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J2Ski Snow Report May 4th 2023
Perisher, Australia, with an early 15cm (6 inches) this week. More snow in the Andes... and the European Alps! The Snow Headlines - 4th May - Heavy snowfall on high slopes in France for the start of May. - Pre-2023-season snowfall reported in the Andes, Australia and New Zealand. - High avalanche danger from wet snowpack in the Alps and Western North America. - Around 60 northern hemisphere ski centres still open for the 22-23 season. - Spring/Summer-only glacier ski areas begin 2023 openings in France and Norway. 
Still snowing in Europe...
World Overview We're into May now and the number of ski areas still open in the northern hemisphere has dropped to double figures as more centres ended their 22-23 seasons after the long May weekend. Big weather fluctuations have been reported in ski regions in Europe and North America in the last 7 days with snowfall on high slopes in both continents, particularly heavy in the high French Alps at the start of the week, but also record high temperatures, for a time, in California and Utah before temperatures dipped again and fresh snowfall began. One common factor in conditions at still-open ski centres on each side of the Atlantic is heavy, wet snow conditions, leading to considerable avalanche danger and sadly reported fatalities from avalanches in both Europe and North America in the last week. May also marks the real countdown to the start of the 2023 season in the southern hemisphere and up to 15cm (6") of snowfall reported on high slopes in Australia, the Andes and in New Zealand have helped to raise anticipation levels. Europe Austria Austria has the most ski areas still open of any country in Europe, with six glacier resorts still open and reporting good conditions from the recent snowfalls on glacier slopes, including a few centimetres more this past week. Sunday will be the last day of 7-8 month seasons at the country's highest centre, Pitztal, as well as at Solden, host to the opening World Cup Alpine ski races of the season back in October last year and boasting the country's deepest snow all season. Three more glacier areas at Kaunertal, Kitzsteinhorn and Mölltal plan to stay open through to the end of the month on May 28th - and the Hintertux glacier remains open year round. France Remarkably, there was about a foot (30cm) of snowfall on French ski slopes above 2,000m on Monday, 1st May. Unfortunately most ski areas had already closed and the three still open – Val d'Isere, Val Thorens and Tignes could only offer white-out conditions to those in resort. Tuesday the 2nd was a different story with clear skies and remarkably good conditions for the start of May. All three still-open French centres are due to end their seasons after this weekend, but Les 2 Alpes has re-opened for late-spring/early-summer glacier skiing planned to run through May and June so the French ski season continues. Italy Most ski areas have now ended their 22-23 seasons in Italy, with Cortina d'Ampezzo the last to close in the Dolomites on May 1st. Livigno, Macugnaga, the Presena Glacier above Passo Tonale and Sulden am Ortler also ended their 22-23 seasons at the weekend. That leaves just Cervinia still open through this coming weekend and reporting great conditions with fresh snow lying up high. Italy won't have any ski areas open for three weeks from Monday but glacier ski area Passo Stelvio is due to open at the end of the month for its 2023 season. Switzerland Half a dozen Swiss areas remain open into May, with most seeing some more fresh snowfall up high to start the week, with sunnier skies since. Four of these, including Adelboden, the Diavolezza glacier near St Moritz in the Engadin, Engelberg and Glacier 3000 near Gstaad and Les Diablerets are expected to close on Sunday. Europe's highest slopes, above Zermatt, will remain open through May. There was sad news from Samnaun, which, along with Andermatt, ended its season on Monday, as two women skiing just off an open run having accidentally strayed off onto a cat track, were caught in an avalanche, leading to the death of one of them. Scandinavia Scandinavia offered some of the best conditions in Europe through April, but although it remains cold with some areas posting 20cm of fresh snowfall in the past week, many of the region's big resorts including Sweden's Are and Norway's Trysil and Hemsedal, have now ended their seasons. You can still ski until next Monday up in Lapland and Levi and Ruka which are coming up to the end of their 7-month ski seasons. Sweden's northerly Riksgransen ski area will start offering skiing under the midnight sun shortly too, as it approaches 24-hour daylight up in the Arctic Circle. Finally, Norway's three summer-only glacier ski areas begin opening for the season this weekend. Pyrenees The 22-23 season is now over in the Pyrenees with the last area in the region that had still been open, Cauterets in the French Pyrenees, ending its season last weekend. Scotland Scotland's ski season really ended at the end of the Easter school holidays over a fortnight ago when the last few runs still open at Cairngorm were closed. Despite mostly warm weather last week, however, fresh snow was reported on high peaks to start May with some ski tourers hiking up to earn their turns. Eastern Europe With Jasna and a few other ski centres that managed to keep terrain open to May 1st calling it a day on their 22-23 seasons, there's just one centre known to still be operating, at weekends, in Eastern Europe. There are about 6lkm of high runs open above Kanin in Slovenia, a centre famed for its spring skiing. North America Canada There are four ski areas still open in Canada after Marmot Basin and Mount Norquay bear Banff ended their 22-23 seasons at the weekend. Lake Louise is due to be next to close at the end of the ski day on Sunday, but the third Banff area Sunshine in Alberta, as well as Blackcomb Mountain by Whistler on BC's Pacific Coast and (over in Quebec to the East – and at weekends only) Mont St Sauveur – are all aiming to stay open through to May 22nd. Sunshine reported fresh snowfall at the weekend but also closed a lot of terrain due to high avalanche danger from the wet snowpack. USA The US is the country with the most ski areas still open as we start May, and many of them have extended their seasons because of the huge snowpacks built up through the winter and spring. About two dozen areas remain open, the majority in Colorado, California, Oregon and Utah. The past week has been a bit of a weather rollercoaster with warm weather leading to fast thawing and flooding concerns into the weekend, but then a temperature drop bringing more snowfall to Mammoth, which plans to stay open to July and still has the world's deepest snowpack at more than 20 feet (6 metres). In Utah, the Little Cottonwood Canyon was once again closed this week due to the latest high avalanche danger, cutting off access in and out of still-open Snowbird once more. To add to the mix some ski areas in Colorado were closed earlier this week due to thunder and lightning storms. The ski season on the East Coast is all but over with Maine's Sugarloaf deciding to call it a day on their 22-23 season at the weekend. However, Jay Peak, Sugarbush and Killington still have a white ribbon or two of snow on green hillsides to enjoy some final turns on. Killington hopes to stay open later into May but it's looking like this coming weekend will be the last of 22-23 for the other two. |
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J2Ski Snow Report April 27th 2023
Kitzsteinhorn, Kaprun, Austria, still open, still snowy... Northern hemisphere gets more snow, and it starts in the Andes. The Snow Headlines - 27th April - Alta passes 900 inches of snowfall this season - two days after closing. - Still 10 Austrian ski areas open for the start of May. - State of emergency in Utah as huge snowpack starts to melt, still snowing up high. - The season is over in the Balkans and the Pyrenees. - More than two dozen North American ski centres extend seasons into May. - Fresh snowfall in the Andes ahead of the 2023 season. 
A little more snow forecast for the end of the season...
World Overview The snow continues to fall on high slopes in the Alps. Glaciers started this week by posting pictures of 20-30cm overnight accumulations. That's a much brighter picture (for those of us who like the snow) than this time last year when plus temperatures were reaching 4,000m altitudes and there was fast thawing of snow cover in the Alps. It's coming (very) late in the season but we've now had six weeks of predominantly cold and snowy weather up high, with no real sign of a major change. Across the northern hemisphere, more than 100 ski centres in over 15 countries now plan to stay open until at least May 1st. The biggest number - about 20 – are in the USA where many have extended seasons due to the huge snowpacks lying on Western mountain slopes. There's been more fresh snowfall here too this week. Elsewhere, the season is pretty much over in the Pyrenees, Eastern Europe, Scotland and the North American East Coast has had warm weather too. Fresh snowfall has been reported in the South American Andes this week, above 2500m, where the 2023 season starts in just over a month. Europe Austria Although more big-name ski areas including Innsbruck and St Anton closed for the season last weekend, there are still 10 Austrian areas aiming to stay open into May, the most of any European nation. We're into the final week of the season unless there's a last-minute extension, at Obergurgl, Obertauern, the Stubai Glacier and Ischgl, all due to close at the end of the ski day on Monday, May 1st, the latter after their big end-of-season mountain concert. The Pitztal and Solden glaciers will close a week later, with Solden currently posting Austria's deepest base at 3.3m (11 feet). Then the Kaunertal, Kitzsteinhorn and Mölltal glaciers are aiming to stay open right through to the end of the month with, of course, Hintertux aiming to stay open year-round. It currently has almost all of its 60km of slopes still open. This week has seen more significant snowfalls on glaciers which have led to some closures for fog and blizzard conditions, but also great fresh snow. France Half a dozen ski areas are still open in France with Tignes (still with Europe's deepest base up on the Grande Motte, now at 428cm) and Val d'Isère, along with Val Thorens the three resorts planning to continue for a final week after the coming weekend. Unusually though a fourth option, Les 2 Alpes, which closed last weekend for the main ski season plans to re-open through May from next weekend, for glacier skiing, having brought its summer ski season forward by a couple of months. French ski areas have not had as much high-altitude snowfall as glaciers further east, and thawing has diminished snowpacks by about 30cm compared to a week ago, but there have been cold temperatures and more fresh snow up high. Switzerland Very similar conditions in Switzerland where more snowfall was reported on higher slopes this week too. A dozen or so ski areas remain open with Adelboden, Andermatt and Samnaun among those ending their season this coming weekend. Those carrying on into May include the Titlis glacier above Engelberg, the Diavolezza Glacier in the Engadin Valley that's officially part of the St Moritz ski area and Glacier 3000 near Les Diablerets and Gstaad. Europe's highest slopes above Zermatt aim to stay open year-round. Scandinavia Scandinavia has had some of the best conditions through April and the last week has brought a fresh drop in temperatures and more snowfall in many areas. Here too, however, the season is winding down with well-known areas like Voss in Norway closing last weekend and most other big-name centres like Sweden's Are and Hemsedal in Norway closing after the May weekend. Next week Levi and Ruka will complete their seven-month ski seasons by operating for a week into May, and we'll be approaching the period of 24-hour daylight up in the Arctic Circle so Riksgransen will offer midnight-sun skiing again for a few weeks. Norway's three summer ski areas are also near to opening from 6th May on. Pyrenees The ski season in the Pyrenees ended at the weekend. All centres in Andorra and Spain are believed to have closed by mid-April, but Cauterets in France carried on to last Sunday. Scotland The ski season is really over in Scotland now. There has been fresh snowfall and low temperatures this week after very warm weather last week, with new hill snow on peaks for the most determined ski tourers, but what little lift-served skiing there was left at Cairngorm ended after the Easter school holidays. Eastern Europe There's little still open in Eastern Europe now. All centres in Bulgaria have closed for example. However, the largest in the north of the region, Slovakia's Jasna, is aiming to stay open until Monday, May 1st and even reports a little fresh snow up high. Further south, Kanin, on the Italian border above the Adriatic, is famed for its late spring skiing and was one of the first ski areas in the world to re-open after the pandemic lockdown. It is likely to stay open later into May but is only open at weekends. North America Canada Conditions remain fairly good in western Canada with more snowfall reported on higher slopes at still-open centres. Open ski areas are diminishing in number with Mount Norquay and Marmot Basin due to end their seasons this weekend. Lake Louise will carry on for a further week with Blackcomb Mountain at Whistler and Sunshine near Banff carrying on through to May 22nd. The season is pretty well over in the East of the country with just Sommet St Sauveur planning to open a short terrain-park-type trail at weekends through May so long as the snow lasts. USA There are still several dozen US ski areas open, with most planning to remain so into May, and while Utah has declared a state of emergency over flooding fears, remarkably there's been still more heavy snowfall reported in the west. The largest centre in the US, Park City in Utah, is planning to close after skiing on Monday, May 1st but dozens more centres, mostly in California, Colorado and Utah with a few in Oregon and Wyoming, are planning to continue later into May, some into June or July. Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Crystal, Solitude (which passed the 800 inch season snowfall to date mark in the last few days), The Palisades and Winter Park are among them. Most skiing has now ended in the eastern US where the weather recently has been warm and wet, so what's left is very much the thawing snowpack. Maine's Sugarloaf expects to close after May 1st skiing but Jay Peak, Killington and Sugarbush were soldiering on at the last report. |
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J2Ski Snow Report April 20th 2023
Tignes, France, open until 6th May (summer skiing from 17th June)... Northern hemisphere season still not done... The Snow Headlines - 20th April - Up to a metre of snowfall reported on high slopes in the Alps up to last weekend. - Less than 10% of ski areas still open for the final weeks of April. - Crans Montana extends ski season to mid-May. - Deepest snowpack in the Alps hits new 22-23 season high of 452cm 
Nope, snow's not stopped falling yet...
World Overview The season continues to wind down in the northern hemisphere with more of the big-name resorts closing their 22-23 seasons. But many are still open and it keeps snowing, up high at least, with some resorts reporting over a metre of snowfall in the last 7 days, heaviest in the Alps up to the weekend. As a result, Tignes has hit a new record snow depth in the Alps of 452cm for the 22-23 season. Elsewhere, almost almost all ski areas are closed in the Balkans and Pyrenees, and Scotland's 22-23 season is over, but the majority of resorts remain open in Scandinavia, with fresh snowfall and fairly low temperatures still reported. Across in North America, many ski areas have now ended their seasons, but dozens remain open into May and there's been more snowfall in the west, although temperatures are into the 80s (Fahrenheit) in the East. Europe Austria Austrian ski areas reported some of the biggest snowfall totals in Europe in the final few days of last week. Up on the country's glaciers, most of them open into May, snowfall totals of 60-110cm over the four days to Sunday were reported, giving great conditions up high. Since the weekend things have calmed down a little, with temperatures rising and just light snowfalls. Most Austrian ski areas have now closed and some that are famed for their long seasons like Obertauern and Solden are into their final week or so of winter, but there's at least a month of the season left at some glaciers including Molltal and year-round Hintertux. France More than 80% of French ski areas have now closed for the season, but there are around 20 still open and planning to close on one of the next three weekends. Tignes, still posting the deepest base in Europe up on its glacier at just over 4.5m (15 feet), and Val Thorens will be the last to do so on the 7th. However this summer the French season won't now end then as Les 2 Alpes has announced a re-thinking of its summer skiing; now closing for the final week in April and then re-opening for, hopefully, all of May and June for summer skiing, earlier than before by nearly two months. As to current conditions, French resorts did not post quite so much snowfall into last weekend as resorts further east in Austria and Switzerland but still, there was up to half-a-metre on glaciers and base stats went back up. There was rain lower down and it's been drier and getting warmer since Sunday. Italy About a dozen Italian ski areas are still open into the final weeks of April. There was snowfall here at the end of last week too, right down to the Dolomites where Cortina will keep a part of its terrain open to the start of May. Here too it has been a quieter few days after the snowfall at the end of last week. Other Italian ski centres open to the start of May include Cevinia, Passo Tonale and Livigno. Switzerland Swiss centres also saw fresh snowfall up high in the latter half of last week with Engelberg among the areas eventually reporting more than 60cm (two feet) of fresh snow on its glacier. It's one of around 20 Swiss resorts still open and of half-a-dozen aiming to stay open into May. Since the weekend it has warmed up although with snow showers continuing up high. Saas Fee has the deepest snow in the country, up again to nearly 4 metres after it too had a decent dump and a bit more up high in more recent days. Its final weekend of the season is just starting, but then it's only three months until the 23-24 season starts there in July! Scandinavia Although most of the big Scandinavian centres remain open to the first weekend in May (some like Ruka and Levi in Lapland another week after that too), about half of the region's mid-sized areas did close last weekend after the end of the Easter holidays. Temperatures are finally rising with +5C or +6C measured in the afternoon at some more southerly centres, but most of those still open have reported some fresh snowfall too this week (30cm at Trysil) and that they're more or less fully open still when resorts in the alps may just be down to their highest terrain only. Pyrenees All of the Spanish ski centres in the Pyrenees are believed to have now closed, as has the largest in the region, Andorra's Grandvalira, last Sunday. Only one area is thought to still have about 10km of its slopes open and lift-accessed; Cauterets on the French side of the border, which is closing this Sunday. Scotland Scotland's 2022-23 ski season, which unfortunately never really got going properly, finally ended last Sunday when Cairngorm, which had had a few runs still open, called it a day. There had been some cold temperatures and fresh snowfall to low levels at the end of last week but it was too little, too late to reopen the closed slopes at the four other centres and since the weekend temperatures have warmed up a great deal. Eastern Europe The season is largely over in Eastern Europe with all the main centres in Bulgaria as well as other countries including Romania and the Czech Republic closed for the season. The largest resort in the Northeast, Slovakia's Jasna, is hoping to stay open until May 1st and reported fresh snowfall for the weekend. Down in Slovenia, Bovec, famed for its high-altitude spring skiing with views out to the Adriatic, is open into May too, with the snow still lying 2 metres deep up top. North America Canada Western Canadian resorts have reported more snowfalls in the last week, but most have now closed or will do this coming weekend. Sunshine, Lake Louise and Marmot Basin near Jasper will be open into May, as will Blackcomb Mountain at Whistler. Most centres have now closed in Canada's east, where temperatures have been quite warm, but the biggest, Tremblant, will stay open to this coming weekend, its season extended after record snowfall amounts this winter. USA Ski areas are ending their seasons in the US too of course, but several dozen centres now have extended their seasons into May and the list keeps growing. It also keeps snowing, with more snowfall reported for the Rockies, the Pacific Northwest and in the Sierra Mountains in California – if not perhaps quite so much as earlier in the spring. There's been a more rapid season-end in the East, with some very warm temperatures topping 80F reported this week, but some centres including Killington and Sugarloaf still have some slopes open. In the west Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Brighton, China Peak, Copper, Crystal Mountain, Heavenly, Jay Peak, Kirkwood, Loveland Mammoth, Mt Bachelor, Park City, Snowbird, Timberline, The Palisades and Winter Park are all open into May, although some only at weekends. |
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J2Ski Snow Report April 13th 2023
This was Les Arcs, France, this morning... just saying... Northern hemisphere season slowing, but the snow's still falling... The Snow Headlines - 13th April - Access road to Alta and Snowbird closed for much of the past week due to avalanche danger. - Snow base depths begin to drop in Europe and North America. - Fresh spring snow both sides of the Atlantic. - Japan's Gassan summer ski area opens for the 2023 season. - Fresh snow reported on Australian ski slopes two months ahead of 2023 season. 
Yep, still snowing...
World Overview About 90% of ski areas across the northern hemisphere have either closed in the past few days, following the Easter weekend, or will do so this coming weekend, but it's still possible to ski at hundreds of locations across Europe, North America and Asia, which are remaining open to the end of April or even into May. In Europe, it was a cold and (up high) sometimes snowy Easter weekend, but things have warmed up since, although weak fronts moving across the continent have brought more light snowfall to high slopes. The thaw is finally starting to win through with the deepest snowpack down 30cm (a foot) compared to a week ago. It's a similar story across in North America where again there was weekend snowfall but now the thaw is marked and the deepest snowpack (in the continent and the world), at Mammoth in California, has dropped back down below 8 metres. Europe Austria It's been quite cool and there has been more fresh snowfall on higher slopes in Austria over the last few days. That's slightly ironic given that the 22-23 season is rapidly ending in the country with many areas closing after the Easter weekend and plenty more closing this coming weekend. However those that open later into April and the few continuing into May or even June are the ones reporting the snowfall, including 20cm for Solden, 12cm on the Kaunertal glacier and 10cm at St Anton, so it's looking fairly good for the next week or two here. In the short term, more cold and snowy weather is forecast through the weekend. France As with most parts of the skiing world, with Easter behind us and the latter half of April nearly beginning, most of France's ski areas have either closed down or will be doing so soon (this coming weekend or next) and those that are still open have, in most cases, shut down large chunks of their terrain with a focus on higher runs. Ski areas open up to May include Chamonix, Tignes, Val d'Isere and Val Thorens, and the good news is that it has been decidedly wintery on those higher slopes above 2,000m altitude with repeat snowfalls through the last week. Base depths, even up high, appear to have finally peaked though with Europe's deepest at Tignes dropping from a season-high point of 4.5 metres (15 feet) for the past few weeks to 4.2 metres now. Italy Most of Italy's ski areas closed for the season on Monday or Tuesday this week but a good many remain open including Val di Fiemme open until this weekend on the 16th, an extra week at Kronplatz (until 23 April) and Arabba (until 25 April) with more than a fortnight of the season left to run at Cortina d'Ampezzo until 1 May and three weeks for Cervinia to May 7th. The past week has seen a mix of all weathers with plenty of sunshine - and valley temperatures rising to double figures. There have been showers too, with a few centimetres of fresh snowfall above 2,000m, and rain lower down. Switzerland Swiss ski areas have begun closing and most of those still open will be closing after Sunday's skiing; but several dozen areas will be open later in the month. As with other Alpine nations, it's these higher centres that have been reporting snowfall with low temperatures over the last few days and more snowfall forecast for the rest of this week and through the weekend. Several centres reported 25cm of snowfall in the last 24 hours with Zermatt (hoping to stay open year-round again if summer heat allows after being forced to close last August-September) one of the big winners and decent dumps too at Samnaun (Open to May 1st) and Saas-Fee. Scandinavia Scandinavian ski areas have been reporting some good fresh snowfalls over the past few days after a sunny Easter weekend. 5-20cm accumulations have been reported and with temperatures only just beginning to climb a few degrees above freezing so the snow quality is also still good. Unlike further south, most ski areas in the region remain largely fully open, thanks to their northerly latitude, and will remain so into early May in the case of big players like Are, Hemsedal, Levi and Ruka. Pyrenees The season is all but over really in the Pyrenees with most of the ski areas in the region now closed for 22-23 and almost all of those remaining planning to close at the end of this coming Sunday. The Easter weekend here was very warm and sunny although it has cooled in the last few days with snowfall on the very highest peaks but rain lower down. The largest area Grandvalira has just a foot or so of snow left up high and about a quarter of its terrain open until Sunday, having closed Soldeu-El-Tarter on Tuesday. Scotland Scotland's season is more or less over. There was some hill snow to start the week which Glencoe described as potentially the last chance for ski tourers who can use the centre's chairlift to ease access to the touring terrain. The only lift-accessed skiing still just about open at the time of writing is at Cairngorm which reports soft snow conditions and the runs in the Ptarmigan Bowl becoming thin in some sections, "...but still good snowsports to be had." Eastern Europe Most of the well-known ski areas are still open in Eastern Europe and it has been a cool and snowy week for many with fresh accumulations on higher ground. Daytime highs of +15C were reported at the resort level in Bulgaria in the last few days and most areas are expected to close there after a final ski day on Sunday. Bulgarian ski areas are now running at 30-60% of their slopes open for the last few days of 22-23. Jasna in Slovakia has the most terrain open. North America Canada Springlike conditions were reported in eastern Canada but much more wintery weather in the west, where Whistler was largely shut down by gales at the weekend and Fernie by heavy rain over the last few days. Fellow BC ski area Revelstoke, though, posted 25cm of fresh snowfall in 48 hours and a snowy final few days to the season there. USA Last week saw more huge snowfalls in the Rockies with the resulting avalanche danger so great in parts of Utah that some ski areas including Alta and Snowbird have been cut off for most of the past week for road safety reasons. There was snowfall in other areas too, but not with quite such dramatic volumes (another five feet/1.5m) or consequences. Spring has now though finally sprung and most US resorts are seeing sunshine, warm temperatures and a fast thaw. Lots have also ended their season on schedule, including Jackson Hole after declaring a record 595" seasonal snowfall total. However, dozens more have extended their seasons into May, or beyond, including Breckenridge, Heavenly, Mammoth, The Palisades, Snowbird, Winter Park and most recently the country's biggest ski area, Park City. |
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J2Ski Snow Report April 6th 2023
Still looking like winter in Banff Sunshine Village, Alberta, Canada... Snow and cold, and warm and sun, and more snow... it's that time of year! The Snow Headlines - 6th April - Alta and Snowbird pass 800" (20.3m) total season snowfall to date. - Tignes reaches 4.5m base – Europe's deepest. - Ski areas in Japan close early due to warm weather and poor March snows. - More pre-season snowfall in New Zealand. - Big-name ski resorts including Sun Peaks and Telluride close for season. 
Spring snow for many places...
World Overview There's been more snowfall in the Alps over the past week, heaviest in the north and west, on higher slopes last weekend. Temperatures have also been around or below freezing at altitude leading skiers at some big resorts like La Clusaz to report "mid-winter conditions". It's set up many of the well-known resorts with plenty of terrain above 1800m in a strong position for Easter and for those remaining open right through into May. However smaller, lower centres are realising the end of the season is nigh and have been closing down already, with many more set to follow them after the Easter weekend. It's a similar story, although rather snowier, across the Atlantic. Still more heavy snowfall has been reported in the Rockies even as we start April and yet more snowfall records have been set. But at the same time more and more ski areas have ended their seasons, many even as they have snow lying deep on the ground. Elsewhere ski areas in the Pyrenees have had a good fresh snowfall but continue to battle warm weather on thin cover. It's perhaps slightly better in the Balkans, where Borovets reported a half-metre snowfall earlier this week, but less good in the Scottish Highlands where there's very little left open. Scandinavia arguably has the best of the snow in Europe with cool temperatures keeping it fresh and most centres will be fully open until the start of May. Europe Austria About half of Austria's ski areas have now closed for the season, including some of the lower-lying big-name destinations. Most of the well-known resorts are still open for Easter weekend and some higher centres, including glacier destinations like Solden (posting the country's deepest snowpack), will open beyond that. There has been some fresh snowfall and colder temperatures than recently, with St Anton posting 10cm at the start of this week. It's been dry and sunny for most Austrian ski areas since Monday though. France French ski areas have seen the best of the snowfall for a second week with the heaviest falls last weekend, but snow beginning to fall again now after a sunny period midweek. It's also fairly cold, staying close to freezing to quite low levels. Higher altitude resorts like Val d'Isere, one of those open until May, were among the big winners from the current conditions. Nearby Tignes also got more snowfall on its higher slopes and is posting Europe's deepest base still at 4.5 metres on the Grande Motte glacier. So it too is looking good for French skiing into May. Italy North-western Italy saw the best of the fresh snowfall at the start of this week with some good accumulations on higher slopes at ski areas along the western border with France and northern Switzerland. Cervinia got a good refresh and La Thuile, linked to La Rosiere, has the deepest base in Italy, now over 3 metres thanks to all the fresh snowfall. Many Italian areas will close after the Easter weekend but several dozen will continue to the latter half of the month and a few into May. Switzerland Swiss ski areas also got their share of fresh snowfall, particularly in the west of the country. Here too though resorts have begun closing for the season with more due to follow suit after Easter Sunday. It has been dry while staying fairly cool most of this week but snow is just beginning to start falling again, particularly on higher slopes in the north and west. Verbier got over a foot of fresh snowfall and most of the 4 Valleys are still open. Saas Fee, posting the deepest snow in the country now at over 3 metres, has had more than 50cm of fresh snowfall. Scandinavia Scandinavia continues to be the area where most centres are fully open and with fairly fresh snow cover too – although there's not been a great deal of new snow to report this week. Temperatures have been creeping up a little bit too but remain close to freezing, so there's not much thawing yet. The region's largest resort, Sweden's Are, remains 90% open, as does the second largest, Trysil in Norway and indeed most others. Pyrenees There's less and less terrain open in the Pyrenees, despite cooler temperatures and even the best snowfall for several weeks at the start of this week. Most of the bigger resorts in the region remain open but they're down to around half of their full areas available to ski, mostly the upper mountain and with fairly thin cover. So a definite end-of-the-season feeling here. Scotland Sadly, although there has been more cold weather and snow flurries at times, there's been a further deterioration in Scotland's snow cover and there's very little open for the Easter weekend. There's just a handful of runs left at Cairngorm, Glencoe providing lift access to touring terrain and Glenshee possibly offering nursery slopes for the holidays but not certain if they'll be able to (they don't have any ski runs open at the time of writing). The Lecht had also hoped to use their all-weather snowmaking to do the same but in the end, decided it was too warm even for that over the Easter weekend. Eastern Europe There was some fresh snowfall in Bulgaria at the start of the week, giving a refresh for higher slopes, but springtime is inevitably marching on, with more smaller centres ending their seasons and less terrain open at bigger resorts. That said, Slovakia's largest ski area, Jasna, still has almost all its runs open for the Easter holidays and about 70% of the terrain at Bansko is open too. North America Canada Conditions remain good across Canadian ski slopes but here too ski areas have begun closing down even with deep snow lying and fresh snow falling and most will have closed after the Easter weekend. Some though, including Sunshine and Norquay at Banff, Whistler in BC and Lake Louise in Alberta will stay open to the end of this month or into May. East Coast resorts have been posting some of the fresh snowfall this week, up to 30cm, but some ski areas here also saw rain as temperatures rose briefly midweek. USA There have been still more big snowfalls reported in the Western US with heavy snowfall and high avalanche danger temporarily closing some resorts in Utah at the start of April. Two of these, Alta and Snowbird, are continuing to break snowfall records, passing the 800 inches (20.3 metres) mark at the end of last week. A growing number of areas have extended their seasons in response to all the snowfall but many more have started closing for the season anyway. Mammoth, with the snow lying more than 8.5 metres deep up top, continues to post the deepest base in the country (and the world). East Coast resorts have had some fresh snowfall too, particularly on higher slopes to the north, but have also seen a few warm days to give the full springtime effect. |
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J2Ski Snow Report March 30th 2023
Alta, Utah, USA, where it's been deep... It hasn't stopped snowing in America! The Snow Headlines - 30th March - The Palisades is latest Californian ski area to announce it's staying open into July. - Some ski areas in the Pyrenees still 100% open as region battles early spring thaw. - World's deepest base passes 8 metres for first time in several years. - The deepest snow in the Rockies passes 5 metres. - Mammoth passes most ever snowfall total in its history - 695 inches. - St Johann in Tirol ends season early due to conditions. - Tremblant extends season by a week after posting record season snowfall total. - Winter Park extends season indefinitely - so long as the snow lasts on Mary Jane. 
See where it's going to snow...
World Overview It's been a surprisingly wintery week in the Alps as we near the start of April and the Easter holidays. At the big resorts with higher slopes things are looking better than we might have hoped during the warm weeks of March, thanks to a dip in temperatures and plenty of snowfall. They are posting the most fresh snow and best conditions with most of those posting the biggest numbers located in the North-western Alps. The past week has also seen some big-name lower-elevation ski areas further east call it a day on their 22-23 seasons - earlier than expected as they can no longer sustain enough snow cover. Elsewhere in Europe, Scandinavian slopes remain in good shape – cool and snowy there, but Scottish centres have very little left open. The Pyrenees are also suffering, not getting the cold and snow of further north, but warm sunny weather instead and it is a mixed picture for Eastern Europe with some cold and snow at times mixed with warm temperature spikes. Over in North America, the huge amount of snowfall all season in the west continues with more records set (Mammoth and Tremblant among areas saying they've had more snowfall this winter than any other) and more areas extending their seasons later into spring or even summer. Europe Austria A growing number of lower-lying Austrian ski areas are already closed for the season or are closing this weekend. After the weekend snowfalls on higher slopes, however, the focus is now on the country's higher altitude resorts with a reputation for spring snow quality and quantity like Obergurgl, Obertauern and Ischgl as well as the glacier centres. In that latter category, Solden continues to post Austria's deepest snowpack and the Molltal glacier has announced it will stay open at least to the end of May. Among the lower areas, St Johann in Tirol announced suddenly on Saturday that it was forced to end its season early, last Sunday, due to the deteriorating conditions of rain and warmth. It's one of the biggest name casualties so far. France It began snowing in the French Alps at the start of the weekend after around 10 days of mostly dry weather. The snow initially fell as rain below around 2000m, which was bad news for already thin snow cover at lower levels. The snowfall intensified and got heavier on Sunday however, giving a much-improved picture as temperatures dropped down to the valley floor. The snow has continued falling and temperatures have stayed cool all week. Tignes became the first ski area in Europe to reach a 4m base at the weekend and other big French areas like Avoriaz, La Plagne, Flaine and Les Arcs have reached 3m bases, putting them in the top 10 deepest in Europe too. Italy Italian ski areas have seen snowfall right across the country, but with the heavier falls along the French and Swiss borders in the west, which is also the region with the deepest snowpack. The same issues with thawing and rain at low elevations have been factors here, but against that there's been a good top-up for high-altitude slopes and resorts like Cervinia and Sestriere which still have most of their terrain open. So the Easter advice for Italy, as in most of Europe, is to aim high. Switzerland Temperatures dropped in the Swiss Alps down to freezing at the valley floor at the start of this week, with rain at low levels turning to snowfall. Up high it has been snowing, on and off, for several days, further improving conditions. Big winners included Saas Fee, now posting one of the deepest bases in Europe at over three metres, as well as Crans Montana, Murren and Laax which all have snow lying more than two metres deep. The 4 Valleys currently report 75% of the region still open, the largest single area currently skiable in Switzerland. Scandinavia Conditions remain good across Scandinavia where most of the major ski centres have another month of the season left, report temperatures still close to freezing, have all or most of their slopes open and even have some fresh snowfall to ski or board on. Base depths have reached three metres in western Norway. Sweden's Åre, with the most terrain in the region, unsurprisingly has the most runs open, about 80km or 90% of its slopes. Norway's Trysil has 70km but that's 100% of its area. Pyrenees The areas in the Pyrenees continue to battle the spring thaw which has closed many small to mid-sized areas in the region already and is cutting the amount of terrain still open at bigger resorts like Baqueira Beret and Grandvalira (Pas de la Casa and Soldeu). Spain's Masella reports it is still 100% open, crediting its north-facing slopes as particularly good news in warm spring conditions. Skiing is still possible over the resort's full vertical from the summit of the Tosa to the Pla de Masella, albeit with the best up high. Scotland Another week of good news and bad for Highland ski centres. Unfortunately, there's no real sign of any being able to open properly but temperatures did drop, overnight especially, at the weekend and start of this week bringing more snow up high. Cairngorm continues to offer some natural terrain and Glencoe also provides chairlift access to small areas, up high, but really it's ski touring stuff. Glenshee is still maintaining several short runs thanks to its all-weather snowmaking machine. The Lecht plans to reopen nursery slopes over the coming Easter holiday weeks using its all-weather snowmaking machines. So in summary, some easy slopes at the base of the centres for beginners and then some more challenging stuff up high at a few centres. Eastern Europe The big-name ski areas of Eastern Europe are all still in business and at the southern end in the Balkans have actually had cooler weather, on the whole, than the southwestern side of the continent. Bulgarian areas have seen some snow up high and have around 50-60% of their slopes still open. Slovakia's Jasna is posting the most impressive numbers for the start of April with a base of nearly 2 metres up high and 100% of its slopes still reported open. North America Canada Conditions remain pretty good across Canada with plenty more fresh snowfall reported in Alberta and BC over the past few days. The season is winding down in many areas with resorts due to close over the next three weekends, although some spring ski centres like Marmot Basin, Sunshine and Whistler are looking good for their usual season into May. On the East Coast, there have been more temperature fluctuations with rain at lower levels but the bigger centres like Tremblant still have 50-60% of their slopes open. Tremblant reports it has now had more snowfall in a season than ever before, extending its season by a week to April 23rd as a result. USA There doesn't seem to be an end to winter in sight in Western North America, even though many ski areas there will be ending their seasons over the coming three weekends. More areas are announcing they'll stay open longer into spring or even summer with The Palisades joining Mammoth in California in saying they'll stay open into July. Mammoth say they've now had nearly 700" of snowfall this season, more than any other before. There were more huge snowfalls this week on the West Coast and in the Rockies where the Utah resorts of Alta and Snowbird unusually called an 'Interlodge' during the skiing day. This requires everyone to get off the ski slopes and into a building with roads in and out also closed. The emergency state ended about 7 pm by which time several feet more snow had fallen in 12 hours. Things are more springlike in the East though with ski areas in New England reporting some snowfall but also rising temperatures and periods of rain for some lower slopes, so there's more of a "final weeks of the season" feel here. |
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J2Ski Snow Report March 23rd 2023
Mount Rose, Lake Tahoe, has no shortage of snow... A touch of Spring in Europe, yet more snow in America. The Snow Headlines - 23rd March - Mammoth, with a 25 foot (7.5m) base, says ski season will continue "at least" through July. - Tignes nears 4m base up high with 1m of snowfall forecast. - Heavenly extends season by three weeks to May 7th. - Fresh snowfall reported in New Zealand. 
See where it's going to snow...
World Overview It's been back to very warm and mostly sunny weather in the Alps this week after the heavy snowfall at the start of last. As we're now well into spring and fast approaching April and Easter it should be no surprise that the remaining snow cover, below 1800m in particular, is fast thawing away. Higher slopes though are in pretty good shape. Some have reported light snowfall and there's a bigger dump expected this coming weekend. Most of the bigger, better-known resorts have the majority of their terrain on high slopes and remain 70-90% open. Across the Atlantic, it is just a case of snowfall records being broken by the day in the west where more resorts are talking about extending seasons later into May, and even July. Elsewhere conditions remain good with fresh snowfall reported in Scandinavia and down in south-eastern Europe there's been some fresh snowfall in Bulgaria. However, ski resorts in the Pyrenees are having to really battle the thaw and in Scotland, that battle seems to be largely lost with just a few slopes left skiable in a couple of areas. Europe Austria Austrian ski areas have been hit by the warm weather this week seeing their snowpacks decrease in depth by up to a third. This is most marked, of course, at lower elevations, and there are a growing number of areas that are posting 0cm for lower slope base depths, including Ischgl, Mayrhofen and Zell am See. That's normal for the time of year, of course, and in any case, many Austrian areas will be closing at the end of next week or the week after. But there's more snow expected over the weekend and start of next week on higher slopes and the country does have more glacier ski areas to choose from than any other nation. France French ski resorts are posting some of the best high-altitude snow conditions in the alps now with a number of the big names including la Plagne, Avoriaz and Les Arcs reporting over 300cm of snow lying at 3,000m. Tignes is nearly at 4 metres, the most in Europe and looks like it will get there this weekend with a good snowfall expected up high. The colder, snowier weekend does follow another warm sunny week which saw temperatures reach double digits at 2,000m and +4C up at 3500m on glaciers, and it's still March. So it is noticeable that base depths have dropped at the resort level, particularly at the traditional valley resorts like Megeve and Morzine. Italy Italy has had, if anything, even warmer weather than the French Alps, with afternoon valley temperatures reaching the high teens at lower resorts, with an obvious major impact on the remaining snowpack. It is due to get a little cooler over the weekend and precipitation is expected across the country's ski areas here too, but it will most likely be rain at times below 1800m or so. The message is therefore very much 'aim high' – always the advice in the run-up to Easter of course but even more so this year. Cervinia is posting some of the deepest snow in the country and reports that more than 80% of its terrain shared with Zermatt is still open. Switzerland Swiss centres have faced the same warm weather issues, particularly at low elevations, as the rest of the Alps. A growing number of Swiss centres including Crans Montana and Wengen are now also posting a zero figure for lower slope base depth, indicating that a lift up and back may now be required at the start and end of the ski day. Above 1800m conditions are better the higher you climb and the country's big areas like the 4 Valleys remain 80-90% open, thanks to the fact that most of their terrain is on those higher slopes. Cooler temperatures and snowfall is forecast across Switzerland this weekend, the heaviest in the west. Scandinavia Scandinavia continues to be the place to aim for if you're looking for colder temperatures and fresh snow at lower levels. Norway's Hemsedal was among areas posting 20-40cm of fresh snowfall this week and it's among the areas expecting to stay open into May. Most resorts in Finland, Norway and Sweden are currently fully open and looking good for the Easter holidays. Pyrenees While there's snow forecast in the Alps, it looks like it will stay sunny across the Pyrenees with daytime temperatures in the range of +15C in valleys and up to +8C on higher slopes. It is still dropping below zero at all levels overnight, however, giving freeze-thaw conditions. The warm weather has made low-level slopes difficult to maintain and smaller, lower centres have closed and larger centres are, in some cases, operating only about half their terrain now as the season winds down. Scotland Sadly, warm weather and gales have plagued Scottish slopes over the past few days so there's now even less open at Cairngorm and The Lecht says its season is pretty much over unless there's a very big late snowfall. Nevis Range and Glencoe have no lift-served skiing at present either, but Glenshee is maintaining its all-weather snowmaking served slopes. Colder weather is forecast at the weekend and The Lecht says it hopes to at least open all-weather SnowFactory-maintained slopes for the Easter holidays. Eastern Europe The warm weather in the Alps at present generally gets cooler the further north and east you go so ski resorts like Spindleruv Mlyn in the Czech Republic and Jasna in Slovakia, both on the northern side of the alps, are that bit cooler and the snow that bit better still than further south. Jasna reports snow lying up to six feet (1.8m) deep and its slopes are still 100% open. Down in Bulgaria, it has been warm but there have also been some snow showers up high and at the time of writing Bansko still reports its long run back from the ski slopes to the resort is just about open. North America Canada Conditions remain good across Canada with more snow showers reported on both the western and eastern sides of the country. The biggest resorts on both sides (Whistler in BC and Tremblant in Quebec) also report their slopes continue to be 100% open. The forecast is for more of the same really with temperatures creeping a few degrees into positive numbers in the daytime, but remaining well below freezing overnight. USA Resorts continue to post more and more "best season totals for years/ever" reports with the first resorts passing 700 inches (17.5 metres) season-to-date totals in California. As a result, more and more are announcing seriously extended seasons, Heavenly into May, Mammoth into July ("at least"). In some cases, this is just to allow people to ski after so many storm closure days this winter. Further east, it has kept snowing in the Rockies with Crested Butte posting their 300-inch season-to-date total is already one of their five best of the past 45 years. Conditions have been a bit more hit-and-miss in the east with a return to rain showers with warmer temperatures at the time but Jay Peak has announced it's aiming to stay open until May. |
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J2Ski Snow Report March 16th 2023
Snoworks Backcountry Course, La Plagne, France, getting the goods! Picture courtesy of Snoworks Ski Courses - check them out! Well what a week that was? Snow came! The Snow Headlines - 16th March - Tignes upper base depth jumps 1.1m in 7 days staying deepest in Europe, now up to 3.8m. - 'Atmospheric River' from the Pacific brings a lot more snow to western US resorts. - Resorts in western Alps report up to 1.5m (5 feet) of fresh snowfall. - Considerable or High Avalanche Risk (levels 3 or 4) in the Western Alps. - Seasonal snowfall totals pass 660" (16.5m) at some ski areas in Western US. 
Top ups for Scandinavia, incoming for USA...
World Overview It's been quite a week in the Alps with the biggest jumps in base numbers of the 22-23 season on high slopes this year. Many spring skiing resorts have added about a third to their upper base depths and the deepest snowpack in Europe has gone up from 2.7m (which it had been for months) to 3.9m, a 1.2m (four feet) increase. The biggest reported snowfall was 1.5 metres (five feet), but many resorts posted a metre of snow falling. The news isn't all good though, the big jumps are above 3000m altitude and the best snow is above 2000m, with lower slopes seeing heavy wet snow or lower down rain at times; the avalanche danger has also shot up. Elsewhere it is very warm in the Pyrenees, but there's been more snowfall in Scandinavia. The Czech and Slovak republics have seen cold snowier weather but also gales and it's been mostly dry in Bulgaria. Scotland has had cold weather and snow but not enough to improve conditions much. Across the Atlantic there's been still more heavy snowfall in western North America, causing issues again with buried lifts and blocked access roads. More welcome snowfall in the northeast from a 'Nor'easter' off the Atlantic. Europe Austria Except for some big-name resorts like Lech and St Anton in the Arlberg, which reported several feet of fresh snowfall up high, most Austrian areas rather missed out on the big weekend snowfalls that impacted further west in the Alps. Kitzbuhel reported rain rather than snow, at the valley level at least. They were then struck another blow as valley temperatures reached +15C on Monday. But Tuesday was a better day – temperatures dropped right back and there was snowfall to low levels across the country. It's been drier since. France French ski resorts are in their best shape for a couple of months in most respects, following the big accumulations at the weekend and more fresh snowfall on Tuesday. In between, there was a warm weather spike with some resorts below 1500m seeing +14C. It's now turned drier and milder for the rest of this week, although not as warm as Monday, thankfully. Higher slopes are the big beneficiaries with most French areas seeing a 50-110cm jump in upper base depths although little change down below 1500m where there's been heavy wet snow falling or rain. Italy Italy had a bit of a divide last weekend with huge snowfalls reported in the far west (Cervinia said 1.5m), but then after a warm Monday, there was snowfall right across the country on Tuesday with Bormio getting a foot of snow and some flakes as far east as the Dolomites. Resorts in the west saw a second wave of snowfall and La Thuile totalled more than a metre from the two storms. It has been drier and sunnier since Wednesday though and that's expected to continue through the weekend. Switzerland Swiss centres have had the same big snowfalls in the west of the country as in France and western Italy, but with less to report further east. Big winners, reporting at least half a metre of snowfall, include Verbier and Zermatt, with less snow falling further east, but none-the-less the start of the week did finally bolster bases at resorts like Wengen, which has had thin cover all winter, and St Moritz reported 30cm up high. It's been warm at times though and that's how the weekend is looking, with highs of +15C at 1300m. That's probably why Zermatt has gone from a snowless village to a 50cm base at the weekend (when an avalanche blocked the rail line in/out for a time) and then back down to 15cm. Scandinavia Conditions remain among the best in Europe in Scandinavia. Centres including Hemsedal and Trysil have posted 15-30cm accumulations over the last few days and temperatures have stayed down close to freezing. Floodlighting is no longer needed in most areas in the region either as longer daylight hours mean most centres can operate in the sunshine once more, many like Are in Sweden and Levi in Finland aiming to stay open into May. Pyrenees Alas, the weather in the Pyrenees is increasingly 'springlike' – in other words, warm, sunny and with the snow thawing on lower slopes. That's not a huge problem at resorts like Soldeu, currently hosting the World cup Finals in Andorra, but for some low-lying areas has led to early season ends this week, France's Formigueres one of those calling it a day on the season earlier than expected. Scotland Very cold temperatures and some snowfall has left Scotland's five centres tantalisingly close to being able to re-open terrain ...but there's not quite been enough to instigate big changes. In the west, Nevis Range and Glencoe remain closed to skiers although the latter says it may have some high runs open at the weekend. In the east, there's a handful of runs open at each of Glenshee and The Lecht with Cairngorm ahead with about half of its 30+ runs currently operational. More snow but yoyo-ing temperatures are forecast. Eastern Europe Bulgaria has been cooler than the Alps over the last few days with clouds and light snow showers. Sunnier weather and warmer temperatures should be back for the weekend though. Further north strong winds have been a problem, with the largest area in the region, Jasna, completely closed midweek by gales. There have also been snow showers and low temperatures in the Czech and Slovak Republics and Poland. North America Canada Conditions continue to be good across Canada, with fresh snow falling still on both East and West coasts but without the road-blocking, lift-burying extremes of the western US this winter. The continent's largest resort, Whistler Blackcomb, has reached a 2.5m base and remains fully open, while resorts in the Rockies further inland say they've had 20-30cm in the last few days. Marmot Basin in northern Alberta reports "pow-fect" conditions with 21cm in the past 24 hours. Over in Quebec conditions remain good too with everything open and more snow falling. USA Yet more huge storms have moved in off the pacific into the US west, bringing feet more snow and burying lifts, buildings and roads once again. Ski areas have been digging out and making slopes safe to re-open, thankfully with a bit of a respite now after the latest huge dump of rather wet snow. Most centres are reporting huge bases and Alta has passed 660 inches of snowfall season to date (16.5 metres). Over in the east, where the early season was much more problematic with warm temperatures, limited snowfall and periods of rain, they're celebrating a "Nor'easter" off the Atlantic bringing over a foot of fresh snowfall to ski slopes there. |
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