J2Ski Snow Report - October 11th 2012

The Alps (well, some of them at least) are about to go all white! Widespread light snow to around 2,000m is expected tomorrow (Friday) with a further band of snow pushing in late on Sunday and into Monday. Heaviest snow, as low as 1,500m in many areas, is expected in the North and East of The Alps and local accumulations may be significant. Of the open ski resorts, Zermatt in particular appears to be in the firing line...

This Week's Headlines
- First ski area in North America opens for 2012-13, in Minnesota in the Mid-West of the USA.
- Cervinia in Italy, Engelberg in Switzerland and Kaunertal in Austria all plan to open for the season this Saturday, October 13th.
- Fresh snow in New Zealand – 15cm reported at Mt Ruapehu.
- Ruka in Finland expects to open next week, the first non-glacier ski area in Europe to do so for 2012-13.
- Pitztal and Kitzsteinhorn Glaciers report up to 10cm fresh snow.
- Galdhøpiggen reports fresh snow this week but plans to close this weekend at the end of its summer ski season.

Already Open – 15 Glacier Ski Areas
There's not been much fresh snow this week but more areas are opening.
Austria
The Hintertux glacier, which along with Zermatt in Switzerland is one of two areas open year round, still has the most piste open in the northern hemisphere (22km) with a 65cm base and 590m skiable vertical served by more than a dozen lifts.
The Pitztal glacier reports 8cm of snow this week and 68cm of snow already this season – which began four weeks ago. It currently has a 30cm base.
The Solden and Stubai glaciers are also open but with just a few lifts, runs and kilometres of piste to enjoy and thin snow cover. A fifth Austrian option, the Molltal glacier has up top 20cm snow depth and 8.5km of runs open.
The Kaunertal glacier plans to open this weekend and the Dachstein and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers also expect to open soon .
Finland
Ruka is expected to open on Thursday, 18th October and remain open until 9th of June 2013 – the first non-glacier ski area in Europe to open.
France
Tignes has 20km of slopes open with snow depth of 20cm and temperatures around -1C . It will be open until May 2013 and apart from Les 2 Alpes opening for 10 days later this month, the only French resort open until late November.
Italy
Cervinia plans to open this weekends (13th-14th October) and next (20th-21st October) then every day from 27th October to 5th May 2013.
Passo Stelvio and Val Senales are both reporting they're already open for autumn glacier skiing. At Val Senales 8km of slopes are open with snow depths of 30cm and at Passo Stelvio, one of several claimants to being "Europe's biggest glacier" 20km of runs are open.
Norway
The Galdhøpiggen summer ski area on Norway's highest mountain says it will stay open to October 14th and that there has been fresh snow this week – but is a bit vague about how much. There's a 1.5km long trail served y a T bar lift. Trysil opened a fun snow run at the end of September using snow saved under a layer of bark chippings from the previous year. There's a conveyor lift to access the snow. It it still open and the centre says it will keep it open and free to use for as long as it lasts.
Switzerland
Ski slopes at Engelberg are expected to open this weekend on October 13th but will close for maintenance work from 5 - 16 November.
Saas Fee and Zermatt both have their glaciers open for snow sports, although there have been closures due to bad weather (rain) on some days. Saas Fee has a 117cm base of what it describes as 'hard snow' with five runs open along with its terrain park and half pipe.
North America
USA
After postponing opening for a week, Timberline at Mt Hood in Oregon had expected to be first North American ski area to open, on October 12th. Loveland in Colorado had also begun snowmaking a week ago and is hoping to open imminently. Last year it opened on October 14th.
However both have been beaten by Wild Mountain in Minnesota, with only a 93m vertical and a top lift height more than 3,500m lower than Loveland, it opened on Sunday October 7th thanks to snowmaking.
Southern Hemisphere – Still Open
Almost all ski areas in the southern hemisphere have now closed for the 2012 season. The last resorts in Australia closed last weekend after a great winter 2012.
However some ski areas are still open. Mt Hutt will stay open this final weekend to October 14th (extended season) and Mt Ruapehu has announced it will stay open in to 4th November for 'Snovember.' It has been snowing there again and the current snowbase is over 2.1m (seven feet).
Opening Soon (subject to conditions)
Both the Kaunertal and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers in Austria expect to open any day. Kauntertal is waiting more snow, currently 20cm and says it will open this weekend. Kitzsteinhorn has 50cm. The Dachstein glacier also says they need more snow to open downhill runs.
Loveland, Colorado, USA has begun snowmaking and hopes to open any day.
Cervinia will open the weekends of 13th-14th and 20th-21st October then every day from 27th October to 5th May 2013.
Ski slopes at Engelberg are expected to open on October 13th but will close for maintenance work from 5 - 16 November.
Ruka, Finland is expected to open on Thursday, 18th October and remain open until 9th of June 2013 – the first non-glacier ski area in Europe to open.
The Diavolezza Glacier near St Moritz expects to open on 20th October.
Les Deux Alpes glacier will also be open for 9 days from the 27th October to 4th November 2012.
Killington in Vermont and Sunday River in Maine both aim to open 29th October.
Copper Mountain, Colorado, plans to open Friday, November 2nd, 2012.
Glacier 3000 above les Diablerets and Gstaad in Switzerland expects to open on 3rd November.

With Snow in the Forecast, this weekend should see some lovely vistas on the web-cams...