Easter Melt Down?

Skiers and boarders heading to Europe and North America have been advised to hold their nerves as record high temperature has led to a rapid thaw at many resorts with hundreds closing prematurely for the season. …that's as long as they've followed the pundits advice and booked a stay at a high altitude ski area.

In Europe almost half of the ski areas in the Alps are believed to have closed, but almost all have ski slopes below 2000m which have suffered particularly from the high temperatures and what precipitation there has been often falling as rain rather than snow in recent weeks. This and the tendency of many casual skiers to opt for early cycling or golf means that battling to keep slopes open doesn't make economic sense for them either.


However above 2000m temperatures have largely stayed around or below zero, there have been fresh dustings of snow and many
resorts still have snow lying over 2m (seven feet) deep still from the huge snowfalls of December and January, so the warm weather is having a more limited impact and the vast majority of internationally well known resorts are fully open and plan to remain so to late April or early May.

Across the Atlantic it's ales happy picture on the East coast of Canada and the USA where record high temperatures in the 80s Farenheit or upper 20s Centigrade have and a fairly catastrophic impact on snow cover at the end of a fairly lacklustre season for reliable snow. So around 90% of ski hills have closed early, with only some of the big name international destinations soldiering on with limited terrain open. Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Loon, Waterville Valley, Jay Peak, Stowe, Sugarbush and Killington are the survivors and even hope to make fresh snow if a promised temperature drop occurs.

Fresh snow earlier this month and lots of it in California has dramatically improved the prospect for their end of season and two resorts – Heavenly and Northstar – have today announced plans to extend their season and open for the last two weekends of April to make the most of it.

Further north resorts in Alberta and BC in Canada have had the most consistent snowfall all winter and in most cases are already running well above seasonal averages. Marmot Basin, Sunshine, Lake Louise and Whistler all plan to be open in to May as scheduled.

Going on the seventh, we have had the snow dance should we organise a cold dance?

Its sad watching the web cams, the white giving way to brown and green. It won't be long before we saw all that matting becoming visible in Tignes again.
But on the bright side, of me anyhow, its one step closer to next season.

Somewhat selfishly, I've got this season out of the way so I really couldn't care less.
I have made my mind up now to ski as much as possible in Jan and Feb in order to minimise the risk of poor weather. We had such mixed conditions in St Anton in March that I made my mind up not to go as late again as its such a gamble.

I've always skied in January and its easily the best month.

Bad news for people going for late deals or Easter, but I've only ever gone this late in the season when booking right at the last minute knowing conditions were good so you pays your money and you takes your choice I guess.

Mate of mine is of to Whistler for 2 weeks this Saturday.....whats it like out there right now?

Weather is certainly warm but can confirm Chamonix is reporting great touring conditions. People over weekend were still skiing in to Trient from Le Toure (10cm powder), Buet from Felgere and obviously Grand Montets and Midi are offering good skiing. Definitely still a nice chill in morning and evening in town which seems to be keeping things in decent condition.
Recommendation would be to get a guide and some touring skis as there is still good snow to be found.

Tony_H wrote:Mate of mine is of to Whistler for 2 weeks this Saturday.....whats it like out there right now?

Whistler supposed to be very good - passed annual average snowfall tally with more than two months of the season left and still getting regularly dumped on. Western Canada seems to have had the most consistent season of anywhere this winter. I'm hoping so too as I'm off there for a fortnight from Saturday as well - although touring six places on Alberta/BC border.

Your Jan plan is right except as i recall this year there was so much snow that roads were blocked and many slopes closed due to avalanche danger at times, so you can never really know for sure. Jan 2010 I remember skiing in a T shirt in France as snow washed off mountains in Easter-type weather and everyone moaning snow cover was so thin there was no off piste stuff till it dumped in early Feb. Jan 2009, memory getting hazy...

J2SkiNews wrote:

Your Jan plan is right except as i recall this year there was so much snow that roads were blocked and many slopes closed due to avalanche danger at times, so you can never really know for sure. Jan 2010 I remember skiing in a T shirt in France as snow washed off mountains in Easter-type weather and everyone moaning snow cover was so thin there was no off piste stuff till it dumped in early Feb. Jan 2009, memory getting hazy...

Location Location Location :wink:

I was in St Moritz in Jan 2011 and it was the best conditions I have skied in - very cold, tons of snow on the ground, bluebird days.

Jan 2010 we got so much snow in Grenoble we diverted to Geneva, and had fantastic skiing in half a metre of powder in ADH.

Jan 2009.....I'm getting hazy now.....

Jan 2010 was good, I was in London over Christmas/New Year and was nervous for delays as had things to do - we landed in GVA on Jan 8 and there were tons of snow, but in 2009 it didn't snow till Australia Day and then didn't stop snowing till June.