J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Glen Plake at Mammoth earlier this week.

Several resorts on the West Coast of North America have already passed the total snowfall they received in the whole of last season, with the 15-16 ski season not yet half way through.

Mammoth Mountain in California has received 188 inches (around 4.7m) of snow so far this season, over taking their 14-15 season total of 176 inches (4.4m) earlier this week.

Mt Baker to the north in Washington state, which holds the (unofficial) record for the most average annual snowfall (16.3m) and the biggest ever single season snowfall recorded (29m in winter 98-99) is also looking good with the world's deepest reported base at present – the only one to reach 4m so far. Although it's apparently raining there today.

The snow is being credited to a 'Godzilla El Niño' weather system from the pacific, although the same system is being blamed by ski resorts in central and Eastern north America. As well as in Japan across the ocean, for too warm conditions.

By contrast last winter was one of the worst on record in Western North America and even Mt Baker was forced to close in March due to lack of snow.

This winter, after four lacklustre ones, is looking like it will add up to an 'epic' in the region with a return to the scenes in summer 2011 when nearly a dozen ski areas in the region had enough snow left on US independence day, July 4th, to open for snowsports.

Further north still the ski area of Alyeska in Alaska is reporting the most snow of any ski area in the world this year and looks set to pass the 400 inches/10m of snowfall-this-season stat by the ends of the weekend, if not the end of today. It received another 8 inches/20cm of snow yesterday and is only 8 inches/20cm off the total.

World famous Jackson Hole ski area in Wyoming, USA, which has reported the most fresh snow in the world this week with four feet of new snow, has also just announced it's to build a new gondola lift ready for a winter 2016/17 opening.

The new Sweetwater Gondola will be located between the Bridger Gondola and Teewinot High Speed Quad and will include a mid-station approximately a third of the way up the mountain in the Solitude area, then continues up to terminate just uphill of the Casper Restaurant. The Doppelmayr built lift will have eight-passenger cabins capable of carrying up to 2000 people per hour.

The resort says that new Sweetwater Gondola will support several specific objectives, particularly to significantly increase the capacity on lifts from the resort's base, and then in addition, over time, to provide access to a new and enhanced children's ski school facility located in the Solitude mid station area.

A gondola was chosen as the best conveyance to allow easy and safe uploading and downloading of children for the new children's teaching facility, in addition to parents and family.

"This is an exciting time for Jackson Hole," said resort president, Jerry Blann. "Improving the out of base capacity will greatly enhance skier flow, and the Sweetwater Gondola will dramatically improve the beginner skier and rider experience,"

"It's not coincidental that we are happy to announce this new lift during our 50th anniversary season," Blann addd, continuing, "this is the first in a series of significant capital improvements over the next few years that underscores our commitment to keeping Jackson Hole at the industry leading level we are at today."

(Jamie Trinder of TeamGB Competes in a Rail Jam at The Lecht on Saturday)

More than 18,000 skier days were clocked up during the first full week of Scotland's ski season last week.

A combination of good weather and pent up demand helped boost numbers after ski areas were prevented from opening (with a few brief exceptions) through December and until January 8th by various weather extremes including gales and rapid thaws of the initial snowpack.

Last weekend was the first full weekend when all five highland areas were open.

"We are absolutely delighted that so many skiers and snowboarders came out on Saturday and Sunday to celebrate the great snow at our ski areas – the first weekend of the season with all five mountain resorts operating," said Chair of Ski-Scotland Heather Negus who added, "World Snow Day last Sunday aims to bring new people to the snow, particularly children. Nevis Range, Glencoe Mountain and CairnGorm Mountain all participated and reported a great turn out for all the fun events that were organised. The Lecht also hosted a successful Rail Jam on Saturday."

Eastern access to Glenshee has been restored earlier than expected – with damage caused by extreme weather and flooding to a bridge repaired and as temporary by-pass created where a section of the main road to Aberdeen was washed away.

"The skier visits figure in excess of 18,000 is much higher than would normally be expected in one January week and gives an excellent start to what promises to be a good season," concluded Heather.

The biggest snowfalls in Europe over the weekend have been in the Austrian Alps.

It's especially welcome news for low lying areas of the Tirol and Salzburgerland which had missed out on the autumn snowfalls, which were mostly about 2000 metres, and also had not seen much of the big snowfalls that have hit the Western Alps over the past fortnight, but until now had not quite made it in to much of Austria – with only really the western Arlberg area posting significant January snowfall before now.

Snowfall reported in the past 24 hours includes a remarkable 45cm (18 inches) in 24 hours at ski areas around Innsbruck and 30cm (a foot) in the ski Jewel region that links Alpbach and the Wildschonau.

Ski areas that had been particularly struggling for cover, including Mayrhofen which had no snow in the valley and only 15cm (six inches) at altitude a few weeks ago, have reported two feet (60cm) of snow in the last few days. It's upper slope base depth is now a much more healthy 45cm.

Other snow totals include 55cm at Kitzbuhel where the Hahnenkamm is due to be raced later this week, 45cm at Ischgl and Galtur and over a foot (30cm) at Solden, Saalbach and Obergurgl.

Snowfall is expected to continue over the coming week, although be slightly less, with most areas scheduled to get another 10-30cm according to forecasts.

Today (Sunday 17th January, 2016) is the fifth edition of World Snow Day, an international event created by the International Ski Federation (FIS) to try to promote a love of snowsports.

It's particularly aimed at children with the aim of helping to stem a gradual decline in snowsports participation in Europe and North America.

World Snow Day has grown over the years and today the FIS expects 625 events will be organised in 42 countries.

Of the 42 countries, even (Austria, Canada, China, Iceland, Latvia, Norway and Poland) have made Wold Snow Day a national event with promotions across all their resorts aimed to encouraging more people to go skiing, boarding or just play in the snow.

Norway is perhaps the most generous, with 100 of the country' ski areas offering free skiing and boarding to around 130,000.

In Austria 125 offered ski lessons for children for five Euros while in China 20 resorts across the country are offering free or discounted passes for children.

Closer to home in Scotland its more bout fun events with a 'build a 'World Snow' man' competition at Nevis Range and Glencoe Mountain also staging a snowman-building competition although they also offered free chairlift access for under-16s. CairnGorm Mountain have offered taster sessions for their youngest visitors using CairnGorm's new stock of Burton Snowboards Riglet equipment.

The French resort of Les 2 Alpes has issued a statement this evening stating that it is 'in shock' after two school children along with a tourist from Ukraine were killed in an avalanche on it slopes at 3pm this afternoon.

Two other children and their teacher suffered serious injuries on the black slope, which has been closed since the start of the season, initially due to too little snow cover.

"The Station of 2 Alpes is in shock. Our thoughts go out tonight to the families of the victims. Today at 3pm an avalanche started for unknown reasons on a closed area of the ski area. The paramedics were organised quickly and a hundred trackers and monitors intervened with five avalanche dogs to help the victims. At this time, 8pm, three people are dead, emergency services are still on site and continue the search. An investigation is being conducted by the Prosecutor of Grenoble."

French President Francois Hollande offered "sincere condolences" to the victims' families and said "the solidarity of the whole nation" was with them.

There have been huge snowfalls in the French Alps, with Chamonix reporting 3m/10 feet in the last seven days and some other French resorts 1.5-1.8m. Temperatures have dropped and there have also seen strong winds of up to 90mph reported. Avalanche danger levels are extremely high and resorts are urging skiers to stay on pistes rather than venturing off piste.

(A lift gate at Paradiski pictured this morning)

One French resort is claiming over two metres of snow has fallen on its slopes in the last week. However it remains a very mixed picture across the Alps with some areas still having received little or no snowfall since the current snowstorms started 10 days ago.

The big snowfalls have largely occurred above 1500m and particularly above 2000m with skiers complaining of rain to quite high levels at the weekend before another temperature dip in the last few days.

Ski areas below 2000m in Austria remain serious challenged for snow cover and even traditional resorts in France and Switzerland reporting big snowfalls up top seem to have accumulated very little down at resort level. And where the snowfall numbers are big, the avalanche danger is also very high, and skiers are being warned to stay on the piste.

The biggest snowfall figure claimed is 237cm – just over an inch off eight feet, above Chamonix in the French Alps, but whilst it is the first ski areas in Europe to claim a 3m accumulation for the 2015-16 ski season, it reports it only has 18cm (just over seven inches) of snow down at resort level. Most other areas in the western alps have reported 30-120cm (1-4 feet) of fresh snow in the last week.

Generally most leading ski areas in Western Austria, Italy, Switzerland and most of France has good upper snow cover now with purpose built altitude resorts often with 60-90cm, 2-3 feet of snow at resort base level too, but lower traditional resorts at 800-1200m altitude having thin cover down to resort.

Big snowfalls are expected to continue right across the Alps for at least another week with over a metre more snow forecast for many high areas that have already received a lot, and moderate falls of closer to 30cm for Austrian areas that need snow badly.

(Cairngorm team working to prep the slopes on Tuesday)

The 2015-16 ski season looks like it might get partially underway at last this coming weekend with Cairngorm ski area above Aviemore hoping to open a few runs.

The Scottish hills have been bombarded by weather extremes over the past few months, seeing some decent snow accumulations wiped away by double digit temperature rides in 12 hour periods, along with torrential rain and gales.

Cairngorm and Nevis Range were able to open a run or two each for one day just after Christmas but that has been it so far.

The extreme weather in the north east of Scotland has particularly effected Glenshee and the Lecht where local communities have been battling floods, which have also washed away a large stretch of the main A road through royal Deeside linking the ski areas to their main customer base in Aberdeen.

"With the current forecast and conditions we are hoping to open for snowsports within the next few days," said a Cairngorm spokesperson, "At present it's looking very good for the M1 Poma, Ptarmigan T-Bar and Polar Express."

It is stormy today and the centre plans to re-evaluate on this (Thursday) afternoon for this weekend's prospects.

Nevis Range is offering lessons on its dry slope but like the other three Highland centres says there's currently not quite enough snow top open. The Lecht reports runs are 'filling in' with snow.

Cold weather and heavy snow is now increasingly being forecast for the coming week and there does seem to be some optimism that more centres will open in the coming week.