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.
Snow Report Summary
Spring conditions continue to predominate in The Alps, with blue skies and the best snow at altitude.
This Week's Headlines:
* Fresh snow on higher slopes in the French Alps.
* Year round Hintertux ski area bases reaches 4m after another 10cm of fresh snow.
* Then there were three; Glenshee forced to join Lecht as second Scottish area to close.
* A foot of snow in Colorado.
There's an end-of-the-season feeling at many of the world's resorts this week with temperatures hitting double digits in many ski areas and the annual melt down well under away.
But fear not snow lovers - fresh snow has been reported in the Alps (high up), Scandinavia and even the Pyrenees and the season still has three to six weeks to go at many top areas, with bases built up through the winter still standing tall.
The other good news is that many of the areas that will be open beyond May to late spring and even in to summer are among those claiming the biggest snowfalls of the last seven days and the deepest bases to boot.
So it's not too late to book that Easter ski break or even May Day bank holiday weekend perhaps?!
The Alps
Austria
It's a skiing country of two halves in Austria with most of the country's lower centres now closed until next season while those with higher slopes have reported fresh snow in the last 48 hours. Hintertux, which has the deepest base in the country at 4m, and is one of only two resorts in the world open year round, reported 10cm of new snow on Wednesday. Other ski areas doing the same included Schladming, Serfaus, St Anton and the Kaunertal and Kaprun glaciers. Resorts now closed for the season include Bad Kleinkirchheim, Igls and the ski resorts of the Skiwelt such as Soll and Westendorf.
France
Most ski areas are still open in France and the French Alps received a healthy boost of fresh snow on higher slopes on Tuesday with 5-10cm of fresh snow falling. Beneficiaries included Alpe d'Huez, Chamonix, Tignes and La Plagne, which all have 2m+ bases. The biggest snowfall in France in the last seven days however was in the Pyrenees where Cauterets, which currently claims the country's deepest base at 4.2m, reported 50cm of fresh snow last Friday. Generally snow depths across the country are holding good, if gradually diminishing, with 1-2m the norm on upper slopes.
Italy
Italy has not had the snowfall reported further north but an inch or two has been measured at ski areas including Cervinia, Livigno and Sauze d'Oulx. With the exception of those few, most Italian areas have not had any fresh snow for over a fortnight, but equally most are still open with relatively good bases of typically, 1-2m on upper slopes. Passo Tonale, likely to be open until at least June, has not adjusted its total snow depth figure of 6m, the world's greatest, for a month or so, although no fresh snow has been reported for several weeks.
Switzerland
Swiss areas including Verbier, Gstaad, Saas Fee and Murren have reported 2-8cm of fresh snow in the last seven days, freshening up their cover. Andermatt, which also got a little fresh snow, still has the country's deepest reported base at 4m. Across the country upper slope depths are generally good at 1-2m in most cases, but unsurprisingly down in resort cover is getting thin at many centres and has gone entirely at centres like Adelboden, Crans Montana, Engelberg, Leysin and Wengen.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees remain in remarkably good shape after another good season for snowfall with fresh snow reported in France (see report), Spain and Andorra. In the latter upper-slope depths remain at 1.8 – 2.8m, very healthy for the time of year, and another 5-15cm of fresh snow has fallen in the past week with more expected in the next seven days, remarkable for mid-April.
Scandinavia
Norwegian resorts have reported some of the biggest snowfalls in Europe in the past few days with Trysil and Hemsedal along those reporting 20cm of fresh snow in 24 hours on Tuesday. Most will be open to the start of May so that's good news. There was snow too in Sweden, with Are keeping its base above two feet with another 6cm of fresh while further north in Lapland where areas also remain open to May (or June in Ruka's case) bases remain above 80cm although no fresh falls have been reported this week.
Eastern Europe
The season is pretty much over in Eastern Europe, resorts in Romania and Slovenia are no longer reporting snow depths so the consensus is that they're no longer operating, mid-week at least. Probably not at all as bases were largely gone a few weeks ago. In Bulgaria there's been no fresh snow for over a month. Bansko is not reporting its snow conditions, Borovets and Pamporovo say about a third of lifts and runs are open a piece and the snow depth is around 50cm.
Scotland
A second Scottish ski centre, Glenshee, has closed for lack of snow, forced to join its neighbour on the east side of the country, The Lecht, and sadly just as the busy Easter holiday period gets started. Cairngorm, Glencoe and Nevis range remain open, each with deep snow on the upper mountain, more limited cover on lower slopes. There's been some light fresh snow falling against the background of an ongoing thaw.
North America
Canada
Many Canadian resorts close this weekend although in Alberta Marmot Basin, Lake Louise and sunshine will be open in to May, as will Whistler. But Revelstoke, the resort with the continent's biggest lift served vertical, has already closed along with Silver Star and Red Mountain. But the snow is still falling whether resorts are closed or not – Revelstoke for instance got another 11c of snow on its now deserted slopes. Whistler got the most in the last week though – another 17cm keeping its base at nearly 2.5m at the top. On the East ski areas are still open too with Mont Sutton offering top to bottom skiing and Mont Ste Anne a 60-130cm base.
USA
US resorts tend to end their seasons a week or two earlier than their Alpine counterparts, but the snow still lies deep and crisp (kind of) and even as many approach their final weekends of 13-14 in the next 48 hours. Most of the snow in the past week has fallen in Colorado where resorts including Aspen have added a fresh soot of cover. Arapahoe Basin – which will most likely be open to June – put on 38cm. The deepest snow in the country is reported at Timberline in Oregon with a 4.1m base – it is open to September most years so that's good news there.