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J2Ski Snow Report - November 13th 2014

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

This Week's Headlines
- Andermatt, Crans Montana and Davos aim to open this weekend.
- Up to a foot of fresh snow in Colorado.
- Kvitfjell first area to Open in Norway.
- World Cup racing in Finland this weekend.
- Five areas open in Alberta, Canada from this weekend.
- 2014 season ends in southern hemisphere.

The heavy snow in the Alps a week ago did not quite live up to the cataclysmic volumes some forecasters predicted, but none-the-less many of the already-open glaciers received a 30-60cm boost to their bases and big queues were reported as locals tried to get some early 2014-15 season powder on the glaciers.

Some got more than a metre on top of similar accumulations a fortnight previously. The snow hasn't stopped either at many areas with resorts reporting smaller but still significant accumulations in recent days.

Elsewhere there's been fresh snow in many areas across North America too, with resorts in Western Canada and the US reporting significant fresh snowfall too. A foot of fresh snow has been reported in Colorado high spots over the past 72 hours

In the forecast

More snow, across a wide area, is expected in The Alps and Pyrenees this coming weekend, although temperatures remain on the mild side at present. There are strong hints in the forecast of cooling temperatures toward the end of November, with regular snow (at altitude at least) in many ski areas.

The Alps
Austria
Obergurgl becomes the first non-glacier resort to open in Austria today (Thursday 13th November).

Virtually the full area will be open thanks to all the fresh snow received over the past three weeks (the base is reported at 10-60cm), as will its neighbour Solden's ski area, extending now beyond the core glacier runs too. Austria's seven other glacier ski areas are all in full operation too.

Molltal reports the deepest snow depth at 2.4m – with 40cm of fresh snow this week. Elsewhere the Stubai, Pitztal, Kitzsteinhorn, and Hintertux glaciers have 1m to 1.8m bases while the Dachstein and Kaunertal have 40cm and 70cm bases respectively. Obertauern expects to open next week, making Austria the first country in Europe to get in to double figures for open areas in 2015.

France
Tignes remains the only ski area open in France for one more week. It's scheduled to be joined in a week's time by Val Thorens opening for its near six month season on the 22nd November. Tignes has reported a foot (30cm) of fresh snow in the last seven days but its base on the glacier is still only reported to be 40cm.

Italy
Italy's Solda ski area opened last week thanks to all the fresh snow, the first non-glacier area in the Alps to do so. It joins Cervinia (which reported 40cm of new snow on Thursday 13th November – although that may be due to a delay since the last measurement rather than all in the last 24 hours), Val Senales and the Presena Glacier which are all boasting snow depths around the 2m mark on upper slopes (for Solda its nearer 75cm). One of the country's spring and summer ski areas, Passo Stelvio, has closed however.

Switzerland
Zermatt, Europe's highest ski area, announced 10cm of fresh snow had fallen on Wednesday freshening up the slopes only a few days after the latest big falls allowed the famous resort to extend its open terrain beyond its glacier. Its neighbour Saas Fee has done likewise extending its open terrain down the mountain. Other open glacier areas in good shape include Glacier 3000 above Les Diablerets and the Diavolezza glacier in the Swiss Engadin close to St Moritz. Engelberg's glacier ski area is also scheduled to re-open this weekend after a 10 day 'maintenance closure' and Verbier's skiing on Mont Fort is open at weekends only for another fortnight until the official opening date. Andermatt, Crans Montana and Davos aim to open this weekend.

Scandinavia
It's a big weekend coming up in Finland as Levi is scheduled to host the first World Cup ski racing. It and Ruka remain the two areas open in Lapland, with a handful of key runs on offer from each.
Meanwhile in Norway Kvitfjell, one of the Lillehammer ski area resorts, is the first in the country to open. It reports a 30cm base with plenty of fresh snow falling.

North America
Canada
Whistler posted pictures and video this week showing a pro boarder and skier enjoying deep powder on its slopes, more than two weeks before its scheduled opening date in a fortnight's time. The images were captured on Monday 10th November.

But it's ski areas in Alberta that have been leading the way in terms of opening their slopes to the general public. Mt Norquay and Lake Louise were first to open in the country a week ago, they're due to be joined by the this Banff ski area, Sunshine, as well as Marmot Basin to the north and Calgary's local ski area, Nakiska this weekend. That will mean five Albertan ski areas are open and there's been fresh snow at many of them.

USA
Fresh snow has been reported in most mountainous areas of the USA in the past week.
Colorado has the most areas open for any one state and Arapahoe Basin, which was the first to open nearly a month ago now, has been reporting 10cm snowfalls for each of the past three days and overall up to a foot of new snow has been reported in the Colorado Rockies this week so far. Loveland, Keystone and Copper are all open too. In California two areas are open at lake Tahoe – Boreal and Mt Rose and there's also Timberline in Oregon.

Among the latest areas to open over on the East Coast are Sugarloaf in Maine last weekend, joining Sunday River and Attitash which has taken the title of 'first to open in New Hampshire for 14-15' Killington in Vermont is another New England option. There's also been snow in the MidWest where wild mountain remains open in Minnesota and two areas are also open in North Carolina.

Southern Hemisphere
The last ski area still open for 2014 south of the equator, Turoa on Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand, has closed for the season after its last day on Sunday 9th November. This was despite pleas from its fans to stay open longer after heavy snowfall last week. It closes with a 1.6m snow depth.

Ouch.

For future reference... if you take the Geneva road into Switzerland (through the border and the tunnel under the runway) from Ferney, there's a BP garage about 1km up on the right. Used to be cheaper than French petrol but I've not compared prices for a few years. IIRC it has payment by card at the pump too, although I don't think I've ever found it closed.

Kimmo wrote:if that thing makes me dodgy so it makes.

No worries here - welcome to J2Ski, Kimmo.

I don't recognize it myself - how big a place was it?

I'm not sure which is funnier...

...the fact that they got away with it for so long, or that they actually thought they would get away with it (listed competitors not even there, weather so bad, etc.).

You have to ask how it took the FIS quite so long to catch on.

So, can she really play the violin? :lol:

Brucie wrote:Tanks are harder to come by

First unexpected coffee/keyboard interface of the day, git! :lol:

To answer the OP...

It'll depend on which ski area you want to head for. To give you an idea of the transfers available, see this page on J2Ski - Transfers from Bergamo. Hope that helps.

Right, bit of a catch-up rolled out this morning...

We've added the following to the Snow Reports by e-mail options :-

Cerro Bayo, Argentina
Dobbiaco, Italy (for StelP, Ps1)
Hakuba 47 (Snowhog)
Happo One, Japan
Kolsass Weer, Austria (for Andy Champ)
Loveland Ski Area (for Poney)
Mount Hood Meadows (for drjomeehan)
Murau, Austria (for BlackBlimp)
Myoko Pine Valley, Japan (for Skichanger)
Nozawa Onsen, Japan (for WPlunkett, Snowhound8, Terra, Georgeferns)

And various other requests...

Jenreth wrote:Riksgränsen, Sweden?

Is on the list.

StanD wrote:I would like to add Superbagneres to my profile but cannot find it in the list.

Is "Luchon - Superbagnères".

Marcel Maszni wrote:I'm traveling to Italy to ski in Vale Aosta.
There are other slopes available and Montblanc is close too.
But I can not find Montblanc or Monte Bianchi!

Select either "Aosta Valley" or "Courmayeur",

jdeskelson wrote:Oops... correct spelling is: Molltaler Glacier

It's "Molltal Gletscher - Flattach" on our list

Goral wrote:I'm looking for report for Prolognan and Massif du Vercors in France.

Is "Pralognan la Vanoise" on the list

Bridget Norris wrote:Please can you add Arinsal in Andorra.

It's "Pal-Arinsal", per TatraMan's very handy explanation above.

mrsgordon312011 wrote:Looking for Massaunutten snow reports

Massanutten is now on the list.


Only a minority of ski areas have started reporting regularly, but if there's any others you'd really like (and you've carefully checked the list to make sure we don't already cover it!), we'll see what we can do... 8)

Picture courtesy gbtelemark.co.uk

BRITISH TELEMARK SKIER, JASMIN TAYLOR, AIMING FOR FURTHER WORLD CUP SUCCESS

Jasmin Taylor, two-time British Champion and Telemark World Cup silver medallist will start her 2014/15 winter campaign in just a few weeks time at the opening FIS World Cup race in Hintertux, Austria.

Since damaging her MCL in March, training for the Junior World Championships, Jasmin has enjoyed an active summer. In September, she was nominated for the prestigious Suffolk Sport Personality of the Year Award and following a public vote, took runner-up position at the award ceremony held at Trinity Park, Ipswich. Jasmin also enrolled on a part-time BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science degree at University Campus Suffolk, she commented; "I've always been interested in the many physiological and psychological factors affecting elite athletes in training and competition. Studying has also given me another focus while I continue training for the 2014/15 World Cup season, which can only be healthy!"

With on-snow training well underway, Jasmin has teamed up with British Development Team member, Louis Hatchwell, in Tignes where they've been finding their feet after the long summer break. For the last few winters Jasmin has been coached by French trainer Seb Mansart and will continue working with him this season and in preparation for the World Champions in Steamboat Springs, USA in February 2015.

This season Jasmin will be looking to get ahead in the early races – gaining valuable World Cup points that will lower her World ranking from 7th and also boost all important FIS points.

British Telemark's Jack Harvard Taylor commented, "Since Hintertux was introduced to the World Cup circuit just last season, we see teams commencing their on-snow training earlier and earlier in the year."

"These early races are a good indication of how well athletes have prepared in the pre-season however there is there is still plenty of time over the Christmas period and before the World Cup picks-up again in Bad Hindelang, Germany".

With continued support from Trowers & Hamlins, Landwood Group, LaserLife and TDS Safeguard Jasmin heads into the new season full of optimism and confidence she has her Kneissl skis and Scarpa boots all dialled in.

This Forum is only for individuals to post about positions they are looking for. Anything else will be removed.

If you're looking for a seasonal/winter job, just write a short post here - there's no need to post your name (this is a public area) but give a brief precis of the job(s) you're looking for and able to do, where you'd prefer to work and a quick summary of your skills (inc. languages) and experience. Nationality and work permit status will be required by any employer so best to indicate those too.

Good luck!