Galdhopiggen, Norway, probably the most northerly slopes open today...
Europe's hot, New Zealand's waiting for snow.
The Snow Headlines - July 20th
- Saas-Fee opens for 23-24 ski season with slopes open to all.
- Argentina's Catedral has 95km of slopes open now.
- The last of the three French summer ski centres, Tignes, closes this weekend.
- Some snowfall in New Zealand eases poor start to the season.
- Norway's Galdhopiggen reports fresh snowfall as southern Europe suffers heatwave.
Snow in the forecast for New Zealand - but will it arrive?
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World Overview
Winter 2023 continues to generate an improving picture for skiers in the southern hemisphere.
Although there has not been fresh snow reported in Australia this last week, it's here that conditions are generally best with most centres either fully open, or close, following the good start to the season here in the latter half of June and first half of July.
It's more of a mixed picture in South America with few areas reporting big base depths yet but the largest, Argentina's Catedral, is now about 80% open and reporting good conditions.
New Zealand continues to lag behind the rest, still waiting for a big snowfall to really get the season going, but some light-moderate snowfalls in recent days and good snowmaking conditions mean there's gradually more terrain opening.
In the northern hemisphere, it has been mostly about the heat in the US and the Alps but half a dozen ski centres remain open nonetheless. By contrast, the one ski area open in Scandinavia reported fresh snowfall earlier this week as it's much cooler up there.
Southern Hemisphere
Australia
Australia has had a quieter week after the heavy snowfall the weekend before last.
The weather has been predominantly sunny instead, although snow showers were reported at Ben Lomond in Tasmania last weekend and midweek in New South Wales and Victoria. Snow was falling as we published this week's report on Thursday.
Temperatures have continued to drop well below freezing overnight, allowing snowmaking systems to fire up, and conditions are reported to be good almost everywhere.
The largest resort, Perisher, is posting a 1m+ base on its upper slopes and around 50km of open slopes, the second most in the world at present.
New Zealand
The season is still not really taking off in New Zealand but it's an improving picture. The first month of the season has seen temperatures often warmer than ski areas need for snowmaking or natural snowfall and when it has been cold there's not been much snow. So the winners have been those with high terrain and snowmaking with most club fields still yet to open.
The past week has seen colder temperatures and the past few days some light to moderate snow showers and most of the commercial fields are open and adding a kilometre or two more terrain every few days.
Coronet Peak has managed to open the most; about 80% of its terrain now despite only posting a max 30cm base! Mount Hutt is not far behind and Turoa on the North Island, which has had the best of the natural snowfall, is the first to report a base of over a metre.
Unfortunately, the next few days are looking warm again, with +10C possible before temperatures dip again next week.
South America
Argentina
A mixed picture still in Argentina, with Catedral, the continent's largest ski area near Bariloche, now posting over 95km of slopes open, by far the largest in the world at present and the first time any area has got close to 100km open since early May.
Most of the country's ski areas now have 60-80% of their terrain open and base depths of 40-80cm, but Las Leñas is lagging behind with about 40% of its runs open so far and only a base depth of 10-30cm. Up above the open lifts though the snow is reported to be 3-4 metres deep.
Chile
Conditions are slowly improving in Chile, although there has not been much fresh snowfall to report this week.
The main thing has been cold temperatures, as low as -10C, so centres with snowmaking have been able to run these at maximum capacity if they wish. There have though been some light snowfalls reported.
Valle Nevado has the most terrain open in the country, now up to 75% of its maximum.
Portillo also has 75% of its runs open and is reporting one of the deepest bases in the southern hemisphere at 113 cm up top. Temperatures are expected to stay mostly below freezing for the coming week but again with little fresh snow forecast in the north.
Further south though Nevados de Chillan should see some decent accumulations.
Africa
There have been cold temperatures – as low as -10C overnight and perfect for snowmaking – on Southern Africa's highest slopes. Alas, the ski lifts are still not running at Afriski in Lesotho and Tiffindell in South Africa appears permanently closed. So it's still just sledging possible at present.
Europe
Alps
The summer heat that has seen temperatures top +40C in cities has been hitting the Alps hard with +30C in valleys and afternoon highs of +10C even at glacier height.
So the snow cover is thawing but fortunately, there is much more snow lying from the cold and wintery spring, so things continue to look much better than they were a year ago. That's reflected in Saas Fee opening for summer skiing at the weekend reporting the snow is still lying more than two metres deep.
With Zermatt also open it means Switzerland now has two choices for summer skiing.
France is going in the other direction though with the last centre open for summer skiing there, Tignes, due to close for 2023 this weekend.
You can though still ski or board Hintertux in Austria and Passo Stelvio in Italy, both aiming to stay open but seeing their base depths reducing quickly at present. You can also ski the Zermatt glacier by taking lifts up from Cervinia.
Scandinavia
With first the Stryn and then the Fonna summer glacier ski areas closing, that leaves only the Galdhøpiggen summer ski area, home to Scandinavia's highest ski lift, still operational. The centre does report it still has 2 metres of snow ling so may make it through the warmer months this year to close out its 2023 at the start of November as planned, all being well.
Temperatures are much cooler here than in the Alps, much closer to freezing in recent days and weeks. The weather has been a mixture of rain, sleet and snow showers and sunny spells. Light snowfall was reported midweek just as temperatures passed +45C in some Italian cities to the south.
North America
Two ski areas remain open in North America as the US posts record high temperatures.
Although not in the 100F+ range it has been warm and sunny in the mountains of California, where Mammoth Mountain still has some terrain open, and Oregon where Timberline's Palmer Snowfield on Mt Hood also still has its lifts turning too. Each has between three and five miles of higher slopes still open with the aim of remaining so at least until the end of the month.
There is 4-6 feet of snow lying on higher runs that will hopefully last through to August now despite the warm temperatures.
There's no real change in the forecast but it is still getting down to the low 40s/low 50s Fahrenheit on the slopes overnight.