(* 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 )
It's been quite a week in mountains around the world - with huge amounts of snow falling across The Alps and in parts of North America.
Europe looks set to remain cold and snowy (temperatures below average for December) for at least the next week and quite possibly well into the second half of the month. Following a brief respite from the snows tomorrow, further snowfall is expected early in the weekend - with lesser amounts to the East.
This Week's Headlines
- Falls of up to 105cm in 72 hours reported in the Alps.
- Ski resorts in the Pyrenees and Scotland open for the season.
- Falls of up to 180cm in 72 hours reported in California, relatively dry over rest of US.
- Whistler early season snow base best in at least 10 years.
- More snow and cold weather coming up in Europe.
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. Very heavy snow this week may restrict some locations over the next few days - always check with the local Tourist Office for the latest information.
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Please take care!
The rapidly accumulated snow of the latest weather cycles is substantial. Avalanche Risk is currently at Level 4 (High - skier-triggered avalanches are likely) or 5 (Extreme - spontaneous natural avalanches are likely) across most of the Alpine region.
It is essential that you seek (and follow) local advice in these conditions. Never ski alone and always carry all appropriate equipment (transceiver, shovel and probe) - and know how to use it - if considering leaving the pistes.
Europe
Austria
Austrian ski areas are back on track after a 'November blip' with little fresh snow and warmer temperatures after a snowy October led to Mayrhofen and St Anton being among resorts delaying planned opening dates. That's all changing now though as fresh snow over the past week has improved things a lot. St Anton opens today (Thursday 6th December) and Mayrhofen will do so on Saturday.
Many areas received around a foot (30cm) of new snow earlier this week including Solden (140cm base) which has been open since September and Saalbach (50cm base) which is due to open this weekend.
France
The number of ski areas open in France is creeping towards double figures and will shoot past it this weekend when a number of top resorts including Alpe d'Huez, Chamonix and Meribel all open for the season.
Conditions are generally excellent at resorts that have already opened which now include Val d'Isere, Val Thorens and Les 2 Alpes and the snow continues to fall – now well past the metre mark on upper slopes. Chamonix reports 80cm of snow fell in 24 hours up to Tuesday afternoon and that the Grands Montets and les Houches ski areas will be opening this weekend and the conditions are likely to be excellent for the beginning of the season.
Italy
Italy hasn't seen quite the snowfalls of France and Switzerland as yet - except in its northwest corner where Aosta Valley resorts are getting dumped on. Cervinia, for example, has had 60cm (two feet) of snow in the past few days and now has a 2.6m base on upper slopes. But it is snowing across much of the country with some serious accumulations underway.
The giant Dolomiti Superski area began opening last weekend with a 50cm base from November snow accumulations and it has been snowing across the area since – indeed higher areas have received up to 90cm of new snow the region reports. The amount of terrain open will increase dramatically this weekend to nearly half the maximum with 569km of piste served by more than 330 lifts scheduled to be open. Cortina d'Ampezzo reported another 10cm yesterday and now has a healthy 1m base on upper slopes, although only 15cm down at resort level.
Switzerland
Swiss resorts have seen huge snowfalls over the past week and base depths have now passed 2.5m at some, including Saas Fee which has received more than two feet (65cm in fact) of fresh snow. Verbier was an even bigger winner with 105cm (3.5 feet) of new snow boosting upper slope depths to 1.6m but before we get over excited keep in mind snow depth at resort level is only 30cm and runs back to resort were closed yesterday. Elsewhere Zermatt (85-140ccm) reported 90cm (three feet) of new snow by the end of Monday and St merits (15-110cm) 35cm of new cover. Cold temperatures and more snow (if not quite so much) is forecast for the coming week.
Pyrenees
It's been cold enough for the Pyrenean snowmakers to go in to overdrive and there's also been some natural snowfall so the big players on each side of the French/Spanish and Andorran borders are locked in their annual battle to offer the most skiable terrain. Baqueira Beret on the Spanish side seems to be winning the day with 120km open this weekend but Grandvalira has about 70km more piste to play with so has an inherent advantage if it has the snow cover. The deepest snow though is at Arcalis (Vallnord) – 75cm on upper slopes.
Scandinavia
It's increasingly (or decreasingly?) cold in Scandinavia with many ski areas looking at HIGH temperatures of -20C and the furthest north running out of daylight as mid-winter draws near. There hasn't been a lot of fresh snow but the snow that's fallen is of course, not thawing. Ruka in Finland reports 6cm of new snow in the past week on a 25cm base. Geilo in Norway has had a similar accumulation on a 30-50cm base and Are in Sweden 7cm on a 25cm base.
Eastern Europe
There's no news of resorts opening in Eastern Europe as yet but conditions do look favourable with temperatures below zero for snow making, the slopes white in the web cams and our systems forecasting a foot of snow over the next week, so it looks like a good start to 2012-13 out east whenever the resorts opt to actually open.
Scotland
Things are looking very good in Scotland since the snow started a week ago. Cairngorm and The Lecht opened on Saturday with limited terrain but with continuing cold weather and more snow - expected to continue in to the weekend, both have been extending cover and Cairngorm has been firing up their new snowmaking cannons. Of the other three areas Glencoe plans to open today (Thursday 6 December) and Nevis Range hopes to open on Saturday with a bit more snow between now and then (which looks likely). Glenshee is looking white in the web cams but isn't saying when it will open.
North America
Canada
Western Canada continues to have the best snow in North America. Whistler Blackcomb has been open to the public for just over two weeks but already the slopes have received 337cm of snow (11.1 feet), and there is up to another 33cm (1.1 feet) forecasted over the next four days.
"The mountain is on track for another record setting year with a snow base of 185cm (6.1 feet), that's the highest snow base for this time of year compared to the last ten years. It's also 50cm (1.6 feet) more snow than what our base was last year at this time," says Stuart Rempel, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Whistler Blackcomb. On Saturday, Whistler Blackcomb is expecting to open Blackcomb Mountain's alpine for the first time this season, weather permitting.
The numbers are not quite so big as you move East from the coast but all ski areas in Alberta and BC are in good shape.
Go further east still to Quebec and conditions aren't so great. Mont Tremblant has had only 17cm of snow since the start of the season and has 15 of its 100 or so runs open.
USA
The usual flurry of emails from Colorado boasting of big powder dumps have been suspiciously lacking for a month now, and despite predictions of an 'above average season' it's all beginning to look alarmingly like last years warm and dry winter in the American Rockies. It is however very early days of course and Aspen is reporting to be providing free meals for resort staff unable to earn their livings so let's hope for a dramatic improvement on the current very limited terrain offered by most areas, just like the Alps enjoyed this time last winter. It's worse in New England where areas have been battling warm weather, preventing them from snowmaking, but it is reported to be getting cooler there now.
There has been abundant snowfall further west in California, raising hopes that they will have a season more like the epic 2010-11 than the lacklustre 2011-12 there. Mammoth reported an incredible six foot (1.8m) snowfall over the weekend and snow depths on the upper mountain are now reported to be, indeed, 1.8m.
