J2Ski Snow Report - April 25th 2013

Week Ending April 27th, 2013
* Free to re-publish in whole or part so long as clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with the words "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to
http://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/

As temperatures rise in The Alps (after yet more snow!), it's time for us to take our end-of-season rest... this will be the last of our weekly updates for the 2012/2013 season.

We will be sending out monthly updates, telling you where in the world it's snowing, until late September and our snow reports for the Southern Hemisphere will be kicking off as ski areas on the other side of the world take their turn.

This Week's Headlines

- Up to 40cm of fresh snow in the Alps.
- First snow in Australia for 2013, Mt Buller and Perisher both announce 5cm falls.
- Up to 55cm More snow in Colorado and Utah.
- First turns on fresh snow in New Zealand.

Overview
The start of May is a major event for those resorts that make a feature of staying open to at least the middle-of-Spring and fresh snow in the Alps, the Rockies and even the Scottish Highlands in recent days means that the end of April is looking remarkable still mid-winter-like at key resorts in Europe and North America.

At the same time excitement is building on the other side of the world as the southern hemisphere's 2013 ski season nears, helped by the first big pre-season snowfalls of the 'winter' in New Zealand, where skiers were able to make first turns at Mt Hutt at the weekend some 8 weeks before the official start of the season there. Snow was also reported at most Australian ski areas towards the end of last week.

Europe
Austria
Big things are afoot in the Austrian Alps this weekend and early next week with shows and events at the resorts that are still open. Ischgl (110cm base, no fresh snow) has the biggest party in the Alps with 20,000 expected to see Deep Purple play on the top of the mountain next Tuesday April 30. The Pitztal glacier (open to May 12th) still has the deepest snow in Austria (as well as the country's highest lifts) and got 5cm to freshen up its 4.3m base. The Molltal glacier has a 4.1m base and is also open to May 12th. Strubai (2.6m base) is open a further week until at least May 20th. Solden reported an 18cm fall on Monday and has 2.7m (9 feet) lying on the glacier. It's open until May 5th. You can still ski in Austria after May though – the Kitzsteinhorn glacier to June 2nd (250cm base); the Kaunertal glacier (210cm base) is open to June 9th and Hintertux (305cm base, 10cm fresh) year round.

France
As we approach May around 30 ski areas are open in France at present, although for many, this weekend is the last weekend of 12-13. That's not the case for Tignes (380cm base, closing 12th May) or Val d'Isere (370cm base; closing 5th May) which reported 40cm of fresh snow at the weekend, while France's highest resort, Val Thorens (370cm base, 20cm fresh), will be the last to close in more than three weeks' time on May 19th. Many other resorts also reported 5-10cm of fresh snow at the weekend including Les 2 Alpes, Flaine, Courchevel and Les Arcs.

Italy
Although only a handful of resorts remain open in Italy, conditions are generally good where you can still ski and up to 30cm (a foot) of fresh snow was reported at the weekend, the biggest accumulation at Val Senales (3.5m base) which is open to May 5th. Val Senales formerly opened for summer skiing but seems to be saying it won't re-open until next October now leaving Passo Stelvio at the third option along with Passo Tonale (4m base – deepest in Italy – 20cm fresh) and summer skiing at Cervinia (350cm base, 10cm fresh, closes May 5th, re-open 29th June to 8th September) as Italy's remaining summer ski possibilities.

Switzerland
There was heavy snow at the end of last week (Thursday to Saturday) bringing up to 40cm of fresh snow on the remaining Swiss areas which are still open. At Verbier the last weekend of a great ski season is upon us and the remaining runs will close at the end of the day on 28th April 2013. "It's still great skiing from the top of Mont Fort to the resort," said a Verbier statement on Tuesday, "With spring skiing it is a pure pleasure then enjoy sitting on the terraces of mountain restaurants still open at the Gentian, Chalet Carlsberg as well at Attelas in La Chaux or to Ruinettes." The season continues in to May at Engelberg (477cm upper slope base, 35cm fresh last Friday), Gstaad's Glacier 3000 (510cm upper slope base, 40cm fresh last Friday, open to May 5th then weekends to 26th) and year round Zermatt (230cm upper slope base, 40cm fresh last Friday).

The Pyrenees
The snow is thawing fast in the Pyrenees now with temps near double figures but there's so mnuc h of it lying that Baqueira Beret, which extended its season to May 5th, still has 10 feet (3m) on uppere slopes and Grandvalira in Andorra, which reports 1.8m still there and actually 12cm of fresh last Saturday, will celebrate its final few days of the season this weekend. Most other areas are closed but Sierra Nevada in the south of the country is still claiming a 5m base, the world's deepest this week if correct.

Scandinavia
Most of Norway's ski areas are now closed but Hemsedal, with a metre of snow lying but nothing fresh, has its final weekend this weekend. However the country's three small glacier areas are opening soon, Folgefonn on May 1st, Galdhøpiggen on 18th May and Stryn on a yet to be determined date ion late May (they report it's -6 and snowing as we type) – after which all will be open daily to August, and reports good snow conditions with fresh cover at present. In Sweden it's the big end-of-season party weekend at Are, Scandinavia's biggest resort but up north in Riksgransen things are just getting going and the centre is reported to be largely fully booked through May as its famed 'skiing under the midnight sun' period nears. It's open until May 26th, but then re-opens June 20th-23rd for one weekend only. Across in Finnish Lapland there were a few centimetres of fresh snow towards the end of last week but bases are dropping towards 50-70cm. Most areas close this weekend but Ruka will aim to keep its main slope open to mid-June.

Scotland
There's been a thaw across the Highlands for most of the past week, but at altitude it still dips below freezing at night and Cairngorm managed to score a few more inches of fresh snow in recent days and remarkable can still offer top-to-bottom skiing. The main issue in the region however has been gale force winds again causing operational difficulties. Two of the five areas have closed for the season – The Lecht due to the thaw and Nevis Range perhaps more down to a lack of skiers and boarders to make operations viable. Both Glencoe and Glenshee are now closed mid-week but do have enough snow to operate and say they'll review the weather on Friday and decide whether to re-open at the weekend.

North America
Canada
There are now four ski areas left open in Western Canada – Whistler in British Columbia (192cm/6.5 feet base, 6cm fresh) and Lake Louise (2.1m/7 feet base, 7cm fresh at weekend), Marmot Basin (1.2m/4 feet base, no fresh snow) and Sunshine Near Banff (2.1m/7 feet base, 7cm fresh at weekend), in Alberta. In fact as of last weekend Whistler Mountain is closed and Blackcomb is now open daily from 10am to 4pm until May 27th. The Blackcomb Resort Glacier will re-open daily noon to 3pm from June 22nd to July 28th. In the east its final weekend opening with Mont Ste Anne reporting 3cm of fresh on their 1.5m base and Mont Sutton considering an unscheduled reopening for die hards subject to demand (which they'd like to be shown on their Facebook page before deciding).

USA
The snow has continued to fall in Colorado, in fact more than anywhere else on the planet, this past week with A Basin, which plans to stay open to early June, reporting 55cm of fresh snow. Loveland, open another week or so, has had 20cm, and Aspen Highlands plans to reopen this weekend. All the snow has blocked some passes up to the ski slopes. The good snow news has been over shadowed by the very sad news of the worst avalanche fatalities in over 50 years in the state last weekend however. Elsewhere in the US, Alta and snowbird, both with around 2.7m (9 feet) bases remain open as do Crystal Mountain In Washington State (weekends from now to June 16th); and Mount Bachelor to May 26th) and Timberline (right through to early September) in Oregon.