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Week Ending March 28th, 2014
Snow Report Summary The Alps Austria Conditions are completely transformed on Austrian slopes, particularly so in the north of the country where low lying areas were looking rather desperate as they tried to maintain snow cover down to resort on green hillsides in warm sunny weather. But the slopes of the Skiwelt, Kitzbuhel et al were turned white once again over the weekend after heavy snow made everything seem much more wintery. It's just a little ironic that many of them close this weekend or next, now they have the snow. Falls across the country were typically 40-60cm and in terms of the resorts that have bases above the 3m mark, the country's glacier areas which will be open in to the spring are lining up at the top of the table with Kaunertal, Pitztal, year-round Hintertux (which claimed a metre of fresh snow), Solden and the Kitzsteinhorn by Kaprun all up there. France Although they did not perhaps see quite as big falls as a little further East, French resorts are certainly not complaining with accumulations of up to 80cm (at Flaine) reported over the three days from Friday to Sunday. Although few of the big name French resorts had been suffering much of a snow shortage anyway because of their deep winter bases, the freshening up of the cover with most resorts still having at least a month of the season left was very welcome. Among the big winners there was over two feet of snow (65cm) at Val Thorens (where the season continues in to May) and nearly that much in Avoriaz, with 50cm at Chamonix. Most other resorts in the area reported at least 40cm and base depths remain healthy at 1.5 – 3m. After the snow finished in the Alps, Tuesday/Wednesday saw heavy snow in the Pyrenees with Cauterets adding 70cm in 48 hours and maintaining one of the deepest bases in France at 3.1m (over ten feet). Italy Italy has shared in the snowy bounty of the last seven days, with resorts across the country reporting accumulations of up to 70cm from the alps to the Dolomites. Cervinia in the west and Arabba in the east both reported around 60cm (two feet) of fresh snow. In between Livigno, Selva and Alagna were among the areas reporting snowfalls totalling at least 50cm. Italy continues to be the only country with a resort claiming a 6m/20 foot snow base (Passo Tonale) with 50cm of fresh snow this week. Madesimo still reports a 5m base, the world's second greatest this season. More snow is expected in the next week, particularly in the Alps/west of the country. Switzerland Swiss resorts again did well for fresh snow this week with up to 75cm of new cover reported and for the majority of resorts 30 – 60cm of new snow. Big name resorts posting around 50-60cm of fresh new cover include Verbier, Wengen, Klosters, Grindelwald and Murren. There's quite a range of snow depths in Switzerland now. Most have at least a metre on upper slopes and many 2-3 metres, but down in the valley snow cover is getting thin, or all gone, at resorts like Adelboden, Crans Montana, Leysin and Gstaad. Up top Andermatt is still reporting the country's deepest base at 4m. Pyrenees Great snow conditions continue in the Pyrenees which has had heavy snowfall during the first half of this week. French resorts (see France section) have had the most now snow but up to 25cm has been reported in Andorra and on the Spanish side where Baqueira Beret has extended its ski season, again, to the end of April and has a 325cm upper slopes base. In Andorra there's about a metre of snow on lower slopes and nearly 3m (10 feet) at the top of the runs. Scandinavia It's still snowing in Scandinavia, where resorts have seen some of the most consistent snowfall all season. There has been warm weather and rain at lower elevations too though, so bases are starting to drop in the southern half of the region. Lillehammer, for example, reports its base has dropped 40cm from 2.5 to 2.1m in the past week, despite receiving another 20cm of fresh snow. Voss, also in Norway, reported the most new snow with 30cm. The top Finnish resorts (Levi and Yllas) are up though, to around 80cm, with 10cm of fresh reported on Sunday across the country. Are in Sweden has also hit 80cm after getting nearly 20cm of new snow. Eastern Europe There's been little or no fresh snow in Eastern Europe since the first half of March, or in some cases February, so cover is getting decidedly thin on the ground, especially down at resort level. Bulgaria's Bansko and Borovets still have a metre base at the tops of the slopes at least so skiing is likely to continue in to April. Scotland Scottish ski centres are seeing some of their best days skiing at the moment – not so much because snow cover has improved, but because there seem to be fewer stormy days and more long blue-sky sunny days. There has, however, been plenty of fresh snow again at the start of the weekend and most runs are open at all centres except The Lecht which remains closed since the earlier thaw wiped out its base. On the western site of the country snow depths are particularly good with Cairngorm, Nevis Range and Glencoe reporting bases still of 2m – 4.2m. North America Canada There's been fresh snow reported across Canada with Whistler reporting nearly two feet (60cm) of new snow, 25cm of that in the past 24 hours. On the east Tremblant in Quebec has had 30cm of snow. Fernie has again reported the biggest snowfall though at nearly 60cm this week and has the country's deepest snowbase at 3.6m (12 feet). Elsewhere most Canadian resorts have also head healthy snowfalls too, with more in the west in recent days. There was 20cm of new snow overnight at Marmot Basin in Alberta for example, and 39cm of new snow in the past week. USA There's been moderate snowfalls over the past week in the USA, initially with 20-35cm falls in New England at the end of last week and now increasingly big snowfalls on the West, with Mt Baker, officially the world's snowiest resort, reporting a foot of snow in the past 24 hours and Alpine Meadows in California getting 25cm of new snow. Most US resorts now have at least 1.5 metres of snow on upper slopes with the deepest snow at Jackson Hole on 3.2m and 3.6m (12 feet) at the nearly year-round destination of Timberline on Mt Hood in Oregon which is good news for their opening schedule through to August. |
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Much as I'm happy to take credit for the efforts of others... that was courtesy of Pat-the-news-hound ... J2Ski brings you the news that matters... 8) I think we probably need a Tartiflette Index next? |
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Interesting write-up, thank you! Friends were there over New Year and the home runs were "carnage" at times... but that's the same in plenty of places.
Wasley - a lot of places "hold onto the weeks" for February but are usually much more flexible either side (January and March). Smaller hotels and pensions usually moreso. |
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At last... a J2Ski (b)romance... :lol:
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Well according to, er, us... you're looking at light rain mid to late afternoon, turning to sleet later and snow this evening and overnight. Looking like a big snowfall tomorrow and more Sunday. J2Ski Snow Forecast for Zermatt |
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Week Ending March 21st, 2014
Snow Report Summary - Incoming! Spring could be about to take a break... Anyone out in The Alps this week could have been forgiven for thinking that summer has arrived, let alone Spring... but a bit of a change is on the cards. Much of the area, particularly North and West, will see temperatures fall anything up to 15 degrees C by Monday - accompanied by heavy snow. Definitely worth watching the forecasts if you fancy a late-season blast in what looks like a good few days of freshies... this winter's not quite done with us yet. This Week's Headlines: * A second week with almost no snow in western Europe. * Heavy snow in western Canada and parts of USA. * Up to 30cm of fresh snow in Scandinavia. * Nearly a metre of snow at Fernie. * Cortina extends ski season in to May. * Heavy snow expected for the Western Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites in the next few days. It has been a second week of virtually no snow and unseasonably warm temperatures in western Europe which has had its effect on snow quality and snow depth - but in most cases has not had too serious impact on the number of runs open as there was a healthy base built up through the winter. Afternoon conditions have been decidedly sticky though! Some of the lower elevation resorts in Austria, which have had a challenging season, will just about scrape through to the end of their seasons at Easter. The good news is that as spring nears there is expected to be a drop in temperature and some healthy snowfalls - you know it makes sense... It has been a different story across the Atlantic with some heavy snowfalls - up to 90cm (threefeet) in 48 hours - in Western North America following big falls in the East of the continent last week (big snows again in Vermont this week). Alps Austria There's been very little new snow in Austria for a second week and with warm temperatures too the thin snowpack at some lower elevation areas is being severely tested. Few (low resorts) are expected to stay open beyond March 30th so only have another 10 days to get through and there's not much of a respite in the thaw expected in that time. Of course not all Austrian ski areas have short seasons and not all are low lying; let's not forget about half of Europe's summer ski destinations are in Austria and at resorts like Hintertux and Pitztal the snow is lying more than 10 feet (3m deep on upper slopes. But for Seefeld, Mayrhofen, the Skiwelt, Zell and Ziller and others there's a maximum of 50cm left on upper slopes and often nothing at resort level. France There's been zero fresh snow reported in France for a second full week but that's all about to change, the forecasters tell us, with the most optimistic expecting up to a metre to fall in the northern alps in the next seven days. As it is, despite the warm weather, snow cover is holding up at most French resorts thanks to big bases built up in the winter. The southern Alps and Pyrenees top the table with areas like Cauterets and Isola 2000 still having more than 3m/10 feet of snow lying on top, but most resorts still have at least 1.5m (five feet) up to 2.9m (nearly 10 feet of snow on upper runs. It's getting a bit thinner at lower traditional resorts like la Clusaz and les Gets at resort level but there's still a good foot or so on the lower pistes if not on the resort streets. Italy Italy, like France, has had no fresh snow in the past seven days, the same as the previous seven days. Snow depths have dropped slightly but Italy has been the snowiest major ski nation in Europe from December to February and the big bases that have built up will take a while to seriously diminish. Passo Tonale's base has dropped to 5.5m but remains the world's deepest, Madesimo is still on 5m. Snow depths are 1.5 – 3m at most other leading Italian resorts with Cortina d'Ampezzo announcing it is extending its season to May with its 3.1m base. Like France, substantial snowfall is expected in the next week. Switzerland Other than less than an inch of snow reported on Sunday at Arosa and Davos in the east of the country, it's the same story of a second week with little or no snow in Switzerland. Slope depths are a little less than in France and Italy, particularly on lower runs, with, for example, only 10-15cm at Grindelwald and Wengen, 15cm at Laax and Gstaad and only 5cm at Crans Montana. Higher up depths are healthier with typically 1.2-2.5m at Swiss resorts, although Andermatt remains one of the snowiest in the world with a reported 4m base. As with France and Italy, heavy snow is expected in Switzerland too. Pyrenees There's been no snow since March 5th in the Pyrenees, when a foot of snow fell in Andorra. But the snow cover remains excellent with up to five feet (1.5m) at resort level and double that at the top of the slopes. Arcalis in Vallnord has the deepest snow at 1.9 to 2.9m and all areas expect a foot or so o fresh snow in the coming week. Scandinavia Scandinavian ski areas have been posting the biggest snowfalls in Europe over the last seven days – up to a foot (30cm) at resorts including Voss in Norway and are and Funasdalen in Sweden. All aim to open until early May so that's good news for another six weeks of the spring ski season. Eastern Europe After last week's snowfall in Bulgaria there's been no further fresh falls reported in Eastern Europe. Bulgarian ski areas are in quite good shape, on upper slopes at least with at least a metre reporting to be lying, although at resort level it is pretty much all gone at Bansko. Scotland After a great season for snow, a less great season for gales and storms (too many), Scottish ski slopes have at last been suffering from the thaw and warm temperatures of the past 10 days or so. That's not to say the very deep snow isn't still pretty deep in places at Cairngorm, Glencoe and Nevis Range as there's so much lying, but it has been getting sticky and brown patches appearing. The situation is worse on the East where The Lecht has almost no snow and Glenshee is battling with mother nature to keep slopes open. However things are set to pick up towards the end of this week with colder weather moving in at last after the latest storm. North America Canada Canada has been the snowiest nation on earth over the last seven days with Fernie clocking up three feet, three inches (97cm) of fresh snow but many other resorts in Alberta and BC each adding 50-70cm to their bases too. Whistler reports 55cm of new snow. Fernie continues to have the deepest snow in the country at 3.3m (11 feet). Less snow was reported on the Eastern side of the country but it's still falling there too – 20cm for Mont Ste Anne and 10cm at Temblant. USA There have been substantial snowfalls across the United states with the Northwest seeing the biggest snowfalls – up to a metre in the last week (reported by Big Sky, Montana). Jackson Hole added 55cm of snow and has a 350cm base, still one of the country's deepest. Resorts in Utah report similar accumulations, in Colorado more like a foot. On the east Coast in Vermont Stowe and Smugglers Notch have both reported 60cm plus of fresh snowfall. |
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Not even slightly insane... no sireee... :shock:
Definitely worth cranking up to HD and watching in full screen for the full effect. |
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This. We're "only" at mid-March and this season may yet have a sting in its tail... well, hope so anyway... 8) |
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