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Snow Report Summary
Well, it's finally looking like the last few mild days for The Alps, with a plunge to colder temperatures over the coming weekend...
This Week's Headlines
- More heavy snowfall in Western North America.
- Meribel, Courchevel and the SkiWelt among big name ski areas delaying their planned opening this weekend.
- Snow is now starting to fall in the Alps again.
- Fresh snow in the Dolomites, Pyrenees and Scotland Earlier in The Week.
- Free skiing at Verbier on Saturday to celebrate start of main season, so long as you dress as Santa!
Pic du Midi, French Pyrenees, December 3rd 2014
It's a tale of two continents as we move in to December with big snowfalls reported in North America, but big positive temperatures and no snow in much of mainland Europe.
As a result emails have been arriving in the J2ski offices with a selection of common themes. First there are the "we've got great snow" bragging emails from North American areas and British tour ops to Canada and the US, second are emails from glacier areas in the Alps keen to stress that (unlike lower altitude resorts), they are above the fog and have great snow conditions, the third and saddest to receive are from resorts postponing their planned openings this weekend - with Courchevel, due to stage World Cup races in a little over a week, the most high profile.
It's not all gloom in Europe however, there has been snow in the southern half of the continent - good news for the Pyrenees and Dolomites so they at least are looking better than a week ago. Lower temperatures and snowfall are forecast, imminently, for the Alps - in fact fre4sh snowfall reports have started coming in today so hopefully it's the beginning of great things.
In the forecast
A significant turn to cold as we move into next week, with at least light snows in many places. It'll certainly be cold enough to start serious snow-making, and the longer range forecasts are hinting strongly at more natural snow for most areas over the next fortnight.
The Alps
Austria
As with much of the Alps, Austrian areas are divided in to the 'haves' (with most of their slopes above 2000m) and have nots – most of the lower altitude level resorts. In the latter category, most of those that had planned to open this week have postponed doing so. Highest profile is the Ski Welt with its 280km of piste, the largest in Austria – and the country's biggest snowmaker. But that's little help when temperatures are too warm for snowmaking. It says it will open next Wednesday instead of this Saturday so is obviously convinced snow and cold weather is coming – snow is already being reported in Austria this morning so it looks like they're right.
It's a different story on the country's eight glaciers, most already in their third month of 2014-15 operations, which continue to have excellent conditions thanks to heavy snowfall in the first half of November. Ischgl and Obergurgl are also open but could do with fresh snow on their thinning bases – the Molltral Glacier reported 20cm of fresh snow overnight on Wednesday/Thursday so that looks to be a good sign.
France
It has been a second week with very little snow in the French Alps, just a few centimetres reported here and there and temperatures too warm for snowmaking in most cases. Resorts that had planned to open this weekend have largely decided to postpone for a week. High altitude areas remain in reasonably good shape – Les 2 Alpes, Tignes and Val Thorens are in moderately good shape with 50-80cm bases.
Italy
Italy has had the best week of the big four Alpine nations with snowfall across much of the country on Sunday/Monday. Many areas got at least 10cm of fresh snow, some as much as 30cm (a foot). The Presena Glacier above Passo Tonale which reports the deepest snow in the northern hemisphere (and indeed anywhere) of an open resort at 3m/10 feet was one of the beneficiaries with a 20m accumulation. There's been snow in the Dolomiti Superski area too with 15cm in the Fassa Valley. Claimed snow depths in Italy are already among the most impressive in Europe with Alagna in the West claiming a 2m depth, Madesimo 2.3m. Recently opened Bormio is also looking good with a metre snow depth, 20cm of it fresh.
Switzerland
The Swiss picture is similar to the rest of the alps – little snow and too warm weather over the last fortnight, but early reports of new snowfall in the last 24 hours. Lenzerheide claimed four inches fell yesterday. Bases are thinning on non glacier areas that opened already but Verbier is going ahead with its opening this weekend and offering free tickets to anyone who comes dressed as St Nicholas. Conditions are also good on the glaciers and as many Swiss areas are among Europe's highest, they do have an advantage over some of their neighbours at present – Les Diablerets, Zermatt and Saas Fee are among those boasting about the fact they have good cover in their ski areas 'above the clouds.'
Scandinavia
Scandinavian ski areas currently boast some of the best snow conditions in Europe, with Norwegian areas looking particularly good after accumulations of up to 50cm a week ago. Most are now open with depths of up to 75 cm. Voss reports the most snow, 35cm earlier this week. Leading resorts in Sweden and Finland are also open although with less impressive snow depths.
Pyrenees
Things are rather better than a week ago in the Pyrenees following snowfalls of 10-20cm over the weekend. Snow depths are still little greater than those numbers and only Pas de la Casa reports top to bottom cover (5-20cm).
Eastern Europe
It's another week until most Eastern European ski areas plan to open which is probably a good thing as there's little snow cover so far. Bansko in Bulgaria is reporting 10cm on its upper slopes.
Scotland
As the BBC was reporting that 2014 will probably be the warmest year since records began 250 years ago, Scottish hills turned white overnight with the first significant, if not substantial snowfall for a month or so. Sadly the next day the lower hills were greeny-brown again as temperatures shot up again, but heavy snow is expected at the start of next week, so things could be on the up.
North America
Canada
Canadian resorts are in great shape following a succession of snow storms. Marmot Basin are claiming the deepest snow in the country after 'White Friday' a week ago which saw the resort near Jasper in Alberta received more than 80 centimetres of snow in five days last week, culminating in so much snow, Marmot's Brian Rode said, "I can't recall the last time we had over a metre of settled snowpack in November!" It's looking good at most other Western Canadian resorts and in Quebec and Ontario too. Kicking horse have had 2.2m (over seven feet) of pre-season snow they say and will open for a 'preview weekend' this weekend as a result before the main season starts on the 13th. Fernie, which has been open the past few weekends, opens for the season fully this Friday with a 92cm snowpack.
USA
The start to the US season has definitely been the best for quite a few years right across the country, even California, which had a lousy winter last season and wasn't looking so good as Colorado or Utah (where it is still dumping) in latter November has made up lost ground with falls of up to 60cm reported in the last few days, Mammoth and Squaw Valley both reporting decent accumulations, with Squaw, who have had two feet already, hoping for another foot by the time the storm ends on Saturday.. Most of the rest of the country is looking good, with ski areas opening all over and Jackson Hole reporting a foot of snow in 24 hours on Tuesday/Wednesday.