1st June, 2014
Re-publication :- our Snow Report Summary, being the text up to "The Alps", is free to re-publish, but must be clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with text including "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to this page - thank you.
Snow Report Summary
After the 'quiet' month of May, when most Northern hemisphere ski areas (including glacier areas) are closed, and most Southern hemisphere areas have not yet opened, June sees the skiing world wake up from its mid-spring hibernation. Those Southern hemisphere ski areas should get in to full winter ops by the end of June and Europe's glacier ski areas will be re-opening too.
As it turned out May was quite a snowy month in the Alps and Western North America and there were powder days on the glaciers that were still open in Europe, and at high altitude resorts like Arapahoe Basin, and northerly latitude areas like Sunshine and Lake Louise in the middle of May.
The May snowfall in The Alps continued right up to the end of May, where although the number open is currently in single figures, Austria's Dachstein and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers both reported 30cm accumulations in the 24 hours to May 28th. Glaciers re-opening in June or July should also have benefitted from the build up of their snowpack.
The ski season is due to get going in the Southern hemisphere within days. The good news is that it's mostly looking good for winter 2014 south of the equator with heavy snowfalls and low temps in South America and New Zealand. Australian areas could do with a return to cold weather, however, and some opening dates may be delayed.
The Alps
Austria
Austria is once again taking its place as the leading destination in Europe for spring, summer and autumn skiing – at least in terms of choice. A selection of the country's eight glacier destinations are open for some, or, in the case of Hintertux, all of that period. Entering June conditions are largely good with the best of the heavy snowfall in the Alps in mid-May bolstering cover and temperatures still round freezing as we enter June.
Apart from Hintertux, the Kaunertal glacier is currently open with around a 1.5m base – although it is due to close until a September re-opening on June 9th. The Dachstein glacier says it is now open whenever conditions are good, and they're good now with a 3.1m (over 10 foot) base, four lifts are running serving a similar number of runs. The Stubai glacier has a similar base depth and says it plans to stay open to July 4th. The Kitzsteinhorn area near Kaprun has a 2.4m base and a slightly complicated opening pattern over the next few months – it is open until 9th June then closes for three weeks, re-opening from 27th June to 20th July 2014.
Of the three other Austrian glacier centres the Solden and Pitztal areas are now closed until September but Molltal, currently closed, will re-open for summer skiing on June 19th.
France
As we enter June there's no open ski area in France (unless you count indoors at Amneville, the country's only indoor snow centre). That will change through the month however as the country's four summer snowsports areas begin open up – the May snowfall should have helped build base depths in the 6-8 weeks since they were last used at the end of winter 13-14 (hopefully more than any thaw has diminished them).
First to re-open will be the Pissaillas glacier above Val d'Isere where the lifts will be turning from 7th June to 13th July this year. Then the larger areas at Tignes and Les 2 Alpes are both scheduled to open from 21st June. The fourth area, Alpe d'Huez, which decided to reintroduced summer snowsports in 2013 after around a decade long break plans to open from early July if conditions are good.
Italy
With Val Senales the latest Italian ski area to give up its summer skiing operation The Presena glacier above Passo Tonale is one of only two remaining options in the Country. There are two runs open and it reports the deepest snow base in the world still (as it has all last winter) at 4.5m. Until Cervinia re-opens for summer operations in July, linking to the year-round slopes of Zermatt's 'Glacier Paradise' on the Klein Matterhorn, the only other option in Passo Stelvio which has just re-opened on May 31st, is looking good.
Switzerland
Until Saas Fee re-opens in July, Zermatt – with Europe's highest ski lifts and biggest summer vertical, open for skiing and boarding year round – is the only full Swiss area open (although there's very limited snow sport at the top of Europe's highest rail station at the Jungfraujoch above Grindelwald and Wengen). Engelberg, Diablerets Glacier 3000 and the Diavolezza glacier near St Moritz all called it a day on the 13-14 season in the past few weeks.
Scandinavia
Finland
As Ruka closed a month earlier than usual, there are no areas known to be open in Finland in June.
Norway
Norway is currently equal second with the USA to Austria for number of ski areas open in the world with three. They are the Folgefonn, Galdhoppigen and Stryn glaciers, all open with just one or two drag lifts a piece. All report good snow depths – Folgefonn the most with 3.5 – 5m of snow lying!
Sweden
Riksgränsen is the only non-glacier area open in Europe. The high latitude ski area in the Swedish arctic is currently offering snowsports under the midnight sun and will be open through to the end of the midsummer weekend on June 23rd.
Scotland
All of the Scottish ski centres are closed.
North America
Canada
After the last two areas open in Canada, Sunshine near Banff in Alberta and Whistler Blackcomb (BC) closed for 13-14 just under a fortnight ago on May 18th there's been nowhere with ski lifts operating to ski in Canada. That's due to be the case for much of the months but the Blackcomb glacier will re-open for summer skiing and boarding from June 21st then through much of July.
USA
June 2014 looks to have fewer opportunities for snowsports in the USA than previous years as areas that have stayed open to June or even July and August in previous years including Mammoth in California, Snowbird in Utah, Mt Bachelor in Oregon and Killington in Vermont over on the east coast have all closed in the last few weeks of May.
Crystal Mountain in Washington state which was open to July last year will most likely close on June 1st this.
There are still three areas open, although one of these, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, will be open for the first three June weekends. Timberline in Oregon will, however, probably stay open all month and the Red Lodge Mountain summer camp in Montana which opened on the last full weekend of May a week ago is open throughout the month and in to July. All three report adequate-good bases and typical freeze/thaw summer ski conditions as we enter June.
Japan
The main late-spring-skiing destination is Gassan, a small area which, rather like Riksgransen, is normally only open from April to June or July.
Southern Hemisphere
Africa
Southern Africa usually welcomes the southern hemisphere's ski season before those of New Zealand, Australia or South America and indeed Afriski in Lesotho is scheduled to open on Thursday June 5th, 38 hours ahead of resorts in those other areas. So far the weather is playing ball with temperatures low enough for snowmaking and webcam pics showing it piling up. Tiffindell in South Africa (Which officially opens for the ski season on June 1st) is also expecting adequate snow covert to offer snowsports any day now.
Argentina
Most of Argentina's ski areas will open during June, most on the third Saturday of the month – June 20th. Pre-season conditions as over the border in Chile have been largely good with a mixture of low temperatures allowing the snowmaking cannons to fire up, and periods of natural snowfall leaving the mountains enticingly white. The continent's largest area, Catedral near Bariloche, one of those planning to open on June 20th, reports it is in good shape with three weeks to go to the start of the season.
Australia
Most Australian ski areas are scheduled to open on the Queen's Birthday Weekend from 7th June, a bigger holiday in Australia than most other areas of the commonwealth as they take Monday the 9th off too. And open they will, snow or no snow. So far it is sadly looking more like no snow at the start of the month, as it been a hotter-than-usual May, with average temperatures in double figures and too warm for snowmaking in recent days. That may of course change suddenly and the snow makers and ready to fire up.
Chile
Chile's ski resorts are looking good for the start of the season this month. There have been a series of snowfalls through May building up to a 30cm-in-24 hours accumulation at a number of areas including Valle Nevado during the last 10 days of the month. Snowmaking systems have also been fired up and it's looking good for the start of the season, which at most areas will be on June 20th – or possibly sooner if the snow continues to pile up.
New Zealand
Things are currently looking good for the start of New Zealand's ski season, scheduled for Saturday June 7th at Coronet Peak and Mt Hutt. There's been heavy snowfall in the last week of May, including accumulations of up to 50cm in 72 hours (at The Remarkables) on the last full weekend of the month and temperatures well below freezing allowing snowmaking systems to operate at full tilt too. If all goes to plan most of the country's ski centres will open on one of the first three full weekends of June although a few of the smaller areas don't plan to open until the end of the month or even early July.
Indoor Snow and Dry Slopes
If you need a quick snow fix closer to home there are more than 50 year-round indoor snow centres and several hundred artificial surface 'dry slopes' operating in more than 50 countries around the world.
For the UK there are six indoor snow centres from Hemel Hempstead to Glasgow and around 60 dry slopes.