J2Ski Snow Report - January 10th 2013

The J2Ski Snow Report - Week Ending January 11th 2013
(* 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 )

This Week and Next - in Brief

It's been a week of mild and clear weather in much of the European Alps, but all that's about to change.

Significantly colder (and snowier) conditions are moving into the region and temperatures will fall markedly overnight tonight and through tomorrow.

Heavy snow is expected in parts of the Northern Alps (primarly France and Switzerland) tomorrow (Friday). Further weather systems will bring snow into the South as me move into next week.

The outlook is good for snow for the next week, with temperatures below the January average and frequent snowfall expected. Mid and high altitude resorts will be very cold at times, with Northerly winds adding significant wind-chill, so wrap-up well!

This Week's Headlines
- Alaskan resort reports 1.45m (4.5 feet) of new snow in past 7 days.
- 4 of 5 Scottish ski areas closed by warm weather.
- Up to 60cm of new snow in Austria.
- Californian resort snow depths near 5m.

Europe
Austria
It's been Austria's turn to have some of the best snow in Europe over the past week, but the picture is mixed with heavy snow above about 1800m, and rain and sleet on lower slopes, particularly below 1500m. It's now getting warmer. The result has been ever deeper snow bases up top, and fighting cover thawing-away completely down at resort level for lower resorts.

Focusing on the positive some of the big winners have been the glacier areas like the Kitzsteinhorn and Pitztal which have received up to 60cm (two feet) of snow in the past week and now have bases well over 2m. Lower down there's also been a foot of new snow at powder resort Fieberbrunn and even around Innsbruck ski areas are reporting 20-30cm of new snow at Axamer Lizum and Innsbruck.

France
There has been almost now snow anywhere in France in the past week and temperatures have been creeping above freezing on lower slopes too – not a good combination. But unlike the situation a few years ago, this winter resorts are able to relax a little bit as most of the big centres have built big bases (Over 3 metres at Chamonix and over 2m at many others), which have been almost unaffected by the thaw. The news is also that the weather will be changing later this week and significant snowfalls, in many case with more than a foot of snow in the forecast, are on their way.

Italy
As with France there's been virtually no fresh snow in the past seven days, but as with most of the rest of Europe we're expecting accumulations averaging around a foot (30cm) over the next seven days.

Best snow depths are generally in the alps on the West side of the country where a number of resorts including La Thuile and Cervinia have more than 2m lying on upper slopes, but then so does Passo Tonale further East. However lower elevations have much more marginal snow cover below 50cm and in some cases as thing as 20cm down at resort level.

Cover in the Dolomites is generally not quite so deep, but most areas have at least a metre on upper slopes and with the snow forecast, no one is worried yet.

Switzerland
A few small snowfalls have built bases a bit in Switzerland. The biggest snowfall was reported in Zermatt on Europe's highest slopes with a 15cm (six inch) accumulation, and Davos added 8cm of snow in the past week.

Swiss resorts have the deepest snow depths in Europe still with Andermatt reporting the deepest snow in the continent at 3.7m and Gstaad also above 3m. Many other Swiss resorts have at least 2.1m (7 feet) snow depths including Engelberg, Laax, Saas Fee and Verbier.

As with the rest of the alps significant snowfall is expected over the next week, up to 45cm/18 inches is likely across the Swiss Alps.

Eastern Europe
There's been very little new snow in Eastern Europe. Cover is fairly thin at Kranjska Gora in Slovenia and Poiana Brasov in Romania (both less than 50cm on upper slopes) but more substantial in Bulgaria where Bansko reports 5cm of snow in the past week and a one metre base.

Pyrenees
Snow depths have dropped a little in the Pyrenees where there's been no new snow since Jan 1 and temperatures have been getting above freezing during the day. However depth are still acceptable in Andorra with most resorts reporting around a foot (30cm) at village level and 60-90cm (2-3 feet) at the top of the slopes. Snow is expected here by the weekend too.

Scandinavia
It's looking promising across most of Scandinavia with fresh snow reported in Finland and snow bases passing a metre now in Norway. Ironically the region's biggest resorts, Are in Sweden, seems to be struggling the most for snow cover with a 30-50cm base, however the resort says piste conditions are excellent and there was a couple of inches of fresh snow (5cm) on Monday to freshen up on top. Hemsedal in Norway has double Are's base depth and Levi up in the Finnish Arctic has had triple Are's snowfall in the past 7 days, with 15cm building its base to 70cm.

Scotland
It's not looking good on Scotland's slopes after a warm week and four of the five areas have closed, although in the case of Nevis Range they say two runs are complete, they're just closing to stop them getting worn away before more snow arrives. The only place where you can currently ski in Scotland is Cairngorm, and here just the funicular is running with a walk from the snowline back to the mid-station, but who's complaining – still 300m of vert. The good news is temperatures are now dropping and 'significant snowfall' is expected in the next week to 10 days.

North America
Canada
It's still snpowing in Western Canada with Fernie, Banff, Whistler and Revelstoke all reporting yet another 30cm+ (foot) of new snow in the past seven days.

"The incredible snow conditions are here to stay," said a typically modest Whistler statement on Tuesday, "23cm (9 in) of new snow has fallen in the last 48 hours giving Whistler Blackcomb a base of 184cm (6 feet) and accumulations of 589cm (19.3 feet) of snow so far this season."

The snow on the East Coast has slowed a little but most areas are looking reasonably good with snow depths at 60-80cm across the mountain at the big resorts like Mont Ste Anne and Tremblant and few inches of fresh snow on top too.

USA
A relatively quiet week across the US with no big snowfalls in the past seven days at most resorts and the few that have had snow measuring only a few inches. The one BIG exception is up in Alaska where the leading resort Alyeska, which was once in Crystal brochures, reports a 135cm (4.5 foot) accumulation.

Among the mainstream resorts, Mammoth in California is now only 10cm off the magic 5m base mark – much closer to its normal epic levels of snow depth that can see it stay open to august than in the lacklustre winter of 11-12. Colorado resorts have seen a few centimetres of snow but are looking a lot less healthy still, more like last season there, with 53cm only at Vail for example, although Winter Park has a three foot base.

Snowfall has slowed on the East Coast too, but unusually bases there remain better than Colorado in many cases – Sugarbush in New Hampshire for example with 127cm (over four feet) on upper slopes, more than twice the snow depth of Vail at present.

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Travelling to Lajoux and then X country skiing a part of the Jura traverse.
we have a choice to go beginning Feb or end of which would you recommend snow condition wise?
Skisnail

Chamonix Thursday-Friday received upto 50cm on top lifts and >20cm in town. Conditions must be truly epic in Alps now.