J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

The UK's biggest celebration of winter sports and mountain culture is officially set to return, with organisers announcing that the Snow Show will return to Olympia London on 17–18 October 2026 for its landmark 50th edition.

In a statement released this week, the team urged snowsports fans to "mark your calendar", promising a blockbuster anniversary event that builds on the momentum of last year's show.

"We'll be bringing back your favourite features from 2025 and adding plenty of new ones," organisers confirmed, adding, "Expect more destinations, more speakers, more gear and more inspiration for your next winter trip."

The new attractions announced so far include a Snowsports Simulator, a hands‑on, high‑tech experience giving visitors the chance to test their skills and technique without stepping onto real snow.

The Destinations Theatre, a new stage dedicated to resort showcases, travel insights and expert talks from across the global ski industry.
Santa's Grotto, a festive family feature bringing a touch of Christmas magic to the show floor.

There'll also be the return of the skiwear fashion show, spotlighting the latest winter apparel, outerwear innovations and mountain lifestyle trends.

The tale of an infamous dry ski slope development in Merseyside, with the slope built "The wrong way round" is heading for the stage, as Liverpool's Royal Court theatre stages 'Taking The Piste' by playwright Kieran Lynn this summer.

The comedy tells the tale of Kirkby's ill‑fated 1970s ski slope, a project so chaotic and in hindsight, a mix of cronyism, poor planning and public‑money waste, that even its creators now admit it sounds fictional.

Built for £140,000 and demolished within a decade, the slope (pictured below) became a local embarrassment after it emerged it had been constructed without planning permission, on land the council didn't own, directly over a water main and with the slope built the wrong way round so skiers descended facing into the sun and ended their run by the M57 motorway. Before the slope was even built there was even a "free tip in Kirkby" advertised in local newspapers for people to dump waste, which was then integrated into the (inevitably unstable) slope base.

Taking The Piste is currently scheduled to run from June 19th to July 4th, 2026

Ski areas in the French Alps have reported up to a metre of fresh snowfall in the past 24 hours, bringing to an abrupt end a mostly dry month.

Chamonix reported the largest accumulation, one metre, with Les Arcs reporting 80cm, La Plagne and Tignes 60cm, Puy Saint Vincent 51cm, Val d'Isère 45cm and Meribel 44cm. Up to 60cm of snowfall has also been reported by resorts in Western Switzerland.

The snowfall is the first wave of a major storm system currently hitting Western Europe. It was forecast to bring warmer temperatures and rain to high levels on Thursday and whilst most resorts are describing their new snow as "powder", La Plagne does say their cover as "wet snow".

Snowfall is expected to intensify over the coming 24 hours with avalanche warning agencies saying that off piste danger levels are likely to be be high to very high over the next few days due to the combination of factors including strong winds and the sudden deposit of large quantities of, in some cases, heavy wet snow on a long standing frozen base.

Ski resorts and travel companies have also advised weekend travellers to be prepared for delays and for those self-driving to prepared for winter driving on snow and ice, among other things ensuring they carry chains and no how to fit them.

Cairngorm and The Lecht ski areas in the Scottish Highlands both report they have (or plan to have) multiple ski runs open thanks to the cold temperatures and natural snowfall that has dominated conditions there since New Year's Day.

The two centres both already had small areas of snow open for beginners, created with so called 'all-weather snowmaking machines', as do Glenshee and Glencoe ski areas, but sadly it has been rare in recent years for Scottish centres to be able to offer full ski runs with natural cover due to the rapid impact of climate change.

The Lecht has announced plans to open multiple runs today, once access roads open, saying at least half-a-dozen trails will; be open,

"There's been more snow over night. Runs are looking fab and are being prepared. The roads are currently closed but we're hopeful this won't be for long. Stay tuned," they posted at 8.30 on socials.

Cairngorm has had the most terrain open and has been able to offer top to bottom skiing over its full vertical.

"Bright , clear sky and patchy cloud this morning with good visibility. Currently calm conditions with a temperature of -6C at the Top and -3C at the Base station. 4cm of fresh snow overnight, lovely snow conditions across the mountain," their mountain ops team reports on Thursday, adding, "The Ptarmigan bowl is now full width and the Ciste Fairway has also improved in depth and width. The upper Cas is improving with good conditions on the down line too. We have a pisted run to the Base Station via the Shieling piste, down Cottam's way and the Home Road. So that's 3540 metres long, top to Base Station. We plan to open the M2 and Daylodge today. The M2 is full width, the Daylodge is narrow and has thinner cover near the base. M1 piste opening."

Glenshee says snow cover beyond its three all-weather-snow runs is improving but hasn't opened any additional terrain yet. They say they're looking at opening Sunnyside and Butcher's Access later if feasible once inspected. Glencoe has a sledging run with all-weather snow, a snow covered dry slope mostly used for beginner lessons and an access chairlift for ski tourers to reach high altitude snow parches, but says it needs more snow to open inbound runs.

All centres are stressing what's open remains limited and advanced purchase of lift passes online, the number of which available are also limited, is essential to secure access, especially at weekends.

Glenshee and The Lecht have also repeatedly been cut off by drifting snow and other issues since new year with repeat yellow and amber weather warnings.

Ski areas in much of Utah are finally reporting significant snowfall after a dry first few months of the 25-26 season.

"Call off the silver alert, Old Man Winter has been found. Thanks for waiting out the storm with us as we dealt with everything Mother Nature threw our way during this 30-inch storm. What a day," a spokesperson for Alta resort posted on Monday evening.

Park City Mountain opted for, "Hello Winter, glad you could join us," after reporting a foot of fresh snowfall yesterday and posting the image above.

How big a difference the snow, which Utah has trademarked as "the greatest snow on earth" will make to the big picture of open terrain remains to be seen. Park City Mountain claims the most skiable terrain in the US but currently is still showing less than 20% of its runs open.

Snowbird, which reports a third of it's runs open, has posted the most snowfall over the past three days with 20"/50cm, 24 hour totals of 12-14" (30-35cm) were reported at Alta Ski Area, Brighton Resort, Powder Mountain and Solitude Mountain Resort.

Utah has had a reputation for abundant light, dry powder but the first two months of its 25-26 season, has been dominated by mild, dry conditions, in common with that of neighbouring Colorado. It's meant only very limited terrain has been open at most areas up to now.

I flew into Geneva mid-December and there were long passport queues but the EES machines had been turned off so just the normal post Brexit ones, so that fits with comments above. Presumably turned off to stop queue getting even worse. A friend had been through day before and said they'd been on then with minimal impact, but assuming fewer people coming in at time of his arrival. The automatic barriers for EU/Schengen arrivals had no queues and we gazed at them longingly from our self-inflicted one.

Snow has begun falling again in the Alps over the past 24 hours. After a largely dry December, for some areas it's the first significant snowfall for a month.

However, the expected snow-bearing front from the south and west, which was predicted a week ago to be bringing up to 70cm of snowfall to the Western Alps around France, Italy and Switzerland at New Year, has, unfortunately, largely failed to materialise so far.

Instead, its very cold weather descending from the north, bringing snowfall to Scandinavia, Scotland and Eastern European nations like Poland, Czechia and Slovakia that is now making its way into the northern Alps in Austria and Switzerland.

Famously snowy Flachau has posted the greatest accumulation so far, with 35cm. Obertauern, which markets itself as Austria's snowiest destination has had 20cm to date.

With thin bases of less than 50cm, much of it machine-made snow, at many Austrian resorts, as elsewhere in the Alps, the fresh snowfall is very welcome, as are the subzero temperatures to low elevations around the clock which allow the country's huge snowmaking arsenal to operate.

The Skiwelt, home to resorts like Soll and Westendorf and currently about 80% open, is now reporting the most terrain open in the country, with over 200km of slopes, overtaking Ischgl / Samnaun which had the most through December. It currently has more available than larger Saalbach Hinterglemm (currently 50% open) and the Arlberg (currently 60% open)

With an amber winter weather warning in place, snowfall and largely subzero temperatures forecast for the first 10 days of January, with up to 50cm over the weekend, its one of the most promising starts to a New Year in the Scottish Highlands for many years.

However Scotland's ski areas are advising skiers and riders not to get too excited yet, as a lot of snow is needed before they can open much terrain beyond the relatively small areas they've managed so far using their all-weather snowmaking machines.

"Upper mountain starting to fill in but much more snow needed before we can open for skiing or snowboarding," a statement from Glencoe reads.

It currently offers a dry slope (probably snow covered now) for skiers, machine made snow for sledgers and its access chair for tourers to use to get up to altitude snow areas off piste quickly.

Currently Glenshee and The Lecht are closed with police closing roads around them due to snowfall and the current storm warning. Both had limited runs open with their all-weather snowmaking guns, with The Lecht noting, like Glencoe, that whilst bases are starting to fill in, a lot of snowfall is needed to build adequate bases.

Cairngorm, pictured above and below yesterday, has announced its access road has just been reopened but told any arrivals today (which is also still a bank holiday in Scotland) to expect delays.