Messages posted by : admin
Hmm. Some cooling on the cards for the East (Austria) from the weekend and mid-week-ish for elsewhere. The models keep teasing with hints of snow later but it's all a bit unclear at the moment! Take shades and suncream, cover the miles and look at the views... 8) |
|
|
Week Ending March 14th, 2014
Snow Report Summary Little change to report this week, with the immediate outlook mostly more of the same (Spring) but with some scattered snow looking likely and (longer term) a possible breakdown of the current high pressure in a week or so. This Week's Headlines: * Almost no new snow in the Alps this week. * Heavy snow in Colorado and New England. * Passo Tonale in Italy first resort to claim a 6m/20ft base this season. * Niseko base hits 4m after another 60cm/two feet falls this week. It has been a much quieter week in most areas of the Northern Hemisphere this week, with the least fresh snow this season as skies have cleared and temperatures risen. There are exceptions, most notably Western North America, where more significant fresh snow accumulations have been reported in recent days. Eastern North America has also seen big accumulations of up to 60cm/two feet in the last 36 hours. In The Alps temperatures have reached double figures in many areas leading to Spring conditions but in most cases the heavy snow of January and February means there's plenty of snow cover to ensure continued operation through to the end of the season, even with no fresh snow. The good news is a fresh wave of snow with up to a foot of new snow expected in the coming days in parts. The Alps Austria There's been little or no fresh snow at Austrian resorts in the past seven days – instead wall-to-wall sunshine and at lower elevation ski areas temperatures hitting double digits positive Celcius have been the norm. The last significant snowfalls were typically 5 – 15cm just over a week ago. For higher elevation areas like the Kaunertal and Pitztal glaciers, both with 3.6m (12 foot) bases this is not a big problem, but already thin snow cover at low lying resorts such as the Skiwelt and Kitzbuhel where snow depth figures are nearer 50cm are being tested – particularly at lower elevation and in the afternoon. France No snow has been reported in France for the last seven days – it's the first time we've reported that this ski season! Fortunately the snow that fell in January and February means bases are good across most of the country – with Cauterets in the Pyrenees top with 3.6m of snow, Isola 2000 with 3.4m of snow and Flaine in the northern Alps with 3.1m of snow the country's three snowiest destinations. Across the French alps upper slope snow depths are good, with most having between 1.5 and 3m (5-10 feet) lying and substantial cover to low levels, with only Serre Chevalier (on 5cm) reporting thin cover at its base. Simon Halliwell of Powderama (powderama.com) ski school in Chamonix commented on conditions there, "Spring snow, but great on North facing slopes. Mush on south in the afternoons." Italy Italy has – like the rest of mainland Europe – reported zero fresh snow in the past week. That hasn't stopped summer ski resort Passo Tonale from claiming its upper slope base has risen to 6m/20 feet, something it does most seasons – although we're yet to see it ever hit 7m. Despite the lack of fresh snow, bases at Italian areas are very healthy, besides Passo Tonale, Madesimo reports a 5m base and most other leading areas have at least 1.8m (six feet) of snow on upper slopes, in many cases in the Dolomites (eg Cortina), double that, thanks to the huge snowfalls there earlier this winter. A return to snowier conditions in Italy is expected over the next week. Switzerland Switzerland completes the set of major Alpine nations with little or no snow reported in the last seven days. Andermatt remains top-of-the-Swiss-snow-depth table with a 4m base, with Engelberg and Saas Fee also boasting deep bases of 3.5 and 3.7 metres respectively. And in common with the rest of the alps, most other Swiss resorts have plenty of snow cover to last well in to April and beyond, even if fresh snow were not forecast. Pyrenees The snowfall has slowed in the Pyrenees after the very snowy first few days of March (and indeed January and February) but snow depths remain very healthy for the region and it seems likely many areas will remain open at least to late April and possibly in to May. Snow depths in Andorra are a very healthy 1.5m (five feet) on lower slopes and 3m (10 feet) at the top. Scandinavia There's been just a few centimetres of fresh snow on Scandinavian slopes in the past week, with Voss on the Norwegian Coast reporting the biggest snowfall – around 30cm falling. It was the exception however. But most areas are reporting healthy bases still, none more so than Lillehammer with its 2.5m upper slope coverage. In Finland and Sweden the totals are typically smaller – 60-90cm – but should be adequate to see them out to the end of the long northern latitude ski season in late April or, more commonly, early May. Eastern Europe The Far East of Europe is reporting some snow in the past week while most of the rest of the continent hasn't reported any, with Bansko claiming a full foot of fresh, much of it falling on Sunday/Monday at the start of this week. Other Bulgarian areas have had smaller but significant falls too. Conditions remain moderate in the region with 1 to 1.5m of snow lying on the slopes. Scotland Scottish ski conditions remain excellent at four of the five centres. After windy conditions last weekend it has been a week of warm temperatures, light winds and cloudless blue skies – perfect in fact. Snow cover continues to be excellent for most areas, with Nevis Range and Glencoe on the West and Cairngorm looking particularly good with 3m/10 feet plus snow depths. Glencoe's nearly 5m base remains one of the three deepest in the world at present. However The Lecht is the exception with bare patches on its pistes – it is currently closed until the weekend when it hopes to re-open some terrain. North America Canada It's been a moderate snowfall week across Canada with around 45cm reported on the west coast at whistler (and similar falls elsewhere in BC) and up to 40cm on the East Coast in Quebec too with Mont Sutton down by the US border in the south of the province doing especially well. Fernie now tops the country's snow depth table on Just over 3m having received another 540cm+ of fresh powder this week, fellow BC resort Revelstoke is in second place with 60cm/two feet less. USA The US has been reporting the biggest snowfalls in the world this week, with initially Colorado resorts like aspen reporting 30cm falls in 24 hours earlier in the week and most recently accumulations of up to 60cm overnight reported in New England on the Eastern side with Stow one ion the areas posting the biggest snowfalls in the last day or so. Jackson Hole, which has had another 40cm of snow this week, reports the deepest snow in the country at 3.5m but Alyeska in Alaska has had the biggest snowfall in the country, and indeed the world, in the last seven days – some 93cm (over three feet). |
|
That should sort things out. You never see groups of plumbers sitting across the piste... 8) |
|
TR - Hemsedal, Norway, late Feb 2014, family of four reasonable intermediates
Started by User in Scandinavia, 7 Replies |
|
|
Great write-up - thank you!
Any pictures? |
|
|
Kelly Gallagher wins Britains first ever Winter Paralympic Gold
Picture (c) Getty Images Team GB's Paralympic Skiers bagged two more medals this morning, with Kelly Gallagher (and her guide Charlotte Evans) taking Gold and Jade Etherington (with her guide Caroline Powell) taking the bronze in the Visually Impaired Super-G.
Both skiers have severely impaired vision and rely on guides who they ski behind on the course. This was Jade's second medal of the Games, having taken Silver in the Downhill on Saturday. From the BBC :-
|
|
|
PR from Kühtai - this sounds fun
Spring is underway, but that does not mean that the winter is over, yet! Just in time for the official start of springtime, Nordica and Mercedes-Benz will bring a brand-new and action-loaded Opening Event for everyone to Kuehtai in the Tyrolean Alps. Free ski testing of the upcoming Nordica products 2014/2015, freebie coaching sessions in all terrains, from park to slopes and up to backcountry with Nordica riders and Olympian competitors like Bene Mayr, Anais Cardeux and Luca Tribondeau and the very exclusive Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC Winterdriving will be on the cards for the inaugural Nordica All Mountain Spring Opening Event in Kuehtai. A great highlight of the evening, the Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC Nightshow powered by Nordica Freeskiers will guarantee goose bumps and adrenaline at the end of the day! Party animals can keep on celebrating the start of the best season of the year with the Wax Wreckaz DJ Set until early morning. Everything for free, of course! This winter has been challenging so far! No matter, if you are facing four metre powder loaded faces in the East Tyrolean Alps, icy slopes in Nothern Tyrol, perfectly groomed slopes or well shaped snowparks all over Europe, with the right skis, there are no wrong conditions! This is Nordica All Mountain! On March 22nd 2014, Nordica is going to host an action-loaded day at the Tyrolean resort of Kuehtai, offering the full range of products of the upcoming season 2014/2015 for free testing. Some of the best Nordica athletes will be on hand for freebie coaching sessions in park, backcountry and on the slopes. Pick your discipline and get registered in advance by E-Mail to nic@nordica.at. You are more than welcome to experience some offroading fun on the Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC Winterdriving course. Whoever has choice, has torment. The full 4x4 Mercedes-Benz range from G, M, to GLK and GLA class will be available on the 22nd of March in Kuehtai for you. The Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC Nightshow powered by Nordica Freeskiers will be the absolute highlight of the evening. Starting off at 8.00 p.m., the Nordica riders will deliver you an amazing show of goose bumps and adrenaline. And again, free entrance for everyone! The schedule of your perfect day out with family and friends at a glance: 10.00 a.m. – 04.00 p.m.: Skitest – test the new Nordica Ski collection 14/15 10.00 a.m. – 04.00 p.m: Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC Winterdriving for everybody 10.00 a.m. – 04.00 p.m: Freeride und Freestyle Coachings by professional Nordica Riders please register at: nic@nordica.at 08.00 p.m. – 09.00 p.m: Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC Nightshow powered by Nordica Freeskiers 9.00 p.m. - open end: Party with the Wax Wreckaz DJ-Set Stay & Sleep? You want to stay right at Kuehtai, get relaxed and enjoy the nightshow and party after an exciting day skiing & Winterdriving? Book your packages right now by E-Mail to nic@nordica.at First come, first served! Nordica and partners will provide you a full day of excitement! Partners: Nordica, Tourism Association and Cable Car Company Kuehtai, Mercedes-Benz 4MATIC, Retterwerk, Red Bull and Garmin. All info and updates on: https://www.facebook.com/nordica.all.mountain |
|
|
PR from Les Deux Alpes - if you've not yet enjoyed late-season skiing; here are some great examples of the variety of activities made possible by the longer days and milder nights
After big snowfalls throughout February and early March and skiing on the glacier at 3600m, Les 2 Alpes is a great choice for spring skiing with the resort open until Saturday 26th April. With warmer temperatures and longer days plus quiet slopes, late March and April is the perfect time to hit the slopes. Les 2 Alpes boasts 410 hectares slopes, 89 pistes , skiing between 3600 and 1300 meters and at present has 75 cm of snow at 1600m (station), 180 cm at 2600m (Tura) and 220 cm at 3200m (the glacier). SPRING SKIING IN LES 2 ALPES: Flexible stays : In spring it is possible to find accommodation from 2-7 nights or more Free skiing : 5 ski slopes at the base of the mountain offer free skiing for beginners Ski in, ski out : There are plenty of options in Les 2 Alpes for ski in, ski out accommodation Facebook: The new Facebook app Les 2 Alpes "Ski friends" offers discounts on ski passes for the day or 6 days and makes it really easy to buy your ski pass: https://apps.facebook.com/skientreamis/ . THINGS TO DO: FREERIDE ATTITUDE - Transceiver Training Every Tuesday skiers and snowboarders can learn how to travel safely in the mountains and practice safe off piste. FREERIDE ATTITUDE is free and each session involves a lesson in how to practice off-piste , how to use avalanche safety equipment ( transceiver , shovel, probe) and it is run by professionals. April 20 - ROAST BEEF RAIL JAM A Rail Jam contest held in Les 2 Alpes snowpark to mark the end of the winter. Skiers and snowboarders compete in teams of three . Open to English and French riders for a fun day in the Snowpark. April 19 to 21 - JUNIOR Foliz The event JUNIOR Foliz is back in Les 2 Alpes for the Easter holidays . Saturday 19 April to Monday 21 April, it will be the 8th edition. It involves shows , workshops and artistic discoveries , treasure hunts and stories for juniors aged 6 to 12 and their families. SPRING AT NIGHT : SKI TOURING - AN UNFORGETTABLE EVENING OF DISCOVERY In a ski resort , there are many leisure pursuits, but ski touring by moonlight is a unique way to experience the resort. Les 2 Alpes Mountain Guide office offers night time ski touring open to all: Tuesday, March 11 (40 euro) and Tuesday, March 25 for good skiers (50 euro) Rates include the loan of equipment, supervision of mountain guides and meals. EVENING FULL MOON SKI ... An unforgettable evening with the "Full Moon Party ". Ascend to the glacier restaurant at sunset with skiing on the glacier from 5pm to 7pm followed by dinner and music. To finish off, descent by snowcat or by skiing in the light of the moon ... (50 €). Monday, March 17 and Tuesday, April 15, 2014, at 16h in the gondola " Jandri Express " EVENING OF WINE TASTING AND SKIING The restaurant at altitude LE DIABLE AU CŒUR offers wine tasting followed by a ski descent with an ESF instructor or piste basher for non-skiers ( from 17:15 to 22h, 130 euro per person) . - March 12 – Introduction - March 19 - Wines of the Rhone Valley - March 26 - Wine and Cheese You can find out more about Les Deux Alpes right here on J2Ski, including the latest snow conditions and of course accommodation and hotels. |
|
|
Week Ending March 7th, 2014
Snow Report Summary For about the first time this winter, recent snows look to be giving way to clear and sunny high pressure conditions for the next week or so... so pack your sun-cream and get out to enjoy the impressive snow depths over most of The Alps! This Week's Headlines: * Huge snowfalls in Western USA, parts of the Western Alps and Pyrenees - up to 155cm in 7 days. * Scottish ski area claims more than a 5m base. * First snow of 2014 reported in New Zealand. Yet another week of moderate to heavy snowfall was reported from many parts of the ski world; with much of the Alps getting sizable fresh snow falls and bigger falls still reported in Western North America. Many resorts in the French and Italian alps posted 60-90cm (2-3 feet) and in some cases even more fresh snow in the last seven days. However the Pyrenees have come out top for big falls this week with Cauterets in the French Alps, often a "powder pocket" each season, reporting 30-40cm falls every 24 hours for several days over the weekend resulting in a remarkable 155cvm (over five foot) accumulation in the last week. Most other areas looks good; the Dolomites, Scotland, Eastern North America and Scandinavia in particular all continue to maintain good cover. And in the Southern Hemisphere reports have also come in of heavy snowfall on ski slopes in New Zealand more than three months before the season is due to kick off there, turning the mountains white. Paralympics - Sochi With the Paralympics beginning on Friday there does not appear to be a lot of difference to the conditions Paralympians will face compared to the weather at the Olympics themselves. It's been a dry-ish week with just 5cm of snow reported. The base up top is still just over 2m but at base level it has largely gone and there's about 10cm maintained snow. The Alps Austria Another mixed week for Austria with, once again, big snowfalls on higher slopes (another two feet/60cm reported by Obergurgl) but little or nothing at lower elevation resorts. So as has been the case for much of the season there's a big variety in snow conditions and depths across the country. At the upper end snow depths at glacier resorts like Hintertux and Pitztal have climbed further past the 3m mark to around 3.5m with 30-40cm accumulations this week, while at the bottom St Wolfgang had 5-30cm with no fresh snow for nearly a fortnight, Igls 20-60cm although it did have 5cm of fresh this week. France It's been a very snowy week across France and although the biggest accumulations were in the Pyrenees (See intro and Pyrenees section), there were some huge falls in the Alps too, with Courchevel a stand out at 90cm/3 feet of fresh stuff, but many other resorts reporting 2-3 feet – including Val d'Isere, Val Thorens and La Rosiere each with two feet of fresh. Snow depths look ever more healthy with more and more resorts in both alps and Pyrenees passing the 3m/10 feet base depth on upper slopes so looking great for the remainder of the season. Italy Italy is back to the huge snow falls it saw in December and January but this time the snow is a little more northerly and westerly – well the heaviest of it anyway, with Cervinia posting a metre of snow and other resorts in the Aosta Valley claiming 90cm (three feet) of fresh snow fallen. The snow decreases the further East you go though and in the dolomites it has just been 5 – 10m of fresh at most areas. Not a problem with the huge bases they've built up. Passo Tonale continues to claim the world's deepest snowbase atr 5.5m and reports and extra 50cm of snow this week,. Although this does not seem to have changed its depth tally. Madesimo remains (with Glencoe in Scotland) one of the other three in the world to currently claim 5m+ base. Switzerland Big snow in Switzerland too, especially at Saas Fee which has reported 90cm (three feet) of fresh snow and to have taken over the 'deepest snow in Switzerland for 2014' title from long-standing leader Andermatt, moving up to 4.43m while the latter stays in 4m. Saas Fee's snowfall total was also double that of neighbouring Zermatt at 45cm. Andermatt, resorts in the Jungfrau, Anzere and Villars were other winners with 30cm/a foot of fresh snow this week. In most of Switzerland bases are healthy at 2-4m+ on upper slopes so looking good for the rest of the 2014 season. Pyrenees A huge snowfall week in the Pyrenees with Cauterets in France in particular topping the world's chart for the last seven days with its 155cm. But most other ski regions in the southerly mountain chain reported massive falls too – albeit in the 60-120cm (2-4 feet) bracket. Andorran resorts all scored that with Soldeu in Grandvalira at the top end with 115cm. Scandinavia A quiet week in Scandinavia with little fresh snow reported – the biggest accumulations 10cm or so in western Norway. Finland has not reported any new snow in a fortnight and could do with some, in Sweden too the base at Are has not moved much from its 60cm standard all year. Lillehammer with 2.5m has the deepest base in Scandinavia still. Eastern Europe Competitions were cancelled in the Czech Republic this week due to too little snow to build terrain parks. It's similarly lacklustre in Slovenia but Bulgarian areas have reported a foot of fresh snow in the past week and are looking much better with bases typically around the metre mark. Scotland Scotland's remarkable 2014 continues. It just won't stop snowing and Glencoe is now claiming the second deepest snow pack in the world – and the deepest for a non-glacier resort, at 5.1m (17 feet). So the job of digging out lifts and runs remains ongoing. There's been 10-40cm of fresh snow across the country and bases at Cairngorm and Nevis Range are also above 10 feet/3m. The weather the usual mix of windy and snowy days or perfect blue sky days. Glenshee and the Lecht on the East both have good cover, the snow's just not as deep as in the West. North America Canada It has been another relatively snowy week in Western Canada with 30-40cm of fresh snow reported by moist resorts. Whistler was again one of the top scorers for new powder making up lost ground on the first half of the season. Big White, Fernie, Red Mountain and others all reported at least a foot too. As a result Fernie claims to have taken back the 'deepest snow in Canada' title from the Eastern resort of Mont Ste Anne, which had been tops for the past month or so. Fernie claims 280cm to Mont Sainte Anne's 275. There was fresh snow in Quebec too – just not so much, commonly 5-10cm. USA Some huge snowfalls in western USA this week, with both Jackson hole and Mammoth reporting around four feet (1.2m) of new snow. In Jackson Hole's case it has been heavy snow all winter andf it now tops the US snow depth table at 3.4m although will no doubt close as usual in the first week of April. Mammoth had a terrible start to the season with little snow until February but is rapidly gaining lost ground and may stay open well into spring as usual. Many other resorts in western North America reported big falls of 60-90cm too. On the east and in the Midwest there's been yet another super freeze with very low temperatures and not a whole lot of new snow with Stowe posting the most in New England at 22cm but for most areas it was just an inch or two this week. |
|