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Snow Report Summary
Little change to report this week, with the immediate outlook mostly more of the same (Spring) but with some scattered snow looking likely and (longer term) a possible breakdown of the current high pressure in a week or so.
This Week's Headlines:
* Almost no new snow in the Alps this week.
* Heavy snow in Colorado and New England.
* Passo Tonale in Italy first resort to claim a 6m/20ft base this season.
* Niseko base hits 4m after another 60cm/two feet falls this week.
It has been a much quieter week in most areas of the Northern Hemisphere this week, with the least fresh snow this season as skies have cleared and temperatures risen.
There are exceptions, most notably Western North America, where more significant fresh snow accumulations have been reported in recent days. Eastern North America has also seen big accumulations of up to 60cm/two feet in the last 36 hours.
In The Alps temperatures have reached double figures in many areas leading to Spring conditions but in most cases the heavy snow of January and February means there's plenty of snow cover to ensure continued operation through to the end of the season, even with no fresh snow. The good news is a fresh wave of snow with up to a foot of new snow expected in the coming days in parts.
The Alps
Austria
There's been little or no fresh snow at Austrian resorts in the past seven days – instead wall-to-wall sunshine and at lower elevation ski areas temperatures hitting double digits positive Celcius have been the norm. The last significant snowfalls were typically 5 – 15cm just over a week ago.
For higher elevation areas like the Kaunertal and Pitztal glaciers, both with 3.6m (12 foot) bases this is not a big problem, but already thin snow cover at low lying resorts such as the Skiwelt and Kitzbuhel where snow depth figures are nearer 50cm are being tested – particularly at lower elevation and in the afternoon.
France
No snow has been reported in France for the last seven days – it's the first time we've reported that this ski season! Fortunately the snow that fell in January and February means bases are good across most of the country – with Cauterets in the Pyrenees top with 3.6m of snow, Isola 2000 with 3.4m of snow and Flaine in the northern Alps with 3.1m of snow the country's three snowiest destinations.
Across the French alps upper slope snow depths are good, with most having between 1.5 and 3m (5-10 feet) lying and substantial cover to low levels, with only Serre Chevalier (on 5cm) reporting thin cover at its base.
Simon Halliwell of Powderama (powderama.com) ski school in Chamonix commented on conditions there, "Spring snow, but great on North facing slopes. Mush on south in the afternoons."
Italy
Italy has – like the rest of mainland Europe – reported zero fresh snow in the past week. That hasn't stopped summer ski resort Passo Tonale from claiming its upper slope base has risen to 6m/20 feet, something it does most seasons – although we're yet to see it ever hit 7m. Despite the lack of fresh snow, bases at Italian areas are very healthy, besides Passo Tonale, Madesimo reports a 5m base and most other leading areas have at least 1.8m (six feet) of snow on upper slopes, in many cases in the Dolomites (eg Cortina), double that, thanks to the huge snowfalls there earlier this winter. A return to snowier conditions in Italy is expected over the next week.
Switzerland
Switzerland completes the set of major Alpine nations with little or no snow reported in the last seven days. Andermatt remains top-of-the-Swiss-snow-depth table with a 4m base, with Engelberg and Saas Fee also boasting deep bases of 3.5 and 3.7 metres respectively. And in common with the rest of the alps, most other Swiss resorts have plenty of snow cover to last well in to April and beyond, even if fresh snow were not forecast.
Pyrenees
The snowfall has slowed in the Pyrenees after the very snowy first few days of March (and indeed January and February) but snow depths remain very healthy for the region and it seems likely many areas will remain open at least to late April and possibly in to May. Snow depths in Andorra are a very healthy 1.5m (five feet) on lower slopes and 3m (10 feet) at the top.
Scandinavia
There's been just a few centimetres of fresh snow on Scandinavian slopes in the past week, with Voss on the Norwegian Coast reporting the biggest snowfall – around 30cm falling. It was the exception however. But most areas are reporting healthy bases still, none more so than Lillehammer with its 2.5m upper slope coverage.
In Finland and Sweden the totals are typically smaller – 60-90cm – but should be adequate to see them out to the end of the long northern latitude ski season in late April or, more commonly, early May.
Eastern Europe
The Far East of Europe is reporting some snow in the past week while most of the rest of the continent hasn't reported any, with Bansko claiming a full foot of fresh, much of it falling on Sunday/Monday at the start of this week. Other Bulgarian areas have had smaller but significant falls too. Conditions remain moderate in the region with 1 to 1.5m of snow lying on the slopes.
Scotland
Scottish ski conditions remain excellent at four of the five centres. After windy conditions last weekend it has been a week of warm temperatures, light winds and cloudless blue skies – perfect in fact. Snow cover continues to be excellent for most areas, with Nevis Range and Glencoe on the West and Cairngorm looking particularly good with 3m/10 feet plus snow depths. Glencoe's nearly 5m base remains one of the three deepest in the world at present. However The Lecht is the exception with bare patches on its pistes – it is currently closed until the weekend when it hopes to re-open some terrain.
North America
Canada
It's been a moderate snowfall week across Canada with around 45cm reported on the west coast at whistler (and similar falls elsewhere in BC) and up to 40cm on the East Coast in Quebec too with Mont Sutton down by the US border in the south of the province doing especially well. Fernie now tops the country's snow depth table on Just over 3m having received another 540cm+ of fresh powder this week, fellow BC resort Revelstoke is in second place with 60cm/two feet less.
USA
The US has been reporting the biggest snowfalls in the world this week, with initially Colorado resorts like aspen reporting 30cm falls in 24 hours earlier in the week and most recently accumulations of up to 60cm overnight reported in New England on the Eastern side with Stow one ion the areas posting the biggest snowfalls in the last day or so. Jackson Hole, which has had another 40cm of snow this week, reports the deepest snow in the country at 3.5m but Alyeska in Alaska has had the biggest snowfall in the country, and indeed the world, in the last seven days – some 93cm (over three feet).