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It's snowing in Arc1950 right now...
More snow to report this week, with regular top-ups and some substantial snow now in the forecast.
This Week's Snow Headlines
- Big snowfalls expected again in the Alps over the next few days.
- Up to two feet of fresh snow in Western North America.
- Alyeska now reports more than 15m of snow.
- It keeps snowing at Voss in Norway - 1m in past week.
Many of the world's ski areas have seen moderate accumulations this week, although varying temperatures have again been the order of the day in Europe.
Despite this bases remain good in most areas and conditions excellent on higher runs but, the story of the season, the spectre of rain at lower levels, continues to affect some regions.
In The Alpine Forecast
After another brief warm spell (Sunday and Monday), temperatures will return to seasonal averages with the cooling accompanied by snow.
Increasing snowfall is expected for the coming week, starting in the next 48 hours in most areas with up to 1.2 metres of snow forecast at some locations (the biggest accumulation in the last seven days was about half that). The longer-range forecasts keep the snow coming throughout the next two weeks.
In fact the snow is already falling in many areas and powder alarms of 20-25cm have been issued for up to 25cm of fresh snow overnight in the French Alps at Chamonix, Les Contamines and La Clusaz amongst others.
Significant snowfall is expected into the Dolomites over the weekend, with lighter snows following into March. The Pyrenees should see useful falls, albeit lighter than The Alps, next week.
Further East, most Austrian areas should see useful snowfall, also continuing well into next month according to current forecasts.
The Alps
Austria
The biggest accumulations of the last week have been in the 20-40cm bracket at Solden, Pitztal, Obergurgl and St Anton. Otherwise most areas got anything between 15cm/6 inches and zero. The Ziller Valley continues to look rather green at lower levels with Mayrhofen and Zell am Ziller lacking resort level cover and in Zell's case not huge amounts up top either (40cm) – although Mayrhofen has 90cm/3 feet. The deepest snow is of course on the glaciers with Solden and Kaunertal up at around 2.7m. Some very big snowfalls of up to four feet (1.2m) in total are expected on these higher slopes over the next seven days.
France
The past week has been one of the least snowy for a while in France but still most of the leading resorts in the Northern Alps clocked up 15-30cm more snow in the past 72 hours and bases continue to look very healthy. Chamonix, which claimed the biggest snowfall in the last week (50cm), also has the deepest base up to 4.1m – nearly 14 feet. There's 40cm down at resort level. Elsewhere most of the big resorts remain in good shape, many with 2-3m on upper slopes 60 – 150cm at the base – including Avoriaz, Espace Killy, Flaine, Alpe d'Huez, Les Arcs, the list goes on. Lower elevation areas are more challenged however, there's almost no snow at resort level in Vaujany for example, though it's 3m deep up top.
Italy
There's been very little snow reported in Italy in the past week although big falls of a metre or more are forecast for the coming week. Bases remain modest in much of the dolomites, albeit much better than a month or so ago. Most have around 30cm/a foot at resort level and 60cm up top but Cortina has hit the metre mark on the upper runs. Conditions remain better in the West where La Thuile has the country's deepest base at 2.9m, overtaking Cervinia on 2.4m.
Switzerland
All Swiss ski centres got at least some snow this week with Engelberg, boasting the country's deepest base at 355cm, reporting the biggest seven day accumulation of 55cm. Ironically the resort with Europe's highest slopes, Zermatt, reported the smallest accumulations – only 5cm. Most lifts and runs are open with on-piste conditions largely good to excellent. Generally depths are good across the country though, of mostly better towards the west. Grindelwald in the Jungfrau has very limited cover at resort level but most other areas report a foot or more down at village level and most 1.5-2.5m up top.
Scandinavia
After a rather dry week last week it has kept snowing all week in Norway, in fact it has had the most consistent snowfall since last weekend. Voss kept reporting 20cm or more each 24 hours and that has added up to a metre of snow over the past week, and taken its base to 2.4 metres, by far the deepest in Scandinavia. Elsewhere there as another 10cm at Are in Sweden and similar falls in Lapland where depths are around the metre mark – very healthy for Finland.
Pyrenees
After last week's snowfall there have been more limited accumulations in the last seven days – most resorts receiving between 5 and 15cm of new snow. Bases remain good with 60-1230cm of cover at most areas and heavier snowfall is expected next week. Sierra Nevada in the south continues to improve with another 15cm of snow reported, more forecast and depths up to 1m now.
Eastern Europe
Conditions are not great in Bulgaria where it has been warm and wet leaving the accumulated snow base heavy. Forecast snow for the past fortnight has failed to materialise, although a few inches are forecast again for the coming week. There's been rather more snow further north at Kranjska Gora in Slovenia (15cm this week) and Jasna in Slovakia (10cm) so they're looking a little fresher. Romania though, like Bulgaria, has had no new snow and the base at Poiana Brasov only 20-40cm.
Scotland
Scottish slopes have had a great week with mostly clear skies and little wind but with some pleasant overnight top offs of fresh powder to freshen things up each morning. That snowfall has added up to 20cm in the past week at Glenshee in the East but right up to nearly 80cm at Glencoe in the east, bases are in the 40-100cm bracket and most lifts and runs are operational.
North America
Canada
Moderate snowfalls in Eastern and western Canada with some powder alarms for 20cm or more of fresh snow in 24 hours at Tremblant and Mont Ste Anne in Quebec in the past few days. The biggest snowfalls though were once again in the west with 40cm at Big White where there's a base of 2.7m (9 feet) now, the deepest in the country. Other BC resorts including Revelstoke, Sun Peaks and Whistler recorded 20-30cm. Tremblant did report the third biggest snowfall in Canada though with 30cm over the week. Similar snow volumes ae expected over the coming week.
USA
There have been some substantial snowfalls in the Western US again with 60cm at Heavenly and 50cm at Squaw Valley but these were very sharp storms, concentrated in 24 hours last weekend, and both have been fairly dry ever since. Most other ski areas in the West have had around a foot of snow but there have also been reports of rain at lower elevations in some areas. Alyeska has had the most snow – 85cm, and has passed the 15m season-snowfall-to-date figure. Smaller snowfalls in the East but at least some snow – Stowe has had 15cm.