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I suspect that'll be less of a problem next winter; holiday companies are cutting capacity quite drastically and reducing their long-term commitments in order to survive at the moment. :-( |
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J2Ski Snow Report 28th January 2021
Pisteurs at Val d'Isere are up already, making the mountains safer... they're going to be busy over the next few days! Serious Avalanche Situation in European Alps (see below) The mountains are waiting for us, and it's snowing... be patient, stay safe and follow your local advice and rules on travel. Most of us can't travel yet, but for those who can; please be careful! The Snow Headlines - 28th January - Up to 1.5 metres (five feet) of snowfall in the past week in the Alps. - Heavy snow forecast for the Alps. - Huge snowstorm hitting California - up to 3 metres/10 feet of snowfall possible. - French ski season start 'improbable' before March. - Italy's Dolomiti Superski optimistic of opening from February 15th. - Powder conditions in Bulgaria. For everyone able to reach the Alps at the moment, please be alert to a widespread and dangerous avalanche risk; there is an already unstable snow pack, with a lot more snow forecast, across a wide area. Please see our Critical Avalanche Outlook, and double-check local conditions. Stay safe! It's a very snowy end to January in many of the northern hemisphere's ski regions. Big falls of up to five feet (1.5 metres) have been reported in the Alps over the past week and a storm hitting the Californian Sierra at the moment might double that in places by the weekend. There have been 30-60cm falls in many other areas; Scandinavia, the Pyrenees, North America's east coast and even Bulgaria and Scotland. It is not, of course, all lovely fluffy light powder. Gale force winds have been reported in many areas too, including the Alps, The Rockies and California again and few low-lying places have had rain or fog as temperatures have risen. But the pandemic continues to cast its shadow over ski centre operations the world over. Countries remain divided with some allowing slopes to open but only for locals, others allowing resorts to open but not to run their lifts, and some keeping everything closed. As we approach the half-way stage of the main season we seem to be getting into something of a holding pattern as hopes of normality get kicked further down the road. Currently, there's a hope Austria and Italy might open for ski tourism from mid-February, but France and Germany seem more pessimistic. In the Alpine Forecast Some huge snowfalls in the forecast (and already occurring) for the northern French Alps, much of the Swiss Alps and parts of Italy. 
Lots more snow heading for the Alps this week... and, yes, that second column is amounts expected in the next 2 days!
Europe Austria Austria has had one of its snowiest weeks of the winter so far and it hasn't stopped yet with the snow expected to keep going into the weekend. Those who watched the night slalom World Cup races at Schladming on Tuesday evening will have an idea of how it has been. But that said it hasn't been one non-stop dump. The negatives of the snowstorm included periods with strong winds, rain rather than snow at low levels at times and some low-lying fog (that impacted the Hahnenkamm races at Kitzbuhel before Schladming, with Saturday's race postponed). Some Austrian areas, including the Zillertal Arena, have now posted more than 1.2 metres (four feet) of snowfall in the past seven days. Austrian resorts are currently open to local skiers only with hotels and tourism closed. The current earliest date ski holidays might resume is February 15th. France The French government announced late last week that ski centres there would not be allowed to open for the busy school holiday period in February and the country's prime minister said he thought it "improbable" resorts could open at any point in February. This has led to pessimism that resorts will now bother to open their ski slopes at all, even if they're eventually allowed to in March, due to the costs and logistics involved in doing so for a few end-of-season weeks. The irony is that unlike in Austria where ski lifts are running and slopes groomed, in France winter holidays are happening and resorts are open offering lots of activities – just not lift-accessed downhill skiing. It has been a snowy week here too, as for most of the Alps. Some resorts reported as much as 60cm (two feet) of snowfall over the weekend and it hasn't eased up much since with Chamonix and Courchevel among resorts posting 30-40cm of fresh snowfall in the 24 hours to Wednesday morning. Italy There seems to be a mixture of optimism and pessimism coming out of Italian ski circles at present. On the optimistic side, the country's biggest ski area, Dolomiti Superski, has published several media statements saying the latest planned opening date of February 15th looks good because they still have half-the-season left and Easter is early, which is good for business. The Italian government committee responsible for formulating rules for opening under COVID conditions has approved their suggestions, which include a 50% capacity cut. Others are less positive though and fear the 15th February date will be missed as two January dates have been. Italian resorts have also been reporting plenty of snowfall from the current storm in the Alps although many are not bothering to post official measurements during the lockdown. Switzerland Swiss ski resorts have posted some of the biggest snowfalls in Europe over the past week with ski areas in the Portes du Soleil (open on the Swiss side of the border, closed on the French) reporting up to 1.5 metres (five feet) of snowfall in the past seven days. The country's ski areas remain open and ski holidays are still possible for some, although rules for entering the country are very restrictive/prohibitive depending on which country you're arriving from. Engelberg and Andermatt continue to be the only ski areas outside japan posting bases of more than 4 metres. Scandinavia There was a very snowy period in Scandinavia in the latter half of last week when big storms brought 30-60cm of snow to ski areas in the region; coastal resorts like Voss doing especially well. Since then conditions have been cold, but largely dry and often sunny. Most Scandinavian resorts are open but travel to them, particularly international travel, is subject to many restrictions. Pyrenees Fresh snowfall in the Pyrenees too, with 20-30cm posted at the weekend by ski areas in Andorra and Spain. With ski lifts in France closed, ski areas in Andorra and on the Spanish side remain open, although still only to people living very locally. The amount of terrain open has dropped dramatically as centres look to cut costs against the drastically reduced income. Two of the biggest centres in the region, Andorra's Grandvalira and Spain's Baqueira Beret both report only about 30% of terrain open, down from a high nearer 75% earlier in the month. Scotland Scottish ski areas have reported some more great snowfalls in the past week with The Lecht reporting its access road had disappeared under all the snow. Plenty of people have been out ski touring despite the slopes closed due to the latest lockdown, but Glencoe reported they were continuing to prep terrain ready for whenever they can run the lifts again. There's no news on when that might be. Eastern Europe The best conditions of the season so far (and perhaps for several seasons) in Bulgaria at present with Bansko reporting 50cm of powder on the slopes on Wednesday. Temperatures, although now climbing, have been very low and there's a big change from the snow shortages of December. The long slope back down to Bansko resort from the main ski area has also opened for the first time this winter. North America Canada Good conditions still in Canada, with a greatly improved picture in Quebec, following the warm weather issues of November and December. COVID restrictions do mean only locally based people can get on the slopes but they are open at least. Over in the west conditions remain amongst the best in the world at present with more fresh snow and most ski centres in Alberta and BC reporting they're fully open (in terms of all lifts running and most trails open), including the biggest, Whistler Blackcomb. USA It has been a snowy and sometimes wild weather week for much of the USA. Last week ended with heavy snowfall for New England in the northeast where conditions continue to improve after the poor (too often to warm and wet) end to 2020. Last weekend was powder time there. In the West, the problem has not been so much warm weather, but dry weather, with snowfall totals to date way below the seasonal average – several resorts in Colorado just reached the 100 inches (2.5 metres) mark for snowfall more than a month later than last season. Here too though there's been some fresh snow. California is in the middle of a multi-day storm right now which has already dumped several feet of snow and the most optimistic forecasts project possibly 10 feet/3 metres might have fallen in total by the weekend. Be careful out there... |
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European Alps - Elevated Avalanche Risk
With more than a dozen fatalities in avalanches in the last week, a clearly unstable snow-pack in places, and heavy snow in the forecast (and already underway), authorities and experts are warning of high avalanche risk for the next week or so. Incoming snow, combined with variations in temperature, is expected to trigger substantial avalanches during the course of the storm. Clearer weather next week will heighten risk as skiers are tempted out onto powder, but the previously unstable snow will remain on many slopes, with extra loading from the new snow. Extracts from the French and Swiss avalanche bulletins follow below. Please check the links for the latest information and double-check local conditions and advice before venturing off-piste anywhere in the Alps at the moment. We also recommend checking out Henry's Avalanche Talk for no-nonsense advice and ongoing assessments of conditions. Next week will be a good time to let it settle! Switzerland 
Verbier's tourist office posted the following picture - of an avalanche crown wall - on social media yesterday. You can clearly see the deep but distinct layers in the pack, with the "persistent weak layers" being the obvious boundaries between the deeper slabs. 
For the latest bulletin from the Swiss authorities visit www.slf.ch/en/avalanche-bulletin-and-snow-situation.html France
For the latest French bulletin, see vigilance.meteofrance.fr |
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French Ski Season Start in February "Highly Improbable" Say Government
Started by User in Ski News, 8 Replies |
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Of course, although it is worth emphasising! We're not able to offer a travel-planning service for our readers at this time, however, as they come from over 150 countries around the world (the majority outside the UK at the moment) and we struggle to keep up with the ever-changing outbound restrictions of 1 country, let alone 150... :lol: |
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J2Ski Snow Report 21st January 2021
Big Bear Mountain, California. Snow's coming... Loads more snow, and more in the forecast... The mountains are waiting for us, and it's snowing... but be patient, stay safe and follow your local advice and rules on travel. The Snow Headlines - 21st January - Huge snowstorm drops up to two metres of snowfall on the Alps. - Austria extends ban on ski tourism to Feb 8th, hotels unlikely to open until March. - Heavy snowfall reported at ski areas in North Africa and Middle East. - A little summer snow in Australia lets one skier claim first turns of 2021! - Italy's government says ski areas can't open until at least February 15th. - Engelberg posts deepest base in the Alps (over 4 metres) after a metre of snowfall. - High avalanche danger in the Alps follows the heavy snowfall. There have been huge snowfalls in the Alps this past week, with some Austrian and Swiss ski areas posting accumulations of more than two metres. Totals of 30-90cm (1-3 feet) have been widespread. Although this has created powder conditions, the Avalanche Risk off-piste is very high (Level 4 and 5 - the highest) in many areas and, tragically, there have been several fatalities this week - please take care! Elsewhere in the world, there was also considerable snowfall, again, in the Pacific Northwest of North America as well as in Japan, across the Pacific. The deepest reported snow depths are now up to 4 metres in all three of these snowy areas. In less-welcome virus-related news, Austria and Italy have announced that ski areas will not be re-opening for ski tourism until well into February (in Austria the slopes are open to locals but not tourists, in Italy, they're closed completely), joining France in that position. As we write this, it's confirmed that French lifts will not open on the 1st February, although resorts and some slopes are open for ski touring. The more unusual snow news of the past seven days includes heavy snowfalls in Turkey and Morocco, the latter leading to complaints from locals that ski lifts aren't open as officials have not had them safety tested in the summer as they should have done. Australia has also seen a few centimetres of snow, even though it's mid-winter there, leading one skier at the resort of Mt Buller to walk up a slope in the middle of the night at the weekend to claim first turns of 2021 in the country, and probably the entire southern hemisphere, six months before the season is due to begin. In the Alpine Forecast Generally cold, crisp and clear for the next week or so in the Alps! 
Lots more snow heading for the Alps and Pyrenees this week...
Europe Austria It has been a big week for Austrian ski areas – both in terms of snowfall and virus-related developments. The snow has hardly stopped, with the end of last week and the weekend especially snowy. Most areas reported at least 50cm of snowfall, some as much as a metre, and some even 1.5 metres (five feet) or more. The biggest reported tally was at little Bichlbach in the Tirol posted 2.1 metres – seven feet of snow in the past seven days. The virus-related news is first that on Sunday the Austrian government announced hotels and restaurants would stay closed until at least February 8th, and probably at least the end of February, although ski centres can stay open for locals to enjoy. On the same day, the FIS announced that despite a spike in virus cases in the region, the biggest event in the world's annual winter sports competition calendar, the Hahnenkamm downhill at Kitzbuhel, can go ahead this weekend. The cancelled Lauberhorn from Wengen is also due to be staged there on successive days. France French ski areas have had their snowiest week of the season so far with many reporting 30-60cm of snowfall to end last week, then more snowfall on Monday/Tuesday this week. Here too resorts are warning ski tourers of the high avalanche danger. Most resorts remain open but unable to operate their ski lifts, other than in nursery slope areas for children, due to the country's lockdown, which keeps getting extended. Italy Italy, like Austria, announced an extension of its lockdown until February in the past week, in its case the 15th. Ski resorts are, like in France, trying to do some low-key winter sports activities other than downhill skiing. Snow conditions remain good if the slopes were open. Bardonecchia has had national team members training this week, commenting on the excellent conditions after the weekend's snow. The Presena glacier above Passo Tonale is reporting a six-metre (20 foot) base depth which would be the world's deepest if it were open. Switzerland Switzerland remains the largest ski nation in Europe to have kept its ski areas open and some ski tourism too. The headlines on that front have not been good over the past few weeks though with virus infection spikes in St Moritz and Wengen leading to hotel lockdowns, although the ski slopes are so far staying open. The English and South African variants have both been identified in these and an outbreak in Belgium has been linked to a Belgian skier taking a Christmas ski break to Switzerland. Swiss areas report great ski conditions following the recent snowfalls, which here too were very substantial last week and at times over the weekend too. There's now been predominantly cold, sunny weather in recent days and Andermatt and Engelberg have both reached 4-metre base depths. Scandinavia Ski areas in much of Scandinavia are reporting cold temperatures and fresh snow deliveries pretty much daily of late, so it's a pretty good picture there. Ski centres in Finland, Norway and Sweden all continue to operate at present, to largely domestic ski tourism. Norway's leading area Hemsedal is posting one of the best snowfall stats in the region with a 1.2 metre (four foot) base, fresh cover and all lifts and runs operating/open. Pyrenees and Spain Some fresh snowfall in the past week in the Pyrenees if not as much as in the alps, but there is a big snowstorm just moving in likely to bring much more. Only a fraction of the region's ski areas are currently open with French centres still closed and some Spanish areas not open yet still either, due to local pandemic related restrictions. Those that are open are only welcoming locally based skiers and typically have 10-30% of their potential terrain open for these limited numbers in order to minimise operating losses. New restrictions in Andalucia led Sierra Nevada to fear it would have to shut its lifts at the end of last week but so far the region's government have stopped short of that. Scotland Scottish slopes appear to be in superb condition after heavy weekend snow. Unfortunately, all centres remain closed due to the country's lockdown. Temperatures did briefly rise over the weekend to a few degrees above freezing but it's a very different January to 2020 when frequent strong winds and temperatures reaching double-digits above freezing often forced centres to close due to lack of snow or stormy weather. This year looks like it would have been great... Eastern Europe Eastern Europe, like western Europe, remains divided on the coronavirus-closure, yes or no? question. Slovenia, the Czech and the Slovak Republics, as well as Poland, currently have their centres closed; Bulgaria, Romania and several of the other former Yugoslav republics have their's open. The main news from Bulgaria in the past week has been very low temperatures, reaching -20C at Bansko at the weekend in fact. North America Canada A steady week in Canada with low temperatures from coast to coast and some fresh snow in Alberta, BC and Quebec too. The snowiest weather came at the weekend with resorts reporting 20-40cm of snowfall on both sides of the country. That meant more powder in Alberta and BC but was particularly welcome in the east where snowfall averages are below normal. In the East ski areas in Ontario remain closed by government order, in Quebec restrictions have been tightened once more but centres remain open. USA US ski areas on both the Northeast and Northwest side of the continent have had a snowy week and there's been some snow in California and the Rocky Mountains in Colorado and Utah too but here snow levels remain well down on the seasonal average still. The Northwest corner including Washington State and Alaska has the deepest snow in North America (some areas approaching 13 feet/4 metres deep) and this past week has seen some in these two states (Alyeska, Mt Baker) report another seven feet (2 metres) more snowfall. But there have also been strong winds and rain at times, bringing power outages and spoiling the snow cover. The northeast has gone in the other direction from an often lacklustre December to colder, snowier conditions in recent weeks. Ski areas in Vermont reported up to two feet of snowfall to start this week. |
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J2Ski Snow Report 14th January 2021
We think it's snowing in Verbier, Switzerland, this morning... but it's difficult to see! Oh look, more snow... The mountains are waiting for us, and it's snowing... but be patient, stay safe and follow your local advice and rules on travel. The Snow Headlines - 14th January - Storm deposits up to 50cm (20inches) of snow on Spanish ski slopes. - First major snowstorm of 2021 hits the Alps - 50cm by Wednesday, still falling. - French slopes set to stay closed into February, Italian areas may open next week. - More huge snowfalls in Japan. - Temps hit -30C in parts of Scandinavia - some centres close until it gets warmer. - Iceland's ski slopes open for the season. - Mount Baker passes 4m base depth with 2.5 metres (100in) of snowfall this year. A major snowstorm is hitting the Alps as we complete this report. Up to 50cm (20 inches) of snow had been reported in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland but it should be more by the time you're reading this. Avalanche risk has reached Level 4 (of 5) due to the storm in many areas. Although few people are able to make the most of it; Swiss ski centres remain open to all who can get there safely, and Austria is open for locals. France has its resorts open and ski tourers out but the lifts remain closed, and Italy too is closed although might just re-open next Monday. The snow in the Alps is one of a series of snowy headlines from Europe this week; Spain saw the deepest snow in the capital Madrid for 50 years, and plenty to the mountains too. In Scandinavia, temperatures dropping to -30C (-20F) led some smaller ski areas to close whilst bigger resorts closed more exposed lifts for safety reasons. In the wider world, there have been more huge snowfalls in Japan, which is having an increasingly epic season for snow after last winter's dismal one - although here too, of course, few people can reach it due to pandemic restrictions. The resort with the world record for most snow in a season, Mt Baker in Washington state USA, did what it does again too with over a metre of snow so far this week and 2.5 metres of snowfall since Jan 1st. In the Alpine Forecast Generally cold, crisp and clear for the next week or so in the Alps! 
Up to 2 metres of fresh expected for parts of Switzerland this week...
Europe Austria Rather a good week – on the whole – for snow conditions in Austria, with most resorts seeing sunshine and cold temperatures over the weekend with some decent snowfall in recent days too. There's a real mix in early-season snow depths with some famous areas in the Tirol posting depths less than 30cm in the valley, whereas in the south of the country in Carinthia several areas report more than 3 metres (10 feet) of snow now on upper slopes. The date by which 'ski tourism' might resume keeps being set back, most recently to 24th January, although that depends on fairly low infection levels by then. Most areas are limiting the amount of terrain they've opened, and some aren't opening at all, as they say demand from the few people allowed to ski isn't enough to come close to covering their operating costs. France The snow began falling in the French Alps again on Tuesday afternoon and it has been the snowiest period for a few weeks there with some resorts reporting 30cm+ by Wednesday morning with the snow still building up. Ski resorts remain open but the French government has kept the lifts closed as expected, promising another review on or by 20th January next week, but warning it currently looks likely we'll be into February before there's any chance of ski areas being allowed to open lifts. If Italy does re-open their runs next week (although that looks unlikely at present) it would leave France as the only major Alpine ski nation country with its lifts still closed. Italy The latest opening date for Italian resorts was, at the time of compilation, still next Monday, 18th January. Whilst there has been some government movement towards that date, the feeling seems to be that it seems unlikely resorts will actually be able to open then. Italian ski areas are stressing their readiness to open safely and hope that they'll be allowed to do so before it's too late for the season. Sestriere's mayor made a particularly impassioned please in the last few days, noting they are running the lifts safely for local youngsters on the race team to allow for training, still permitted under the Italian lockdown. Switzerland Swiss ski centres reported some of the biggest accumulations from the midweek snowfall this week; some in the Jungfrau region reporting that as much as 55cm (nearly two feet) of snow had fallen by Wednesday morning, when it was still dumping. The country continues to tackle the pandemic differently to its neighbours with ski areas staying open, even, so far, when there is a quite large outbreak as is currently the case in Wengen, where the Lauberhorn race has had to be cancelled this weekend but the resort has stayed open. Of course, most skiers are locals so the slopes are wonderfully quiet at most resorts. Scandinavia Until the snow started falling in the Alps late on Tuesday, ski areas in Norway had been posting some of the best snowfalls of the past week, with Voss on the coast overtaking the totals from storm Filomena in the Pyrenees. The other Scandi headline was for low temperatures, with several smaller Norwegian centres announcing temporary closures at the start of this week and resorts up in Finnish Lapland recording temperatures below -30C at times. In terms of the pandemic, most ski areas in the region have remained open so far. Pyrenees and Spain Ski areas remain open to locals in Andorra, Spain (some) and Portugal. In the French Pyrenees, some resorts are open with beginner lessons and ski touring but as with the Alps to the north, ski lifts closed until at least February now. The big news in the region was the arrival of Storm Filomena at the weekend which brought the most snowfall in five decades to some of Spain's cities and some decent snowfalls to most ski areas too (if not the most for 50 years in their case). 30cm+ was widely reported over the weekend with Masella saying it had 50cm (20 inches), so powder all round. Scotland Scottish ski areas remain closed due to the country's second lockdown and with parts of the Highlands, which had very low infection rates through 2020, now seeing some of Scotland's highest virus numbers, it seems likely that will continue to be the case for the foreseeable future. Ironically, conditions on the slopes are some of the best they've been in January for years. Glencoe reported on Tuesday they now have a good base across the mountain so are currently in good shape for whenever they can open. Eastern Europe It's been snowing across much of Eastern Europe over the past week, although warm weather has brought rain at times to some lower slopes, whilst upper runs in Bulgaria have received up to a foot of new cover. As with western Europe, there are mixed decisions on whether to open or not with centres in countries including Bulgaria, Croatia and Serbia open, but closed in the Czech and Slovak Republics as well as Slovenia at present. North America Canada Conditions continue to look very good indeed in Western Canada with Whistler Blackcomb reporting all runs are now open at North America's biggest ski area and whilst there has been some rain at lower elevations, it's been dumping down once more on higher slopes and inland resorts. Over in the east, ski areas in Ontario remain closed by provisional government order and it looked like Quebec's areas might go the same way with an increasingly strict lockdown there. So far though they've been reprieved and conditions are improving with cold-weather allowing for more snow-making. USA A mixed bag of snow reports from the US. On the one hand, there have been big snowfalls in the Pacific Northwest, with Mt Baker posting the continent's deepest base now at over 4.2 metres (14 feet), but it and other areas in Washington State were closed midweek as all that precipitation was falling as rain for a time. More terrain has been opening at resorts in the Rockies but overall snowfall levels are well down on average with no big dumps as yet this season and talk of drought towards the south. The virus is also increasingly impacting areas with Aspen especially hard hit and now on a high warning level. In the northeast, it is a still improving picture with not a lot of fresh snow but low temperatures now more consistent so snow-making systems have been fired up and are working well. Thanks for reading; keep the faith and we'll have more next week... |
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J2Ski Snow Report 7th January 2021
Sierra Nevada, Spain, early this morning and expecting snow... 2021 arrives with snow... and uncertainty! The mountains are waiting for us... please stay safe and follow local advice on travel. We can't all go skiing just yet but we can dream! The Snow Headlines - 7th January - Andorra's ski season underway. - Up to two feet (60cm) of fresh snowfall reported in the Alps. - Scotland and Slovakia close ski areas again. - (More) Massive snowfalls in Japan - Austria and Italy delay 'ski tourism' resumption to (at least) late January. - Whistler reports 64cm (over 2 feet) of snowfall in 48 hours on Monday/Tuesday. It's been a cold week in most parts of the skiing world and for the majority that looks to be the case for the week ahead too. Some of the biggest snowfalls reported have included up to 80cm accumulations in the Alps (though for most more like a quarter to a half of this); similar in the Northwestern region of North America (and for much of the rest of the continent's ski areas a quarter to a half of that). In Japan, heavy snow brought more than a metre of fresh to some areas, and another wave is just moving in. It is a great relief after the warm dry winter there last season, but sad of course that most skiers can't currently travel there. With the Christmas and New Year holidays behind us, the focus has been on countries with closed slopes; and whether they might re-open imminently. Austria, which currently allows ski areas to open to local skiers, now says it will allow ski tourists from the 24th January, but that's if infection rates are low enough. Italy has made a similar announcement, aiming for January 18th there though. France is about to make an announcement and may have done so by the time you read this, but the original date of the 7th isn't looking promising. Andorra, however, surprised everyone by opening on the 2nd to locals, with a plan to open for ski tourism from next week if their infection rate stays low too. Against these positive developments there are new setbacks. Slovakia, which has had its centres open over Christmas, has now closed them for most of January although currently its neighbour, the Czech Republic, expects to re-open its ski slopes which were closed over Christmas and New Year, from Sunday the 10th. In Scotland, where conditions were just getting good, the three still-open ski areas have now been closed by the government. In the Alpine Forecast Generally cold, crisp and clear for the next week or so in the Alps! 
More snow incoming for Japan...
Europe Austria Some ski areas in Austria have been open (or have re-opened), for local skiers, for a fortnight now, but the hopes of opening to all keep getting put back as the virus continues. The latest hoped-for date is 24th January but that relies on low infection rates by then. Not all Austrian centres have opened; with two of the biggest, Ischgl and Saalbach, staying closed. Saalbach says they'll lose too much money opening following an Austrian government requirement that skiers wear surgical standard masks, not just a buff or standard mask; Ischgl appears to be concerned over cross-border links with its ski area to Switzerland. Saalbach has just announced some lifts running this weekend though. As to the snow, well still good, especially on higher slopes. Nassfeld claimed an 80cm snowfall over the weekend. France There's uncertainty too in France over when ski areas there may be allowed to open. The original date of January 7th looks highly unlikely, but at the time of writing a government meeting was expected to discuss this very issue. The fact that a press conference to announce the conclusion is not due until the 7th itself makes it seem very unlikely that resorts will be allowed to re-open the same day. Virus rates have started to decline in parts of France and ski areas are open in three bordering countries (Switzerland, Andorra and Spain). French resorts are largely "open", just without the ski lifts running, and business was down 80% over Christmas and New Year. According to ski tourers conditions are generally great with more fresh snowfall this week. Italy Conditions are excellent in Italy at the moment – it has been a snowy weekend and start to this week with several resorts reporting as much as 60cm (two feet) of fresh snow. On top of that, some of the countries yet to open glaciers say they have six metres (20 feet) of snow lying, which would be the deepest in the world at present. A great shame then that the slopes remain closed of course, with the hoped-for season start date currently set at January 18th, having slid back from the 7th as Italy matches the UK for virus deaths and infections, amongst the worst in Europe and the world, unfortunately. Switzerland Switzerland is the only country in the Alps where you can actually enjoy the fresh snow, with resorts still open. What's open off the slopes in terms of accommodation, dining and other activity options is more restricted and varies from canton to canton, but the lifts themselves are turning. The number of non-Swiss guests is much lower than usual though due to pandemic travel restrictions. Here too conditions are pretty good for most areas. 30-60cm of fresh snowfall was widely reported around the weekend and start of this week with Saas-Fee reporting over 60cm (two feet) falling in 72 hours. Scandinavia A pretty good picture from Scandinavia where most of the region's resorts are now open, several have now passed the metre-snow-base-depth mark and conditions are cold and snowy. Of course, that's how it should be in January, but it's a relief after some rather warmer-than-normal and sometimes wet weather in November and December. Levi, up in the north in Finnish Lapland, even joyfully proclaimed daylight had returned at the weekend after three weeks of polar night due to its northerly latitude. Pyrenees The excellent news from the Pyrenees this week was the decision of Andorra's ski areas to open for the season last weekend. The date of the 2nd had been mooted a little before Christmas but as it drew near centres were uncertain if they could open as little as 48 hours before they did – running lifts free of charge for opening weekend. The caveat is that like ski areas over the border in Spain, only locally based skiers are allowed on the slopes at present. There's been more fresh snowfall and those living locally report great conditions. The region's bigger resorts like Baqueira Beret (which reported another 15cm of snow on Wednesday) and Grandvalira are each opening up 100km or so of piste. Scotland In what is turning out to be an ironic repeat of the end of last winter when Scottish ski centres were forced to close due to the pandemic lockdown just as conditions there got really good, the Scottish Government shut down the three centres that were operating (under strict limits) just as conditions this season were looking ever better. Scotland often has periods of rapid temperature change and gale force winds which can make operations difficult but the past three or four weeks have been consistently clear, cold and calm which had allowed centres to open ever more terrain with great snow conditions. The closure will last at least three weeks but may be extended. Eastern Europe Improving conditions are reported down in Bulgaria with some fresh snowfall allowing resorts like Bansko and Pamporovo to open more terrain and Vitosha to open. It's a mixed picture elsewhere but mostly down to virus restrictions. The Slovak Republic, home to resorts like Jasna, has closed its ski centres for most of January having been open at Christmas and New Year. It's neighbour the Czech Republic had earlier said resorts could open on the 10th of January. North America Canada A very snowy picture in western Canada with Whistler reporting an average of a centimetre (half an inch) of fresh snow an hour falling on its upper slopes for the first three days of the week and many other resorts in BC as well as over the border in Alberta reporting 30-60cm (1-2 foot) accumulations. For most that builds on an already snowy first month or two of the season meaning great conditions, although at times also high avalanche danger. Unfortunately, the opposite has been the case over in Eastern Canada with warm and wet weather causing issues for much of November and December - thankfully it has been cold in Quebec with some fresh snow this last week and things are fast improving. Ontario is however still the only region on the continent where ski areas have been closed by the provincial government due to the pandemic. USA An improving picture across the US with more snow in most areas but not yet a particularly spectacular season anywhere. The Rockies have reported fresh snow but levels are still down on the average. The deepest snow is in the Pacific Northwest region but here there has been periods of rain for some, interspersed with snow showers and gales. Over on the east it's definitely a better start to 2021 than the end of 2020, which saw a warm wet spell around Christmas, with consistently sub-zero weather. That has brought a little fresh snow but perfect conditions for the snow-making the region is famous for. |
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Thanks for that. We've put those links, and some of those posted by Swingbeep, here Travel to Switzerland - Useful Links |
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