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CORRECTION
The first release of our June report stated that Val d'Isere would be opening for summer skiing shortly. Sadly, that's not the case;
https://www.valdisere.com/en/activites/summer-skiing/ Thanks to our friends over at Skipedia for pointing that out! |
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J2Ski Snow Report June 2022
Snow in the car park for Perisher, Australia - opening this weekend! Southern hemisphere winter is coming! The Snow Headlines - June 2022 - Southern hemisphere season starting imminently, closest to 'normal' for 3 years. - International skiers able to return to southern hemisphere for first time since 2019. - Australia's ski season starting a week early thanks to pre-season snowstorm. - Killington extends season into June for first time since 1990s. - Vaccination certificates not required in the Andes but evidence of full insurance is. - Some ski areas in the Alps and Western US close due to heat, others extend seasons. - Big pre-season snowfall in Argentina raises anticipation. - Snowfall in Alps and western North America for final weekend of May. - Only summer-ski-only ski area in US decides not to open in 2022. - Blackcomb glacier to open for summer skiing for first time since 2019. Excitement is building in the southern hemisphere as the 2022 season draws near. Afriski in Lesotho and Whakapapa in New Zealand are expected to be among the first to open, on the first weekend of June, thanks to their snowmaking efforts. The biggest news is that one of the southern hemisphere's largest centres, Perisher in Australia, is to open a week early, for the first weekend of June, with the country currently being hit, with perfect timing, by a major pre-season snowfall. Elsewhere decent snowfalls and cold weather have been reported in the major ski regions of New Zealand, the Andes and Southern Africa. Most ski areas here will open from the second-weekend of June onwards with the majority of the 100 or so ski areas on the southern side of the equator expected to be operational by the end of the month. For most of these ski nations this will (hopefully) be the first nearly normal ski season for three years. At the start of this winter all southern hemisphere ski areas are open to international travellers again, although some restrictions are in place - varying from country to country. Some will only allow arrivals from certain nations at present, others will only allow those with vaccination evidence and others still require arrivals to have evidence of comprehensive travel insurance in place before they're allowed to enter the country. In the northern hemisphere about two-dozen ski areas remain open for June skiing in Asia, Europe and North America. Hot weather in the Alps led to the early closure of a few glaciers like the Kaunertal and Stubai which had planned to stay open into June, but others are still open so far. There was fresh snowfall reported down to quite low levels for the final weekend of May too. North America meanwhile has seen a real roller coaster with +90F/30C temperatures followed by several feet of snowfall in the Rockies. This led some areas to close earlier than expected, others to announce extended seasons. There was more snowfall for the country's Memorial Day long-holiday weekend on the last Monday of May. 
Australia, New Zealand and South America on the radar for snow...
Southern Hemisphere We're at that exciting but difficult-to-predict point in the year when the southern hemisphere's season is about to start but we're not quite clear how good the opening month is going to be. The early signs have been generally promising, with pre-season snowfall and temperatures low enough for snowmaking at the end of May in Australia, the Andes, New Zealand and Lesotho. But whether that remains the case over the next few weeks is they key issue. So far it's looking fairly good – particularly in Australia where a major storm straddling the end of May and start of June is expected to bring 50-80cm of snowfall to New South Wales and Victoria leading to early opening announcements for Perisher so far with more possibly following. The Andes too have had some good snowfalls over the past week. As it stands, Whakapapa in New Zealand should be the first to go, opening its Happy Valley snow fun area this Friday, 3rd June, with Afriski in Lesotho and now Perisher in Australia opening their slopes the next day. After that, currently, in terms of full ski area openings, Charlotte Pass in Australia and Mt Hutt are looking at the Friday of the weekend after, the 10th, with most Aussie areas along with Cardrona in New Zealand following the same weekend. Then the first in the Andes and the rest over the following weekends through June and into July. The Alps It seems to have got hotter earlier than ever in the Alps this years with temperatures hitting +30C in the middle of May, although we did get back to snowfall down to about 2,000m which interrupted some summer operations at the start of the month. So it's a bit of a roller coaster for the summer ski centres, particularly after not great snowfall figures last winter. We start June with three ski areas that would usually be open at this point in the year in Austria, the Molltal, Stubai and Kaunertal glaciers, closed to skiers. The Kaunertal and Stubai both usually end their eight-month seasons early in June anyway but decided to close a fortnight early in mid-May this year because of the snow issues. The Molltal, Carinthia's only summer ski centre, has been increasingly problematic with its opening over the past few years and has now announced it won't attempt to open until September/October. In better news the summer ski season has started, on the last weekend of May, in France and Italy, neither of which had anywhere open in the latter part of last month. Les 2 Alpes re-opened, with Europe's largest summer ski glacier, including a new blue run this summer, as did Passo Stelvio. The French glacier at Tignes will re-open for summer skiing later this month, on the 18th of June, and Cervinia will also be providing access to glacier skiing shared with neighbouring Zermatt, at the end of the month. Otherwise the centres already open and set to stay open, all being well, right through June include Hintertux and the Kitzsteinhorn in Austria and Zermatt in Switzerland. Crans Montana, still celebrating from being awarded the 2027 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships a few days ago, currently has a small area at the top of its glacier open but plans to end their long seasons on the first weekend of this month. Northern Europe In Scandinavia Europe's most northerly major ski area, Riksgransen, ended its 2022 season on the final weekend of May and has said it won't do its traditional reopening for midsummer's weekend in June. We do have Norway's three summer ski centres to choose from this month however – three is actually the most any northern hemisphere country is likely to offer in June, matching France (by the end of the month) and only beaten by the USA (at the start of the month), with Austria and Italy down to two and Switzerland and Japan just one a piece. The Fonna and Galdhoppigen glaciers are already open for their 2022 seasons with Fonna posting the deepest base in the world at present at more than eight metres. The third centre, Stryn, should be open as of the 1st of June. North America There was really yoyoing weather in North America in the latter half of May, perhaps most noticeably measured around the weekend of the 21st/22nd when temperatures in the Colorado Rockies went from 90F to below freezing in 24 hours, followed by a record-for-time-of-year 16" (40cm) snowfall. This happened a week after Breckenridge and Snowbird had ended their seasons a fortnight earlier than planned due to the hot weather and fast thaw. Another variation came further north with the sole summer-only ski area in the US, Beartooth Basin on the Wyoming/Montana stateline (formerly Red Lodge) announcing it won't open in 2022 due to lack of snow, while Timberline in Oregon, the only ski area in North America likely to stay open throughout June, reported a much better than average 5 metre (16 foot) snow depth on its Palmer summer snowfield. There was more snowfall for the final weekend of June in the USA, ironically the heaviest, up to three feet, reported for Beartooth Basin where drivers were trapped in cars as roads were blocked by the unseasonal snowfall. All that being said, where's open for June 2022? Well as we start the month there aren't many survivors and it's not clear how long those currently open will stay open, but besides Timberline we still have lifts turning and slopes open at Mammoth in California, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Crystal Mountain in Washington state, which recently announced it would stay open two more weekends than originally planned, to mid-May, reporting it has had 10 feet (3 metres) of snowfall in April and May. North of the border, in Canada, Whistler is due to re-open for skiing on the Blackcomb Glacier for the first time in three years from the 11th, although only those enrolled in camps can ski at this time. Killington in Vermont has also announced it plans to re-open for skiing on the first weekend of June, it's latest opening for 25 years. Asia Japan's Gassan summer ski area, which relies on a build up of winter snow to open through spring and early summer is currently open with about a 4 metre snowpack remaining as we start June (half what it was when it opened for the season in early April) which should be enough for it to remain open daily throughout June. |
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J2Ski Snow Report 1st May 2022
Super early snow for Cerro Catedral, Argentina, got their season started! April snow in both hemispheres! The Snow Headlines - 1st May - April ends with fresh snowfall in the Alps, Pyrenees and across North America. - Ski area in Argentina claims earliest ever opening to kick off 2022 Southern Hemisphere season. - Pre-season snowfalls in southern hemisphere, a month before the 22 season starts. - World's deepest reported May base is 8 metres in Japan's only summer ski area. - Whistler Blackcomb to re-open for summer skiing/boarding for first time since 2019. - More snowfall in US west in April 2022 than in January to March combined. - Southern hemisphere ski areas accessible to international guests again after 3 years. The northern hemisphere's 21-22 winter season is drawing to a close in a much more positive light than when it started; with most of the world's main ski destinations, except Japan, open to travellers. And in the south, some unusually early snow opened the season in South America. 
It's late, it's high... but it's still coming!
World Overview Europe About 100 centres remain open in the northern hemisphere as we start May but about half of those will close on May 1st at the end of the ski day (today) and half of the remainder during the first week of the month. May sees the low point of the ski year before the southern hemisphere's season starts in June and summer ski destinations open up in the north. There are though more areas open in North America to start may than we might have expected a month ago. Snowfall got ever heavier through may, ironically as most areas closed, and soon the month's tally overtook all of January to March combined. So some centres have reopened and others extended their season into May. Europe too has seen quite a snowy end to April, although the thaw has continued. No notable season extension here but high-altitude, glacier and northerly latitude areas remain open into May as usual. Other than a few areas like Jasná (open to May 1st), most ski areas in Eastern Europe are now closed for the season. However, another centre in Slovakia, Tatranská Lomnica, has announced its intention to re-open for the next few weekends to mid-May, thanks to a lot of snow piled up by snowmaking. The Pyrenees is pretty much closed now too in terms of ski uplift. Masella on the Spanish side had said it expected to stay open to May 1st but changed its mind and shut on the 24th. Further west, very unusually for late April, big snowfalls in Portugal led the sole centre there to declare it had more terrain open in the final week of April than it had had all winter and was actually the final area in the Iberian peninsular to operate, although it too had to give up on its hope to open on May 1st. Alas, Scotland's ski season ended on April 24th, with no May skiing there. The Alps About two dozen ski areas are open in the Alps as we start May, but around half of these will close on Sunday the 1st. For snow conditions it's a mixed picture – most have fairly good 2-3 metre snow depth on the high slopes that are open, many on top of glacial ice, but the cover is not so great in parts of the western and southern Alps, closer to a metre, which isn't a healthy depth to withstand the summer heat ahead. The end of April did bring a bit of a boost though with low temperatures and fresh snow up high. In France and Italy, several areas are open beyond May 1st – there's a week more of the season at Tignes and Val Thorens and a week after that at the Presena glacier in Trentino. But after that, there are no ski areas due to be open in either country until Les 2 Alpes re-opens on the final weekend of the month to start its summer ski season, replacing Tignes in offering the country's longest, and reopening in less than a month after it closes for winter. In Italy, it's Passo Stelvio and Cervinia that offer summer skiing in early June. Austria, though, has the most areas open in early May and through the month. There's the year-round skiing on the Hintertux glacier, the Kaunertal and Stubai open through to June and the Molltal is open the first week, but then closing for (probably) a few weeks before re-opening for its 11 months 22-23 season. In Switzerland the snow cover, even up on glaciers, appears rather thin at some centres. After Adelboden, Andermatt, Verbier and others close after the first day of May, ski centres aiming to be open through most or all of May include Crans Montana, Engelberg and Zermatt. The Diavolezza Glacier (0/60cm / 0/24") near St Moritz will stay open to the 8th. Northern Europe The best snow in Europe in the latter half of spring naturally tends to be up at more northerly latitudes, and while 2022 has seen centres in the southern half of Scandinavia struggle to maintain good cover, the north had a fairly cold and sometimes snowy April. Most of the region's big-name areas have now closed for 21-22 (or will do on May 1st in the case of centres like Are in Sweden), but the Finnish resorts of Ruka and Levi which opened for the season seven months ago, plan to make it to the 8th. Norway's three summer glacier resorts will also be opening with Fonna to start the month, then Galdhøpiggen in mid-May and Stryn at the start of June. Sweden's Riksgransen is also open and offers skiing and boarding under the midnight sun (from 7th to 21st May this year) as 24-hour daylight returns to the region 200km north of the Arctic Circle. 22nd May is closing day there with no plan to re-open for midsummer in June in 2022. North America It has been an odd season for North America, with many ski areas in the Western US posting more snowfall in April than in January to March combined. The snow was falling heavily through the latter half of April but unfortunately, the majority of ski areas have already closed. So where can you still ski? Well in the US, The Palisades had said it would close earlier than usual, on May 1st, due to the lousy winter, but then got dumped on and has so far extended its season first to mid-May, now to the end of the month, weekends only, saying it got 8 feet of snow in April. It joins Mammoth as the other Californian option. In Colorado Loveland is open to about the 8th, Winter Park probably an extra week beyond that, Breckenridge to the end of the month and Arapahoe Basin usually into June. In Utah to the north Snowbird remains open and is likely to remain so through the month. The Pacific Northwest scored highly with huge snowfalls in April and ended the month posting the deepest snow in the US. Timberline in Oregon, which aims to stay open through to the start of September with North America's longest season is therefore well placed to make it through. Mt Bachelor and (further north in Washington state) Crystal Mountain are both also aiming to stay open through May. Alaska's Alyeska ski area which has posted the deepest base of any ski area in North America for much of the season is open weekends to mid-May. In Canada Whistler Blackcomb in BC and Sunshine near Banff in BC are both due to stay open for the first three weeks of the month, with Whistler saying its Blackcomb Glacier will reopen for summer skiing boarding, although for private camps, not public access, in June, for the first time since 2019. Mt Bachelor aims to stay open through May. Lake Louise will stay open to the 8th and Vancouver's Grouse Mountain a week later to the 15th. The summer ski area at Beartooth Basin on the Montana/Wyoming border expects to open for its 2022 season on May 27th. Over in the east of the continent, Killington in Vermont is now the only area open, reporting the snow piled deep on its Superstar trail and hoping it'll last for most or all of the month. Asia Many of Japan's leading ski areas stay open up to the first week of May. Niseko still has snow lying more than two metres deep and is open until next Thursday, May 5th, although with the country's borders still closed to tourists that's only useful to those already in Japan. With temperatures in the +5 to +10C range too, you need to be keen to want to ski or board it at this time of year too – it's no longer the floaty, light powder for which Japan is famous. After most of the country's centres close later this week though, the Gassan summer ski area which only opened for its 2022 season in mid-April stays open through to July. It has opened with the world's deepest snowpack where it's still lying more than 8 metres deep. Southern Hemisphere South of the equator, excitement is building in the ski areas of South America, Southern Africa, New Zealand and Australia where the hope is that the 2022 season – the official start of which is now just over a month away – will be the closest to a normal one since 2019, with international guests allowed to return for the first time since then. Whilst pandemic concerns remain an unknown, the good news is that there have been some promising pre-season snowfalls in the Andes and New Zealand in the past month as well as temporary snow cover in Lesotho and Australia too. Actually the 2022 southern hemisphere ski season did already start, kind of, where Argentina's largest ski resort by uplift, Catedral near Bariloche, opened in April (29th and 30th) for the first time in its history after a 1.5m (5 foot) snowstorm in the final week of last month. It was limited terrain, a maximum of 30 people and for two days only, but it was the first to open on that side of the equator in 2022. The ski season is not due to properly get underway until the start of June. This winter it should be possible to travel to all ski areas in Australia, New Zealand, Southern Africa and South America from abroad if nothing changes - and many areas have already posted some good pre-season autumn snowfalls, particularly the Andes. |
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J2Ski Snow Report 14th April 2022
A proper bluebird powder morning at La Clusaz, France last Sunday Powder up high, then high temps across the Alps The Snow Headlines - 14th April - World's deepest snowpack drops back below 5 metres. - A second successive weekend of heavy snowfall above 1800m in the Alps (rain below) - More big snowfalls in the Pacific Northwest. - First snowfalls of 2022 reported at Afriski, Lesotho, Southern Africa. - Ski areas in Scandinavia post up to 75cm of snowfall in 24 hours. - Japan's Gassan summer ski area opens for 2022, immediately posting a nine-metre base. - Les 2 Alpes announces plan to close then open again for snowsports in May. 
Spring snow at high altitudes for the northern hemisphere
World Overview Europe Somewhere between 70 and 80% of ski areas in Europe have now ended their 21-22 seasons, with mostly bigger, higher ski centres staying open to Easter and into next week. Those with higher slopes in the Alps, or at more northerly latitudes in Scandinavia, were the main beneficiaries of some decent weekend snowfalls with up to 60cm of snowfall reported (above 1800m in the alps) for the second successive weekend, and up to 75cm in 24 hours in northern Scandinavia – the biggest totals of the whole winter. The snowfall in the Alps arrived with gale-force winds which closed some higher areas on Saturday, and lower slopes got rain, so this all led to an unstable snowpack and high avalanche danger at times. Since then though things have been largely drier and sunnier - and rather warmer - with more stable conditions for Easter weekend. North America Another April week of weather extremes across North America with more significant accumulations up on high slopes in the Rockies, the Sierras, the Cascades and even in high and northerly points in the Midwest and Northeast. But there have also been gale force winds, rain and some very warm weather when and where it has not been snowing, so finding the best day to get on the slopes for a final blast of the season has been tricky. Many ski areas have now closed but around 100 across the continent are still open for Easter weekend and a sizable chunk of those hope to make it through to later this month and more than a dozen on into May. Europe Austria Austria's ski season is winding down fast now with most of the country's lower altitude ski areas closed or closing after Easter weekend. Several dozen ski areas will continue for another week - by mid-May there'll be more glacier areas open here than in any other country. The weekend's snow means these now have 2.5-3 metres lying on the high slopes and they have been reporting great conditions over the past week in the sunshine above the cloud. Hintertux and Dachstein glaciers are posting the deepest bases but the others are only a few centimetres below. France France reported the second weekend in a row of good snowfall above around 1800m. Some resorts actually did better than the previous weekend with Tignes and Val d'Isere reporting 70cm of fresh up high compared to 30cm. La Clusaz confirmed their reputation for late season snow with around 50cm of new snow over several days, best in the high altitude bowl of La Balme. There's an increasing altitude divide as lower ski areas have now lost snow cover below about 1500m, although many of these resorts have now closed for the season anyway and most of those that haven't will do after the Easter weekend. Temperatures have now climbed back up to very warm, particularly in lower valleys, although they're due to dip again over Easter with the chance of snow flurries up high to end the week. A dozen or so areas plan to continue to the end of the month with Les 2 Alpes announcing it will be closed for less than a month before re-opening at the end of May for summer skiing. Italy Italian ski areas have been closing down with many of the bigger areas in the Dolomites now closed and much of the Milky Way over in the west of the country too. The country's higher areas remain open, some seeing fresh snowfall at the weekend. Cervinia, for example, is aiming to stay open to the start of May and is currently posting the largest ski area still accessible in the country (or at least from Italy, with a large part of the 240km/150 miles in Switzerland). As with much of Europe, it has been largely warm, sunny and dry since Sunday with the freezing point above mountain peaks in the afternoons, dropping back down to around 1500m overnight. Switzerland Warm temperatures in Switzerland over the past few days, with highs of +20C reported below 1000m altitude in the valleys, +10C in the afternoons at altitude although dipping below freezing up high still overnight. About two-thirds of the country's centres are now closed but most of the well-known resorts have at least some terrain open. A number plan to make it through to May operations with Engelberg, posting the deepest base in the country of 3 metres up high, aiming to get through to the final weekend of next month. Scandinavia Scandinavia has been a good bet over the past week with some big snowfalls and (unlike the Alps) temperatures staying close to or below freezing, at least in the more northerly half of the region. Bjorli posted the biggest snowfall of 75cm in 24 hours at the weekend, but most centres – almost all of which remain open with many continuing through to the start of May – have had a decent dump. The exception is southern Scandinavia where centres have begun closing, in some cases, including Oslo's local centre, earlier than hoped. Pyrenees A mostly warm and sunny week in the Pyrenees too, although there was a bit of a midweek dip with some snow on higher slopes, and rain on lower runs. Many smaller, lower areas have now closed but the biggest in Andorra and Spain will make it to this weekend, and a few like La Molina have announced their intention to make it through to the start of May. Temperatures continue to climb towards 20C in the valleys, with rain more likely than snow on the slopes in coming showers. Scotland It looks like the season end is coming up fast in Scotland as the cold start to April has given way to warm, wet weather with the freezing point above the mountain tops. There's a lack of official season-end announcements at the time of writing. Glencoe is clearly open with about 40% of its slopes on the upper mountain still skiable. Glenshee announced it had closed for the season a month ago. Nevis Range appears to have moved to summer biking operations only. The Lecht did have beginner terrain with its all-weather snowmaking but was posting "no information" on the status midweek and Cairngorm also seems to have reached the end of the road for its 21-22 season due to the thaw of its final cover. Eastern Europe It's sunny and getting warm in the daytime in south-eastern Europe with afternoon highs of +5C in the mountains, +15C down in resorts although dropping back down below freezing overnight. The biggest area, Bansko, has ended its season but Borovets and Vitosha plan to re-open for the Easter weekend. It's currently looking like it could be a good one with temperatures set to dip back down and snow forecast to end the week. North America Canada A bit of an East-West divide in Canada in the run-up to Easter weekend with cold weather and snow still falling in the west, but plus temps and rain in the East. About three-quarters of Canadian areas including plenty of big-name resorts like Big White and Sun Peaks in the west are now closed but those still skiing and boarding in Alberta and BC should be able to find fresh powder this week. There's still more than a month of the season left too at Banff (Sunshine) and Whistler Blackcomb. The snow cover is more problematic in the East but the largest centre Tremblant remains open and posts the deepest snow and most terrain open there. USA There have been some quite significant snowfalls in the US West over the past few days. The biggest accumulations have been in the Pacific Northwest where several areas still have more than 15 feet of snow lying in Alaska (Alyeska) and Washington State (Mt Baker). Resorts like Heavenly and Mammoth posted 6 inches of fresh in drought-stricken California, and the Rockies saw up to a foot of snowfall on Tuesday-Wednesday. The less good news in the Northeast where the weather has turned warm and wet after a more wintery spell last weekend. As with everywhere across the northern hemisphere, many centres have closed for the season now with many more doing so after Easter Sunday although more than 30 plan to stay open to the latter half of the month. And that's a wrap for our weekly winter reports for this season, look out for our monthly round-ups from the 1st May! |
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J2Ski Snow Report 7th April 2022
Crans-Montana is hosting The Nines by Falken Freeride comp this week... Winter's back! For a while anyway... The Snow Headlines - 7th April - Weekend snow totals in the Alps are up to 60cm (two feet) - World's thickest snowpack now in North America after Asia held top spot all winter. - Strong winds temporarily close ski areas in the Western US. - Mt Baker in Washington state reports 51" (130cm) of snowfall in 48 hours. - Scottish ski centre closed in warm, dry March reopens in cold, snowy April. 
Winter having another go?
World Overview Europe The big change in the weather for April compared to March continues with the first big snowfalls in the Alps (and sub-zero temps down to valley floors) in about a month. The same amounts of snowfall, or more, are forecast for the end of this week too, so we may be getting back into a cycle. But of course, this is April and the overall trend is towards seasons ending and snow melting whatever happens. The Alps, Dolomites, Pyrenees and northern parts of eastern Europe have all had fresh snow, as have Scandinavia and Scotland, so there's new snow to report almost everywhere this week. North America It has been a fairly typical spring week in Canada and the US with a mixture of warm weather and snow showers. The Pacific Northwest region has had several feet more snowfall and several resorts have announced extended seasons there. Up in Alaska, bases of over 5 metres (200") have now become the deepest in the world as the deeper bases (up to 6m/20 feet) reported at some ski areas in Japan have now thawed below that level. Elsewhere it's a different picture in California with a thin snowpack although some resorts there plan to stay open into May and there's been fresh snowfall. Fresh snow too in the Rockies and even the Northeast but the tide of season-end closures continues to build with most due to do so this coming weekend or the one after. Europe Austria After a snowy weekend in Austria which saw ski areas posting 20-40cm accumulations, it has been largely dry this week. Temperatures in the mountains have been cooler than they were in March, typically -5C to +5C, and about five degrees warmer down in the valleys. So the thaw continues and more than half of Austrian areas have now closed, or will have at the end of the ski day on Sunday, including the first of the country's big-name resorts. But there's more snow forecast to end this week, interspersed with sunny spells, so those going through to the end of the month or even into May like Ischgl, Kitzsteinhorn, the Stubai glacier, Solden or Obertauern are looking good. France There was the first significant snowfall for about a month for many French ski areas over last weekend with up to 60cm of new snow reported on higher slopes. Val d'Isere posted an old image of deep snow as an 'April Fish' (April fool) on the morning of the first, which fooled most people and led to accusations they'd made money by people booking under false expectations. They later said they'd actually received 30cm of new snow. It has been a little unsettled, though often sunny and less snowy over the midweek period since with temperatures at the base of the mountains getting back up to double figures. There's more snowfall moving in now though with more significant dumps expected over the next day or two and into the weekend. Italy There was snowfall in Italy too at the weekend with Bormio reporting one of the biggest accumulations in the Alps – 60cm up at 3,000m at the top of the slopes, about half that at mid-mountain and not much at the base – reflecting the difference altitude makes at this point in the season. It has been drier, mostly, for the past few days but there's more snowfall expected on Friday and Saturday, though for most areas it will be less than a week ago, more likely 10-20cm. Then we're back to full sunshine and fast-rising temperatures for most from Sunday. More than half of Italian ski areas have closed for the season, or will do from Sunday and the amount of terrain still accessible at those still open is dropping too. The Milky way has only half of its 400km of slopes open but the Cervinia-Zermatt area still has about 90% of its higher altitude slopes open, the largest area in or accessible from Italy at present. Switzerland A fairly snowy weekend in Switzerland with Verbier reporting a 50cm (20 inches) accumulation, greatly improving the below-average cover for the time of year there and in many Western Swiss centres. Resorts have been warning off-piste skiers and tourers of less substantial cover on glaciers making the dangers of, for example, falling into a crevasse, higher. On the slopes, the fresh snow has improved piste conditions and most larger Swiss centres are still open although some big names like Adelboden have closed along with sectors of big areas like St Moritz, whilst higher areas remain open. Engelberg, open to late May, has the country's deepest base upon its Titlis glacier at 3 metres/10 feet. Scandinavia Still fairly good conditions across much of Scandinavia with only more southerly parts of the region seeing regular positive temperatures and most largely resorts remaining at or below freezing still in the daytime. A fairly dry week for most so some great days were reported with long daylight hours now, pleasant temperatures and the snow still in good shape. There has been some fresh snowfall reported, up to 30cm (a foot) in fact in the north and west of the region. Unlike most other parts of Europe and North America, most major Scandinavian ski areas plan to stay open to the end of the month and in some cases even into April. Pyrenees Some occasional snow showers in the Pyrenees but more sunny spring weather dominating and temperatures at bases getting well into double figures above freezing, hastening the thaw. More ski areas, particularly in the French Pyrenees, including big names like St Lary, have now closed for the season and many more will join them this Sunday. But some of the big centres like Grandvalira in Andorra and Baqueira Beret in Spain remain open to easter or beyond and still have most of their terrain open. Scotland It has been cold and snowy in Scotland since the start of the month which has not exactly transformed conditions but has slowed the rapid snow loss that occurred through the warm, sunny weather in the latter half of March. The Lecht has re-opened, although only beginner terrain and thanks to its all-weather snowmaking machine making a good enough base. Cairngorm has stayed open although, by contrast, it says no beginner terrain is available. Nevis Range also has higher runs open and Glencoe continues to have the most runs available in the country. Eastern Europe We are into the last week or two of the season for most ski areas in Eastern Europe although Borovets is expecting to stay open through to the end of the month. Things have finally turned more springlike there over the past week following a cold and snowy March but snow cover is reported to be still good thanks to that March snow, just thawing fast down in the valleys. There has been fresh snowfall in the northeast of the region with ski areas like Jasna reporting 20-40cm of snow. North America Canada Canadian resorts are largely divided between the majority that close in the first half of April and the rest that stay open to the end of the month or into May. Most fall into the first category and either ended the seasons last weekend or will do this, despite snow still falling. Quite a lot of it too - Kicking Horse in BC reported 20cm in 24 hours on Wednesday and nearly double that since Sunday, so it's a powdery end to the season there. Quieter in the East where Mont Tremblant continues to post the most terrain open. Sunshine at Banff, Lake Louise and Marmot Basin to the north and Whistler over on the Pacific Coast are among the Canadian areas staying open into May. USA More snowfall reported for most mountainous areas in the US over the past week, but when not snowing there's also been some very warm weather. On top of this strong winds have been a major factor in the west in recent days too with ski areas on the Pacific Coast closed by gales at the start of the week and in the Rockies at midweek. More ski areas have closed for the season last weekend and more big names including Jackson Hole are due to close this coming weekend. But others are powering through to the end of the month and even staying open into May. Mount Baker in Washington state reported 51" (130cm) of snowfall in 48 hours at the start of the week and has announced an extended season by a week to the 24th. Killington in Vermont, the largest ski area in the eastern US, has announced it is still snowmaking during cold spells overnight in order to keep its main Superstar trail open through May. |
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J2Ski Snow Report 31st March 2022
Snow-covered webcams are always a welcome sight... it's snowing in La Clusaz, France... right now! Winter's back! For a while anyway... The Snow Headlines - 31st March - Temperatures drop back down below freezing down to the valley floors in the Alps. - Significant snowfall in North-western North America to end March. - Fresh snowfall underway in the Alps to start April. - Some snowfall for Scotland, but unclear yet if enough for closed areas to re-open. - Ski areas in Alberta report up to 50cm (20") of snowfall in the last 7 days. 
Snow all over the place...
World Overview Europe There's a big change of weather as we enter April in the Alps with temperatures dropping and significant fresh snowfall expected over the next 72 hours for many areas – all potentially good news for Easter holiday skiers after the largely warm and dry March. The snow is falling over a wider area too with Scottish slopes seeing snowfall, albeit a bit too late in the day for some centres that have already closed early for the season. North America Mixed messages from different parts of North America with ski areas around Lake Tahoe warning of thin, old snow cover in places, while further north in Alberta a foot (30cm) of fresh snowfall started the week with another similar fall midweek too. To be fair even the resorts that were warning of thin cover in California saw six-inches of fresh snow on Tuesday so things may be looking up. Otherwise, the continent is divided, as is normal at this time of year, between ski areas saying they're closing earlier than expected due to a poor winter/spring and those – most of which are the bigger, better-known areas, saying they'll stay open later than planned due to good late-season conditions. Europe Austria A real change in the weather in Austria over the coming week with a return of winter. Temperatures have already been dropping as we've reached the end of March and will be below freezing right down to resort level in most Austrian ski areas (and across the Alps) through the weekend and into next week. Quite a change after the warm, sunny and dry weeks that have dominated through most of March. It's a little ironic as a swathe of the country's smaller ski areas will be closing after skiing on Sunday just as snow conditions are likely to be at the best they've been for a month, but that said many of the country's bigger areas will be staying open through the fortnight up to the Easter weekend and some like Ischgl, Solden and Obertauern are open to the start of May. France Colder and snowier weather moved into France on Wednesday and the snow that has started falling is expected to continue dumping into next week, the first of the pre-Easter holiday forecast. With temperatures back around freezing point at resort level and way below in the mountains, it's the coldest and snowiest it has been for the best part of a month. Most French resorts are open to Easter weekend and some of the big names like Chamonix, Tignes and Val Thorens through into May. Base depths are up to 2.5 metres and should start getting deeper for the first time in a month if these 30-60cm snow accumulations forecast over the next few days arrive as expected. We should be seeing some of the best conditions since February. Italy The forecast is looking increasingly snowy for Italy as well through the weekend with the warm, dry, sunny weather ending and temperatures set to plummet over the next few days. Here too, snowfalls could be among the most significant of the season with 30-60cm (1-2 feet) expected in both the Alps and the Dolomites. Most of the ski areas in the country are expected to stay open through to Easter and some like Cervinia and Cortina into May. Although the cover is fairly thin in most areas (1-2 feet), most ski areas in the Dolomites are fully open. The Cervinia-Zermatt ski area is currently reporting the largest area open in the country although that includes the skiing on the Swiss side above Zermatt. Switzerland After a mostly warm, dry and sunny March, temperatures have finally dipped in the Swiss Alps and snow has begun falling again and is expected to continue to do so at least through into next week. Accumulations are generally going to be light to moderate (showers) with sunny spells in between but a heavier fall is expected towards the weekend and accumulations by the end of the weekend could be in the 30-60cm (1-2 feet) bracket up high, good news for Easter week skiers. Some smaller Swiss centres have called it a day on the 21-22 season but all of the bigger centres remain open, most at least through to Easter. Scandinavia Scandinavia has stayed surprisingly settled this past week as the weather has turned more changeable across much of the rest of Europe. That said there have been snowfalls, including some of the biggest on the continent this week, with little Roldal reporting a 30cm accumulation. It's looking good for the next month or so of the season in Finland, Norway and Sweden though with most centres staying open, longer daylight hours and temperatures staying close to freezing, preserving the snow quantity and quality longer than further south. Pyrenees & Sierra Nevada The Pyrenees have generally had colder temperatures and more snowfalls in March than the Alps and although the end of the month and the start of April is more of an even playing field, the Pyrenees are keeping up with a period of moderate snow showers interspersed by sunny spells. Forecasting models predict accumulations over the five days up to Sunday could be as much as 50cm (20") for some resorts in the region with temperatures generally staying below freezing right down to the valley floors – unusual for early April. Some smaller centres have already begun closing but the majority including all the larger resorts remain open, most to Easter. Grandvalira in Andorra, the largest, reports about 85% of its slopes open and an average base depth of a metre. Europe's most southerly ski area, Sierra Nevada, posted an unusual maximum 5 on the scale of 5 off-piste avalanche danger warning at the start of the week, blaming the Saharan dust cloud for destabilising the snowpack. Scotland Scottish snow suffered badly from nearly a fortnight of warm, sunny weather in the latter half of March. The Lecht lost all its snow and is closed at present; Glenshee, likewise, announced they are closed for the season. With its funicular still out of action, Cairngorm said access to its remaining snow up the mountain involved a hike up to the snowline, and has closed outside weekends to preserve what's left. Better conditions in the West where the remaining snow at the top of the slopes at Nevis Range can be reached by gondola then quad chairlift and Glencoe continues to have the most snow remaining with much of the terrain still open although with thin cover at the base. The good news though is a dramatic change in the weather, back to sub-zero with the first fresh snowfall in weeks. This should improve conditions but it is not yet clear if it's going to be enough for any terrain to re-open with temperatures warming again, if not so warm as it has been, from the weekend. Eastern Europe Having been one of the coldest and snowiest parts of Europe for much of March, the weather is finally heading back towards seasonal norms in Eastern Europe with temperatures climbing back up towards +10C in valleys and above freezing on higher slopes too. Despite the warmer weather though, a few light snow flurries are possible and indeed expected during colder periods, interspersed with sunny spells. Most areas are still open and particularly down in Bulgaria posting good bases thanks to all the March snow. Smaller centres have closed but the well-known resorts plan to stay open to Easter weekend. North America Canada Some great late-March weather in Canada with significant snowfalls in the west and things remaining cold and snowy in the East. Marmot Basin, up near Jasper in Alberta, has done particularly well, posting two 25cm (10 inch) accumulations in the past seven days. It's one of the centres open to the start of May, along with resorts like Sunshine near Banff to its south and Whistler Blackcomb, which just announced that its summer skiing in June and July will be back this year for the first time since 2019, although now only accessible to those who sign up for private camps. Some of Canada's smaller ski areas have started closing and most of the better-known areas are planning to join them over the next few weekends up to Easter. USA Light to moderate snowfalls have been reported and welcomed across the USA from California to Vermont, giving a very helpful (and in some cases much needed) refresh of snow cover. Slopes around Lake Tahoe and down in Mammoth further south reported-3-6 inches of snowfall midweek, and there was also snow for the Rockies and in New England where Killington, one of several centres there planning to stay open into May, announced it was still cold enough for it to keep snowmaking too. As with most of the northern hemisphere, April marks the end of the ski season for more than 90% of US resorts with smaller centres already closed and most of the rest planning to window at Easter weekend in just over a fortnight or before. The snow's forecast to keep coming, so look out for our update next week... |
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J2Ski Snow Report 24th March 2022
A very cool piste basher helping prep for the RedBull Super Ski Scross coming up at Andermatt, Switzerland, this weekend. Spring in the mountains, but a little winter return... The Snow Headlines - 24th March - Another predominantly sunny week in much of Europe, most snow in the south. - Snow falls across North America but more centres end their seasons as spring starts. - Further easing of pandemic restrictions across Europe and North America. - Scottish ski centres close earlier than hoped as UK temperatures soar. Although Spring has got a grip in the Alps, we're in for a change at the end of the month... although the forecasts remain very uncertain at this point. 
Some top-ups on the way...
World Overview Europe The unusual picture of warm, sunny weather in the northern half of Europe and colder and snowier conditions to the south (east) has continued into a third week. Well, in reality, most of Europe has been warm and dry, it's just the southwestern and south-eastern corners that have seen more snow. There was just a bit of light snowfall in the Eastern and Western Alps (less so in between) but the main picture has been warm sunshine and blue skies making the slopes sticky to quite high altitudes by lunchtimes and pushing the snowline ever higher up mountain faces. The most snowfall has been reported in the Pyrenees and down in countries like Bulgaria again, although not so much as previous weeks, more in the 5-10cm total range for most areas. North America North American ski areas have had another roller-coaster week of repeated fronts bringing snowfall across the continent, but then warm weather troughs – sometimes very warm – coming between the snowfalls. It's not a bad start to spring in most areas, although ski centres have begun closing across the USA with a few doing so in Canada too. Still, most of the big names north of Arizona and New Mexico remain open. Against that, a growing number of resorts have announced extended seasons thanks to decent snow depths and fresh snowfall. As this is now officially spring skiing, the best conditions tend to be in the mornings and in the upper mountains. Europe Austria Austria's predominantly warm and sunny March - after its frequently snowy February - has continued with few areas reporting even a dusting of snow and most just wall-to-wall sunshine. What there was a dusting of, at the end of last week, was sand blown up from the Sahara... So with most of the country's smaller, local ski areas quite low lying it's no surprise that about a third of Austria's less well-known areas have already closed for the 21-22 season. Happily, though the bigger, higher, destination resorts remain open and the biggest areas like the Skiwelt, Arlberg and Saalbach regions are almost fully open with 90-95% of their slopes available. The country's glaciers, some open to late spring or summer, are posting the deepest upper-sloppe base depths with year-round Hintertux topping the table with 2.5m. France Everyone watching the World Cup Finals in Courchevel – Meribel at the end of last week and through the weekend couldn't fail to notice the green valleys and sticky-snow by mid-morning as temperatures quickly climbed to double-digits above freezing. So springtime is definitely here in the French Alps and the snow thawing fast. But despite the less than perfect late-season conditions and lack of freeriding opportunities the spring touring conditions are good and most of the groomed runs are open, with piste-bashers pushing snow down onto lower runs where needed. Italy Italy has seen similar weather to the rest of central and northern Europe – another week of predominantly sunny skies, temperatures getting above freezing even at altitude and 10-25C degrees above freezing in valleys. So here too most resorts are now in full spring sunshine mode. There's not much change in the forecast either, just the chance of a little snowfall up high on Friday/Saturday as a weak front moves across the northeast of the country, with the best hope of a few centimetres in the Dolomites and Trentino. Switzerland A straight sunny week in Switzerland too. There's a chance of a little fresh snow up high in the East of the country at the start of the weekend, but mostly it's full-on spring here too. Photos have emerged of some glacial ice already visible as the snow cover has melted off, so a snowy April would be a bonus. As with most major ski areas across the northern hemisphere, although it hasn't been a great season for snowfall, most Swiss resorts have plenty lying to see out their planned seasons and remain fully open. Scandinavia Scandinavian ski areas have not seen much snowfall in the past seven days either with plenty of sunshine here as well, in common with the rest of northern Europe. Temperatures have stayed closer to freezing than further south, thanks to the latitude, but nonetheless have been creeping to +4 or 5C in the afternoons except in the very far north. Daylight hours are also stretching out with 24-hour daylight only a little over a month away up in the Arctic Circle. All in all, it's a positive picture across much of the region with most centres here planning to stay open for over a month more to the start of May, and currently having all runs open and the snow in good shape. Pyrenees The Pyrenees have had a slightly colder, snowier week than ski areas further north in the Alps, repeating the picture of the past few weeks. There was some fresh snowfall through the week, although spring is making its presence increasingly felt with temperatures climbing up to double digits above freezing at times. Overall base depths are on the decline, unsurprisingly for late March, but most areas remain fully open (or almost so – 80-90% of runs) with base depths up to 2.3 metres ...down a metre on their high point three months ago, but still good for the final weeks of the season. Scotland Scotland saw the warmest weather in the UK over the last week with temperatures hitting +20C in places. Although not so warm in the ski areas it was warm enough. This was a mixed blessing with fabulous weather for snowsports but obviously also rapid thawing temperatures, particularly for lower slopes. The Lecht has lost its snow cover and is closed for now, as is Glenshee, having announcing their 21-22 season was officially over. Cairngorm has decided to close during the week with the aim of opening at weekends but says there's a walk to the base now and no beginner terrain available. Further west things have stayed open so far with Glencoe continuing to post the deepest remaining base. Eastern Europe Europe's southeast has continued to post the continent's coldest and snowiest weather through March and the first week of spring has not seen much of a change with fresh snowfall reported on the mountains of Greece as well as down in Istanbul. In the wider region, it's been a mixture of warm sunshine and snowfall once more in Bulgaria where snow depths are excellent for this late in the season and conditions some of the best in Europe at present. North America Canada Some snowy weather in both Western and Eastern Canada over the past seven days with ski areas around Banff – where the season lasts into May – posting 40-60cm accumulations and snowfall too in Quebec over on the East coast of the country bolstering bases there. Snow depths of up to three metres are still in place in the West but the first of the big-name resorts are getting into their final week or fortnight of the 21-22 season with some closing the first weekend of April, others the second and a third or so planning to stay open to Easter. USA Snowfall has been reported across the US over the last seven days, with March turning out to be a much snowier month than January in the West particularly. When it's not been snowing though it has tended to be warm, sometimes unusually so for March, with temperatures leaping to 10 or even 20 degrees above freezing and plus temps even two miles up in the Rockies. This is kind of normal spring weather of course, if perhaps a little turbo-charged compared to the average fluctuations. Most resorts in the south of the country as well as the Midwest, have ended their seasons over the past few weekends but some in states including Alaska and Colorado and elsewhere have announced the intention of staying open longer into spring with Vail open to the start of may now and Alyeska in Alaska, which has the continent's deepest snowpack at 4.2 metres, staying open weekends to mid-May. We'll have more detail on that snow expected for Europe next week... |
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J2Ski Snow Report 17th March 2022
Just some sandy avalanches in Lech, Austria this week... Sun, Snow and, er, Sand...say what? The Snow Headlines - 17th March - Jungfrau region extends season to May 1st. - More fresh snowfall across North America as start of spring stays snowy. - Saharan dust turns ski slopes and skies orange in the Alps. - Scottish ski areas lose snow on lower slopes but get fresh high up. - World's deepest base (in Japan) drops 10% in a week from 6 to 5.4 Metres. 
Some top-ups on the way...
World Overview Europe Springtime continues to gain a grip on much of Europe with sunny skies continuing to dominate and some glorious conditions on the groomed runs. That said there has also been fresh snowfall again in the Pyrenees and down in the South-east of Europe which has seen a second week as one of the coldest and snowiest parts of the continent. The Western alps also saw fresh snowfall to start the week and Tuesday brought an unusual if not unheard of phenomenon of orange skies and snow as dust from the Sahara blew across a large swathe of the continent, settling on the snow. It was reported over a wide area but the Austrian alps appeared to turn "orangest". Up in Scandinavia spring has brought great conditions for many with long days and temperatures still around freezing. Scottish ski areas remain open but warm weather has impacted snow cover on lower slopes. North America There's been fresh snowfall across North America over the past seven days, the biggest falls occurring at the end of last week in the West (but with more on the way) and over the weekend in the east. Against that good news, the overall springtime trend is inescapable and the first ski areas in the Midwest, West and East have closed for the season last weekend or announced the upcoming Sunday will be their last. More resorts, however, say they're staying open later with a number extending seasons into May, so we're still far from the end. It's also worth noting that an increasing number of areas are no longer requiring evidence of vaccination for employees or visiting skiers and boarders as COVID restrictions ease. Europe Austria It has been a largely sunny week in Austria, although some areas did report a light snowfall to start the week. The biggest impact on the bright daylight though came on Tuesday in particular when dust blowing in from the Sahara turned the skies an eerie orangey-brown and coated the snow too. Many Austrian ski areas are set to close before Easter, as is usually the case, either on the final weekend of this month or at the start of next, although resorts like Ischgl and Obertauern are open into May and several glacier areas later still. France There was some fresh snowfall in the French Alps at the start of this week to the delight of those in resort. Ski areas across the country reported 10-20cm of fresh powder to freshen up the slopes and provide a little boost to freeriding opportunities too. Otherwise, there's a distinctively spring-like feeling in the air with temperatures gradually rising and lower slopes in particular in full thaw-freeze mode through each 24-hour cycle, with thaw currently winning the day. All French resorts remain open, most fully so, and the World Cup finals are underway in Courchevel-Meribel, rounding off the competitive season for 21-22 less than a year before the 3 Valleys host the bi-annual Alpine Skiing World Championships in 2023. Italy Another mostly dry and often sunny week in Italy although there was some snowfall for resorts in the north and west of the country on Sunday and Monday and the coming weekend could see more light to moderate snowfalls on higher slopes in the Dolomites. The trend is definitely towards warmer weather and thawing snow below 2,000m with temperatures hitting highs of +15C in valleys in the past few days. Almost all Italian ski areas remain open however with good conditions on groomed slopes. Dolomiti Superski currently has the most terrain available. Switzerland A mostly dry week again in Switzerland although some ski areas in Valais and the south of the country reported a little fresh snowfall in the middle of the week, and there have also been overcast skies for much of the week across a wide swathe of the country. Snow depths are down a little on a week ago with Engelberg posting just under 3 metres lying up on its glacier, the thickest snowpack in the country, albeit perhaps half the thickness of an average year reflecting the limited snowfalls this winter. Snow depths are still good enough for most ski areas to be fully open now and able to see out the season. Indeed the Jungfrau region has just announced they'll have lifts running to May 1st after extending their season end date. Scandinavia One of the driest weeks of 2022 so far in Scandinavia and temperatures have been climbing above freezing in the afternoons for the first time in some more northerly parts too. But still, on the whole, good conditions across the region with most centres fully open and reporting decent snow depths - and the snow in good shape for the final 6-8 weeks of the season here. Myrkdalen near Voss is posting the region's deepest base at nearly 3 metres (10 feet). Pyrenees It's the second successive week that the Pyrenees have been reporting some of the best conditions in Western Europe, with the mountains there seeing several more light to moderate snowfalls whilst the alps have stayed dry. Temperatures have been a little cooler than further north too, although here too it is now getting warmer at resort bases. The last snowfall was reported on Monday for most and it has been increasingly sunny through the week since, although more snowfall is expected to start next week. Most areas remain fully open or nearly so with Andorra's Grandvalira having most of its 240km (150 miles) of slopes open, the largest area in the region. Scotland Scottish ski centres have seen some more snowfall – along with the usual occasional gales and rain – but the main impact of the past week, arguably, has been some warm daytime temperatures which have melted away the fairly thin cover on lower slopes, decreasing the amount of terrain available. But centres do remain open and there have been some good blue sky days for snow cover on higher slopes. Glencoe in the West has the deepest snowpack and highest percentage of its terrain open. Eastern Europe Remarkably, Bulgaria has remained much colder and indeed snowier than the alps to the north with lows at high altitudes in the Balkans hitting -20C at times in the past seven days and resorts not seeing highs much above freezing even in the afternoons. There was snowfall to end last week and further snowstorms in the past few days to add a little more. Base depths at resorts like Bansko has also been increasing in recent weeks, now at 2 metres, whereas they've been dropping in most other parts of Europe. North America Canada It has been a snowy week right across Canada with a series of snowfalls bringing fresh powder on repeat occasions over the past seven days. Things were particularly good at the weekend where ski areas in the West (Alberta and BC) and the East (Quebec/Ontario) were all reporting 20-40cm (8-16") accumulations of fresh snow and superb conditions. But then there were more snowfalls every 48 hours or so through the week. Temperatures have been climbing with daytime highs now getting back above freezing in resorts, but generally staying 5-10 degrees below on the slopes. Most of the country's centres will close within the next month but some including sunshine at Banff, Marmot basin at Jasper and Whistler Blackcomb plan to stay open into May and have the snow lying to get there (and more forecast). USA Successive snowstorms across the US at the end of last week brought a good top-up for most ski areas across the country. Resorts in the West were hit first with 6-12 inch falls reported in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California and bigger accumulations further north. Ski areas in the Rockies then saw 6-18" of fresh snow at the end of last week before the snowfall moved East and gave powder days in New England at the weekend. Most areas have had drier conditions since the start of this week but there was more snowfall in the West Monday/Tuesday. Against this good news, the season-long issue of below-average snowfall and warmer temperatures than usual is beginning to have a few negative consequences with one small Californian ski area announcing that it was closing earlier than expected at the weekend due to inadequate coverage. But most do have enough snow lying to see them through the final weeks (and in a few cases months) of the season with Alaska's Alyeska posting the deepest base in the world outside Japan of 16 feet. There are hints of a late cold spell in the European forecasts, so we have our fingers crossed here... |
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