again. And again.
Temperatures are now below the seasonal average in Europe and look likely to stay that way for at least the next week. Light to moderate snow falls are likely overnight on Saturday and from Sunday evening onwards in many areas. Further, more substantial, snows should follow from Tuesday through to the end of the week (and possibly beyond if the forecast models stick to their guns).
This Week's Headlines
After being relatively snow-free last week, much of Europe and North America has seen dramatic change over the past few days. This has been particularly true in the Alps, where resorts have reported up to 80cm off new snow in 24 hours and some are expecting more than 1.2m (four feet) to accummulate during the current 48-72 hour storm cycle.
More snow is expected in Western North America too, particularly the NorthWest.
However it's not all good news as Mayrhofen and St Anton have decided to delay their openings until they have more snow on their slopes.
- Revelstoke and Kicking Horse opening in BC this weekend, the latter ahead of schedule,
- Homewood in California delay opening dates.
- A small number of French resorts, including Chamonix and La Clusaz, expect to open this Saturday with great conditions.
- Stop Press: Cairngorm, Scotland plans to open this weekend.
Please remember that all early season opening is subject to last-minute change and may consist of partial or weekend opening depending on snow conditions - always check with the local Tourist Office for the latest information.
Your Newsletter this week is sponored by LeSki
LeSki are catered ski chalet specialists, operating nearly 30 quality properties in Courchevel, La Tania and Val d'Isere. Very highly rated by their guests, LeSki holidays include flights (from the UK), transfers, half-board with drinks and afternoon tea - all catered to a high standard.
To find out more, and see their Special Offers (currently including savings of £256 per person for New Year in La Tania) visit leski.com.
Europe
Austria
Austrian resorts are expecting big snowfalls over the next 72 hours after a dry week, but it's come a little late for a few big name resorts – Kitzbuhel and St Anton – which have decided to delay opening for a week to 8th December. However Ischgl had no problems opening for its five month season, as every year, at the weekend, and is in the midst of opening week festivities which will culminate with The Scorpions concert at the weekend. Snow depth here is 60cm, 26 lifts are operating and with 106km of runs open it probably has more terrain open than any other ski area on the planet at present. Elsewhere the glacier resorts have the best of the conditions, most with at least a metre of snow lying. Hintertux has 58km of piste open, 16 lifts operating and a 105cm base.
France
Val Thorens became the third French resort to open for 2012-13, at the weekend, joining Montgenevre and Tignes, and the pace will be picking up over the next three weekends now with resorts opening this coming Saturday 1st December scheduled to include Chamonix, La Clusaz, Val d'Isère and Les 2 Alpes.
It's looking good, particularly at higher altitudes, with snow lying 30-90cm deep reported above 2000m and it's now snowing across the French Alps with accumulations of up to 50cm expected over the next 48 hours.
Italy
Cervinia was already reporting the deepest snow of the open Italian ski areas with 1.2m (four feet) lying on upper slopes but a massive snowfall over the past 36 hours looks set to dramatically increase that figure by the time it ends. On Wednesday alone the resort which is linked to Zermatt and has been open since October, reported an 80cm snowfall accumulation.
Most of Italy's other leading resorts including Madoinna di Campiglio, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno and Bormio are now open too with snow bases around 30-60cm in most cases and also experiences significant, if not quite such huge, snowfalls.
This Saturday, 1st December, will see far more Italian ski areas open with the majority off the 1200km off the giant Dolomiti Superski area opening for 2012-13.
Switzerland
Swiss ski areas are braced for some of the heaviest snow in the alps over the next 48 hours, by lunchtime Wednesday Saas Fee reported 30cm of fresh cover at altitude (7cm in the village) taking its base depth up to 1.5m (five feet), neighbouring Zermatt also reports significant snowfall.
Corviglia at St Moritz was the latest Swiss ski area to open last weekend along with Samnaun in readiness for the annual Santa Claus World Championships in the village, which is linked across the Austrian border to Ischgl. Other Swiss areas already open include Crans Montana, Laax, Verbier and Glacier 3000 between Gstaad and les Diablerets.,
Pyrenees
Things are looking up in the Pyrenees with the mountain chain dividing France and Spain with Andorra sandwiched in the middle turning white over the weekend and snow guns now operating at full tilt. Snow depths are not huge yet but the region's largest ski area, Grandvalira in Andorra, has announced it will open on Saturday as has Spain's largest resort, Baqueira Beret. It's likely other resorts will follow suit.
Scandinavia
After a warmer week for Scandinavian ski areas the temperatures are dropping to the more usual double digits below zero and there are accompanying snow showers too. Norwegian ski areas have the deeper snow depths and the most terrain open. The snow depth at Hemsedal is approaching a metre now with more than 20 runs open while over in Sweden, Are only has a 20cm snowbase and just a couple of runs open.
Eastern Europe
There's no real sign of the start of winter in Eastern European ski areas so far. Bansko was reporting temperatures hitting 8C yesterday, rather too warm for snowfall or snow making.
Scotland
All five Scottish ski areas are looking good on the web cams following repeated snow storms since last weekend. More snowfall is expected over the next 72 hours, [particularly on the eastern side of the highlands (Cairngorm, Glenshee and the Lecht), raising hopes that one or more may be able to open within days.
The Lecht looks particularly promising but currently states, "not enough snow yet."
North America
Canada
Western Canada is reporting some of the world's best snow conditions at present (just as it did for much of last season...). Whistler is well on its way to clocking up two metres of snow over two weeks and the resort that offers the biggest lift-served terrain in North America, Revelstoke, also in BC, will open this Saturday and reports that it has had more than 3m (10 feet) of pre-season snow. Kicking Horse has moved its opening date forward to December 1st too due to great snow conditions there. Further East conditions are reported to be still great around current World Cup host resort Lake Louise and other resorts in Alberta. Further east still Mont Ste Anne, Stoneham and Tremblant are now all open.
USA
It's more of a mixed picture in the USA with conditions changing daily across the country and odd conditions including rain in Montana and dry weather elsewhere. The East coast and Midwest had seen warmer temperatures and it has been fairly dry in the Rockies, where open terrain remains limited. It's all been building up to the headline in the Boston Globe, 'Climate Change Threat Looms Over Ski Industry' Despite all that, more than half of the ski resorts open around the world at present are in the US with well over 100 opening in time for Thanksgiving last weekend, most of them on the West coast which is still seeing the best of the snow, although Homewood decided to delay a planned opening last weekend by three weeks to Dec 14th due to lack of adequate cover. However fresh snow is expected to fall in the Tahoe region over the next 24 hours and further storms are likely towards the weekend. The snow may reach Colorado by early next week, but in the interim temperatures may reach the 50s F. Breckenridge, one of the world's highest ski areas, reports a 45cm base at present.