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Snow Report Summary
Our first round-up of 2015 reports on the week when it all changed in The Alps, and the outlook for early January; often one of the quietest times on the slopes, and a great time for snow and low prices!
This Week's Headlines
- Up To Three Feet (90cm) Of Fresh Snow In The Alps This Week.
- Top to bottom skiing now possible at most areas.
- Good conditions in the Pyrenees.
- Snow depths in Utah reach nearly 2m after anther 60cm of fresh snow.
- Argentiere and Engelberg each claim 90cm (3 feet) of fresh snow in the last seven days.
It's a very different picture to a week ago with most areas looking forward to a snowy New Year thanks to heavy snow in the Alps over the last week, following the largely dry and too-warm-for-much-snowmaking December. Further snow is expected in the first week of 2015, although not in the quantities of the past five days. Importantly, most ski areas now have a foot or more of snow at lower elevations meaning that top to bottom skiing is possible almost everywhere - a very different picture to a week ago.
Most other leading ski areas are looking good too - there's been more heavy snow in the Pyrenees, Scandinavia and most parts of western North America. Only the East Coast has suffered a little with warmer Christmas temperatures after its snowy first month of the season. Japanese areas are also being deluged and depths are already at the 3m/10 foot depth there.
The Dolomites have not had much fresh snow but the low temperatures have allowed most runs to open with snowmaking and several Scottish ski areas have reopened ( those that had closed after a brief warm wet spell) thanks to conditions getting more wintry once again.
In the forecast
After a mild few days (which will feel warm compared to the chill of the last week!), scattered and generally light to moderate snow is expected pretty much throughout the Alpine region as the weekend draws to a close, and into next week. Further indications of snow, with more-or-less average (for January!) temperatures are in the longer-range forecast, after a few mild days next week.
There is a possibility of snow on this coming weekend's transfer days, but much less than the quantities that brought the French Alps to a standstill last Saturday! However, you should always check the forecasts immediately before you travel, and be prepared for any possible disruption.
The Alps
Austria
Austrian slope conditions are much improved after the snow of the past week. While France got a big dump at the weekend much of the snow in Austria has been falling more consistently over the past week with more of a gradual build up which continues at present. For the past few days it has been mostly Austrian areas that have been reporting continuing significant snowfall in the Alps. Most areas have gone from little or no snow cover, particularly on lower slopes, to having around a foot of snow, on average, at resort level and 60cm or more on upper slopes. The low temperatures of the last week have also allowed the seemingly increasingly crucial Austrian snowmaking arsenal to operate at capacity. Glacier areas continue to have the deepest snow at 1.5 to 2.1m at the top. Areas receiving big snowfalls in the past 24 hours include the Skiwelt, Pitztal glacier, Saalbach, Lech and the Arlberg and the Postalm at St Wolfgang which all report 30cm (a foot) of fresh snow. There was 20cm for Mayrhofen and Obertauern overnight. Saalbach and the Skiwelt had reported another 30cm in the previous 24 hours too.
France
The heavy snow in the French Alps over the weekend made the TV for the wrong reasons last weekend of course. The road network was unable to cope as freezing rain led roads to become ice rinks and then be closed, and people involved in minor accidents or fitting chains blocked roads preventing snow ploughs getting through to clear the building snow depths on higher routes. The good news for those not stuck in transit for up to 24 hours was much improved conditions on the slopes with most resorts receiving at least a foot of snow and many two or even three feet, primarily over last weekend, allowing areas to open much more terrain.
The first big snowfalls were reported on Saturday morning, with around a foot in Alpe d'Huez, Puy St Vincent and Les 2 Alpes then as the snowfall moved northwest in the 3 Valleys Courchevel and Meribel reported 30-40cm of snow on Saturday/Sunday, Megeve had 30cm, La Rosiere 45cm, Chamonix 48cm and La Plagne 50cm in the same 24 hour period. But almost all resorts reported significant snowfall.
Italy
Italy has perhaps seen the least of the new snow of the four big Alpine nations, although there were big snowfalls on the Western side of the country with the Milky Way and Monte Rosa resorts as well as Cervinia amongst those reporting 25-35cm of new snow, much of it last weekend. Snow was also reported right down the Apennines through the spine of Italy. Less snow so far in the East but the mighty Dolomiti Superski snowmaking arsenal has been running at full blast.
"The very low temperatures at present allow our snow making facilities to finish their job on the slopes by the end of the year," said a statement from (arguably) the world's biggest ski region on Tuesday, "In most skiing areas of Dolomiti Superski, nearly all slopes are already open, the same as the connections between the villages and the skiing areas, for example the Sellaronda, the Marmolada, the ski tour Panorama and Lagazuoi. At lower altitudes, we're working hard to getting the remaining slopes ready as soon as possible. In the whole skiing region Dolomiti Superski more than 1,000 km out of 1,200 km of slopes are already open and at the customer's disposal."
Switzerland
Switzerland was one of the big beneficiaries of the heavy snow since last Friday (Boxing Day) with Grindelwald's reported 80cm in the last seven days and Engelberg's 90cm ranking in the three biggest reported snowfalls in Europe this week. The new snow was particularly welcome at Grindelwald which had only four blue runs open shared with Wengen for Christmas and had only managed to open its own First ski area, and then only one run, before the new snow started. Most other areas received 30-50cm of new snow. Andermatt reports the deepest snow in the country at 3m (10 feet), with Engelberg now not far behind on 2.6m. More importantly perhaps than upper slope numbers though, almost all areas are reporting 25cm+ on lower slopes meaning top-to-bottom skiing, missing at many resorts for Christmas week, is now available at most.
Scandinavia
The rate of snowfall has finally slowed in Scandinavia but cover remains good thanks to the consistently snowy weather through December for most of the region. Voss now has snow six feet deep on its upper slopes and was one of the many beneficiaries of the latest fresh snow, albeit at a decreased rate, with six inches more in the last week. In Finland and Sweden depths are nearer their normal 50cm with the biggest area in Scandinavia, Are Duved, also reporting 15cm of new snow, and there's been 10cm in Lapland.
Pyrenees
Ski centres in the Pyrenees are in good shape as we enter 2015 thanks to snowfall in Christmas week and again in the last few days bringing 20-60cm of fresh cover to already well covered slopes in Andorra. Similar snowfalls on the French and Spanish sides of the mountains have left ski centres there with most runs open with good cover too. Back in Andorra slope depths are 40-140cm in Vallnord (Arinsal and Pal) and 50-100cm in Gradvalira (Soldeu and Pas de la Casa).
Eastern Europe
There has been significant snowfall in Eastern Europe transforming conditions in the region. Ski areas in Bulgaria have had up to 40cm of fresh snow in the last week and Bansko now has over a metre of snow lying on upper slopes and 10cm down at resort level. It's looking good in Romania too where Poiana Brasov has gone a 50-90cm base after another 25cm of fresh snow.
Scotland
Things are looking better than a week ago in Scotland although not brilliant. Four areas are currently open although at The Lecht and Cairngorm cover is very limited, Glenshee as there's not quite enough cover to open. Generally Glencoe and Nevis Range have had the best cover of the last week but Glencoe says it has lost its lower slopes and was closed due to strong winds on New Years Eve.
North America
Canada
Another snowy week in Canada with, once again, areas in Alberta and BC in the West seeing significant accumulations of up to 40cm in the last seven days. Bases at resorts like Fernie and Big White are now heading towards six-feet with 160cm plus lying on upper slopes and not a lot less at resort level. Whistler had another six incles of snow and is on 1.2m (four feet) on upper slopes. The weather was less favourable in the East with warmer temperatures and little fresh snow over Christmas but Blue Mountain in Ontario has reported 20cm of fresh snow in the last day.
USA
Resorts in Western USA have posted snowfalls of up to two feet (60cm) in the past week in Utah and Wyoming, while Colorado areas have typically added another 30cm to their bases. Snow depths are looking very healthy indeed for the end of December with Snowbird at 196cm, less than two inches below the two metre mark. It was less good news in New England however with little new snow and warm temperatures over Christmas week although temperatures have recently dropped there too.