Re-publication :- our Snow Report Summary, being the text up to "The Alps", is free to re-publish, but must be clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with text including "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to this page - thank you.
Firstly, this week, we'd like to thank you for using J2Ski and to wish you all a Very Happy Christmas / Yuletide / Solstice. Wherever you are, and whoever you're with; have a great time - and if you're lucky enough to be skiing then enjoy!
Piste M, Val d'Isere, picture courtesy and (c) of J2Ski user Bedrock Barney
This Week's Snow Headlines
- More huge snowfalls in Western North America.
- Dry December continues for much of Europe and Eastern North America.
Here we are in Christmas week 2015 and it's a case of double deja-vu. Double because, firstly, this past week has been very like the previous three in the Alps (and the Pyrenees, Dolomites, Carpathians, Balkans...), with almost no new snow and warmer temperatures than we'd like. Secondly it's rather like the dry December we had in 2014.
There are a couple of crucial differences from a year ago however - firstly much more terrain is open, thanks to November snowfalls which we did not get in Autumn 2014, and secondly, less happily, there's no sign of the huge snowfalls that rolled in on change-over Saturday on the last weekend of the year last year, causing traffic chaos but also bringing the much needed snow. There are signs of a change in the weather, at last, although, so far, not of a huge snowy deluge.
Elsewhere in the skiing world it's also a case of "same again" this week with more huge snowfalls in Western North America and little or nothing in the East, although there have been some snowfalls at the bigger resorts there. In North America the situation is the reverse of a year ago when big storms hit the East Coast.
Scandinavia has the most 'normal' conditions, although it has some catching up to do after a slow start, but at least some snow is falling. The jury is still out on whether Scotland will have enough snow to open a slope before 2016.
In The Alpine Forecast
The various models are starting to indicate a break in the current weather around the end of the year, with the possibility of regular snow once we get into January. The models are not yet aligned, however, so if you know a good snow dance then you should do it now!
There is a chance of a small top-up late this weekend but it's not going to be a game-changer. The forecast models have been throwing up game-changing possibilities in the long-term so we're watching with interest and should have some clearer indications by next week.
The Alps
Austria
Yes there's been little change in conditions in Austria although more areas have been able to fire up the snow guns again as temperatures have dropped a little. A wave of snowfall did pass through at the end of last week adding 5-10cm of fresh snow to the slopes at quite a number of Austrian areas, but much more would be great. There's no clear sign of any fresh snow now until sometime in 2016. The best conditions and metre-plus base depths are at higher ski areas like Solden (which just about maintains top to bottom cover – 5cm reported in resort), Hintertux and the other glacier resort, or centres with a reputation for reliable cover like Ischgl and Obergurgl.
France
Other than an inch of snow a week ago on higher slopes it has been another dry week on French slopes and again, like Austria, there's no sign of any immediate respite for frustrated freeriders waiting for the powder. No French resort can claim a metre or more of snow on upper slopes now but many high altitude resorts still have a foot or more at resort level and two to three feet up top. It's less promising at the lower elevation traditional areas which have only inches at resort level. The Paradiski resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs have some of the best stats – 15cm at the bottom, 95cm up top; at Val Thorens its 45cm on lower slopes, 90cm up top.
Italy
Eastern Italian ski areas continue to prove the power of their snowmaking systems with hundreds of kilometres of piste open in the Dolomites thanks entirely to snowmaking. World cup races at Madonna di Campiglio, Val Gardena and Alta Badia over the past week have also been staged on slopes covered with entirely machine made snow against a depressingly green and brown mountainside. On the western side in the Alps there was the same natural snowfall boost in late November and Cervinia still has the country's deepest base at 1.2m (four feet) on its higher glacier runs. Sadly again there's no respite expected until January now. But again on piste conditions remain relatively good at most leading areas.
Switzerland
Conditions in Swiss resorts paint a familiar picture. There is more of a top/bottom divide here though with most areas reporting 60-90cm of cover on high runs, but in many cases only 2-10cm on lower runs with snow scraped down to make a home run in most cases. 10cm of snow fell on many Swiss areas at the end of last week and Engelberg is reporting the deepest base in Europe at the moment with a 155cm accumulation on its Titlis glacier runs and 20cm down in resort so the full 2000m vertical is skiable. The big verticals at Saas Fee and Zermatt are also just about skiable still. Again there's sadly no confirmed snow in the forecast before the start of 2016.
Scandinavia
Scandinavian ski resorts look the most wintry of all of the European areas at present, with temperatures dropping and fresh snow falling – a lot like this time a year ago in fact. Geilo in Norway reported 15cm of fresh overnight on Tuesday/Wednesday and is looking good, most other centres in the region have had 10-30cm of new snow in the last week and similar amounts are expected for the coming week – another foot is forecast for Hemsedal.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees are seeing very similar conditions to the Alps with no fresh snow this month still and temperatures too warm for snow making at lower elevations. But things have picked up a little in the past few days; although there's still no new natural snowfall on the horizon temperatures have been dropping meaning snowmaking systems can fire up again to top up cover – which remains good on upper runs – 40-70cm on the high slopes in Andorra for example, 20cm on lower runs.
Eastern Europe
Eastern European ski areas seem to be in a similar situation to most of the rest of 'mainland' Europe. There has been snow in the far East of Europe, right over in the Russian Caucasus, but in the more familiar tourist destinations of Bulgaria, Romania and Slovenia it's the usual scenario of trying to cling on to snow that fell in November and top it up with machine made snow when it's cold enough. Although depths are rather thin 10-20cm at the bottom, 30-50cm up top, it's working so far.
Scotland
Will Scottish slopes open before the New Year? ...a key business week for the Highlands' five centres. Well, no one is very certain but the centres are asking Scottish skiers to "keep the faith." There's been fresh snow replenishing thawed cover and some forecasts are suggesting up to a foot more will fall in the next week. Lower temperatures have also allowed centres to fire up the snowmaking systems so whilst full operations seem a way off still it looks like it might be possible to open some limited areas, possibly, in the school holidays, although we're not mountain ops so what do we know?
North America
Canada
Canada's snow conditions remain similar to last week and indeed the whole of December with ongoing big snowfalls in the west but very poor conditions in The East with many areas still unable to open due to little or no snow and temperatures too warm for snowmaking.The biggest centres have limited terrain open. In the West though it continues to be one of the snowiest starts to the season ever, with Revelstoke past the 5m accumulated to date level and most resorts have had yet another 2-3 feet of fresh snow in the last seven days.
USA
It's the same story south of the border with more epic snowfalls in the West, but some areas unable to open for lack of snow in the East. Thankfully there have been a few inches of natural snow and temperatures low enough for snowmaking, particularly in Vermont, in the past few days greatly improving conditions there. But in the West the huge snowfalls have continued with resorts in Colorado, California, Utah and Wyoming reporting still more big accumulations. Squaw Valley has had some of the biggest numbers with four feet (1.2 metres) in the past seven days.