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Snow Report Summary
This Week's Headlines
- Huge snowfalls in Bulgaria and the far South of Europe.
- Spring in the Alps with almost no fresh snow this week.
- Resort with record for most snow in the world forced to close due to snow shortage.
You know it's a strange week for snowfall when the ski area which made it into the famous Guinness Book in the late 1990s for receiving the most snowfall in a season (a few inches off 100 feet) and annually averages the most snowfall in the world (Mt Baker in the US) is forced to close its slopes for too little snow, but the hills east of Rome receive more than 2 metres of the stuff in 36 hours, cutting off villages.
In the more mainstream destinations it has been a quiet week with the early arrival of spring, again, bringing warm temperatures and very little fresh snow in the last seven days. Bases are thick enough to withstand this seasonal blip at most areas, however, and fresh snow is now expected too.
In The Forecast!
The decidedly Spring-like weather of the last week will give way to more seasonal temperatures and conditions with this coming weekend. Below average temperatures, with some significant snowfall, are likely late in the weekend and early next week. At present, the South and West of The Alps are likely to see the most snow but it may be more widespread and most areas will see some snow over the next few days.
Check the J2Ski Forecasts regularly for the latest updates!
The Alps
Austria
There's been very little fresh snow in Austria this week with just a few inches reported at a few centres, instead it has been generally pleasant, with spring definitely on the way. Some snow was reported particularly in the east of the country in the last 48 hours, Saalbach reported 20cm of snow, Mayrhofen 5cm. Otherwise there's almost no off piste powder to be had but the groomed runs are mostly in good shape, although as normal the higher you go, the better it is.
Solden currently boasts the deepest snow base in the country up on its twin glaciers – with 3.2m, but ironically down in resort level it has one of the slimmest bases – just 5cm/2 inches, although Mayrhofen and Zell am Ziller are now snowless at resort level. Overall conditions remain OK though on the pistes at least with most Austrian resorts having 30-60cm of cover in resort 1-1.5m on upper runs which should see them through to the end of the season, now less than a month away for the earliest closers.
France
A week with almost no fresh snow reported in France, and instead warm and sunny conditions which has led to 'spring snow' conditions at lower elevations. The winter may not be over however as snowfalls of 30cm right up to a metre are expected across the country in coming days. Snow depths have started dropping slightly but Avoriaz still has 3m/10 feet on upper ruins, the most in the French Alps, and the least, at Le Grand Bornand, is still 1.2m (4 feet) so on piste snow cover is good. At lower elevations cover is good too in most cases,. With 50cm+ the norm. Chamonix is reporting the thinnest cover at 15cm at resort level, with 25cm at the lowest levels in La Plagne.
Italy
Italy too has had a snowless, mostly sunny week, except, highly unusually, in the hills East of Rome where there are a number of small areas which reported up to an amazing 2m of snow earlier this week, causing major logistical problems. But in the main ski regions in the north of the country there was very little. Madesimo continues to claim the country's deepest snow base at 4.8m but that number hasn't changed since December so it's unclear how accurate it is. Like France, some quite substantial snowfall is expected in Italy, particularly in the west over the coming week, with some forecasters predicting as much as 2m, in the NW of the country – which has certainly been the Italian area that has seen the most snow this winter. However if correct there may be up to a metre of snow in the Dolomites too, which would certainly be the biggest accumulation of the season there, resulting in epic Spring conditions.
As with the rest of central Europe conditions are generally good on piste, with most resorts having 50-100cm lying at resort level and 1-2m at the top. Selva Gardena with a 20 – 120cm base has the thinnest cover reported for a major Italian resort at present, and those numbers aren't too bad.
Switzerland
Switzerland too has seen little or no snow in the last seven days with sunshine the norm and warm temperatures rapidly reducing the off piste benefits of the fresh snow that fell at the end of last week. However on piste conditions, as in the rest of the Alps, remain generally good. Small to moderate snowfalls are expected here in the coming week. Swiss resorts continue to lead the world snow depth table, with Andermatt's 4.9m the deepest in the Alps, almost all other Swiss resorts have a metre of more up top, most 2-3m. Cover at resort level is healthy too although dropped below the one foot depth level at Crans Montana, Grindelwald and Zermatt.
Scandinavia
There's been more fresh snow reported in Scandinavia, although not so much as in previous week. Bjorli and Voss in Norway reported around 15cm/6 inches each earlier this week, there were a few inches in Sweden and little fresh snow in Finland. Cover remains healthy across the region at the leading ski areas,. Most with around a metre of snow lying.
Pyrenees
Like the Alps and Dolomites, there's been virtually no fresh snow in the Pyrenees in the last seven days. However conditions on the pistes are good after the huge falls at the end of February with 2-3m bases the norm. Another 60-90cm of snow is expected to arrive here within the coming week.
Eastern Europe
Quite a week in Bulgaria with huge snowfalls, some locals claiming the biggest for 30 or 40 years, bringing up to an incredible two metres of new snow to Bulgarian slopes, Bansko was particularly 'dumped on'. The new snow caused issues across the country with power outages and blocked roads and the ski centres were closed temporarily by the weather Now however the bases are about as good as they've ever been heading in to the last month of the season. Further north the snowfalls in countries like Romania and Slovenia were much more modest, but conditions remain good there too.
Scotland
Standard gales - thaw – snow – power outages week on Scottish slopes. Today Glencoe, Nevis Range and cairngorm are all closed due to strong winds, Glenshee and The Lecht are open but with runs narrow in places due to thawing. Glenshee had closed completely due to incomplete runs last weekend but has been able to reopen since thanks to fresh snow earlier this week.
North America
Canada
No snow again in Western Canada where 2015 is increasingly looking like one to forget in terms of the famous powder, of which there continues to be a distinct lack. It has been warm again in the west but snow depths are holding up so on piste its good if spring like still. Quebec has had a little know in the East with 10cm reported at Tremblant on Tuesday, again base depths are good and its looking like a smooth run now to the end of the season. Fresh snow, hopefully as much as a foot, is forecast in the coming week on both east and west sides of the country.
USA
As with Canada, it's been a week with no fresh snow in Western America and although new England in the east that has topped the fresh snowfall table in the country again, there's not been much fresh there either. Stowe has had the most – six inches, taking its impressive tally this winter to 20 feet so far. On the groomed trails conditions remain generally good, if springlike, with base depths in the 1-2m mark across the country, Jackson hole still claiming the deepest at 1.,1m (seven feet).