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Very cool. Thanks for sharing that!
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J2Ski Snow Report 19th April 2018
Snow as far as the eye can see; Tignes, France last Saturday 200 northern hemisphere resorts still open, but warming temperatures bringing Spring skiing to high altitudes now. J2Ski Snow Report 19th April 2018 This Week's Snow Headlines - Heavy mid-April snow in unexpected places: Portugal, US Midwest and Iran. - Hot weather hits the Alps. - More than 50 ski areas in northern hemisphere to stay open in to May. - World's deepest bases: Mt Baker 706cm, Engelberg 700cm. - High Camp mid-mountain giant hot tub opens at Squaw Valley, then 30cm of snow falls. After a roller coaster April, so far, of snow showers and sunny highs in Europe the sunshine seems to be winning and temperatures are moving inexorably upwards as winter finally loses its grip after one of the snowiest winters in memory. Most ski areas in Europe and North America are now closed and many of the rest will do so this weekend, leaving about 200 for another week. Around 50 areas will continue into May. So not much fresh snow to report in most areas this week and it's more a case of 'classic spring skiing conditions' with most of the still-open ski centres having deep snowpacks which freeze overnight so are hard first thing, and slushy late on, but in a fun sweet-spot in-between. There are exceptions of note. The Alps did get some pretty good snowfalls a week ago – 15cm right up to 60cm in some cases, and a 40cm fall in Tignes last Thursday. More recently the US Midwest has seen heavy snow – up to 75cm of it – in the first half of this week, setting snowfall records for the time of year and leading some centres that had already closed for the season (in states like Minnesota and Wisconsin) to re-open. There's also been some fresh snow across ski areas in Western North America. Portugal's Serra de Estrela has also reported more huge snowfalls as its incredibly snowy season continues and in Iran the main ski area of Dizin, which had been having a poor snow year, has, ironically, closed indefinitely after 70cm of snow buried access roads and lift terminals. In the Alpine Forecast Very warm in The Alps this week at least, and not much precipitation forecast. Rising temperatures are de-stabilising what are now heavy, wet snow-packs off-piste so please exercise considerable caution (take local advice, really!) if leaving the pistes. On-piste Spring skiing should be great, if slushy later in the day, but the depth of the bases will give good skiing until the end in most ski areas. 
See where it's expected to snow this week...
EUROPEAN ALPS Austria Of the very little snow that has fallen in the alps since the accumulations a week ago, it is a few of Austria's high glacier slopes that have posted 5-10cm accumulations – mostly on Sunday. Otherwise it has been pretty hot sun and the majority of Austrian areas are now closed, as of last weekend. The notable exceptions include Kitzbuhel – now celebrating 7 months since it opened for the season back in early October, thanks to recycling snow saved from the previous winter. It's intending to keep operating through to early May. About half of Austria's eight glaciers are still also operating as are resorts like Ischgl and Obertauern which are both building up to big closing weekends at the end of the month. Snow depths remain good up high, though there's nothing left at resort level for most of the traditional village ski areas that are still open. France More than half of the leading ski resorts in France are still open this week but it's the last hurrah for a memorable season this weekend at many of them. Big names like Alpe d'Huez, Avoriaz, Châtel, Courchevel, Flaine, La Rosière, Le Grand-Bornand, Les Contamines, Méribel, Morzine, Samoens and Serre Chevalier will all be closing for the season by Sunday evening. And what a season it has been – resorts like Avoriaz, Flaine and la Rosiere will be closing with the snow still lying more than 4m deep. It's not all over in the French alps yet either. About a dozen areas are open to late April or in to May including La Clusaz, Les 2 Alpes, Montgenèvre, La Plagne and Les Arcs for one more week, then Chamonix and Val d'Isere to May 1st, Tignes to the 6th and finally Val Thorens until the 8th of May. The weather this week? Mostly sunny, mostly plus temperatures, classic spring skiing. Italy Mostly sunshine and clouds in Italy where about 20 ski areas are currently still open, although some now only at weekends. Cervinia, Cortina, Val Senales, Livigno and Passo Tonale all intend to stay open in to the first week of May. Of these Cervinia continues to have the deepest base at 1.9-4.3m with its ski area fully open, along with the links over to Zermatt. Switzerland The Swiss ski season is winding down too and there are only about 15 areas still open. Samnaun, on the eastern side of the country and sharing its terrain with Ischgl in Austria is reporting the biggest snowfall in the alps of the past few days – 18cm/7 inches in Sunday/Monday and Engelberg still has Europe's deepest snow base at 7m – and over a month of its ski season still to run. Also open in to May are Glacier 3000 near Gstaad and Diablerets, the Diavolezza glacier near St Moritz and of course the year round skiing on Europe's highest slopes at Zermatt. Eastern Europe Temperatures in eastern Europe are also rising rapidly and all of the ski areas in Bulgaria were closed by the end of the weekend. Elsewhere about 95% of resorts are closed in other European nations too but are still turning the lifts on pretty good 50cm-2m bases despite the temperatures. Kanin and Bovec are reported still-open this week for example in Slovenia whilst Tatranská Lomnica (60cm - 140cm), Strbske Pleso (40cm - 50cm) and Jasna in the Low Tatra mountains of Slovakia plan to re-open at the weekend. Scotland Scotland's incredible 2017-18 season has come to an end at the two Eastern ski centres of The Lecht and Glenshee as temperatures rose in to double figures this week. Unusually, Cairngorm has been closed the past few days by high winds and rain but reports improving conditions later in the week and that it hopes to re-open at the weekend. On the west Nevis Range says it will be open on selected days through to May 7th and Glencoe also says it swill be open in to May. Pyrenees Most ski areas in Spain and The Pyrenees have now closed for the season, including the ski areas of Andorra, and temperatures are in double figures by the afternoon at most ski areas. About a dozen centres are still open for this week at least on the French and Spanish sides of the mountains however, most with at least 2 metres of snow lying so good for spring skiing in the sunshine in the mornings at least. Sierra Nevada in the south of Spain has a 4m base and has already announced it plans to stay open to May 1st. Scandinavia As the temperatures warm up in the Alps, the more northerly parts of Scandinavia come into their own for spring skiing. 2018 looks like being no exception with many ski areas in the region open in to May and the most fresh snow in the past few days (15cm) reported by Levi in Finnish Lapland. The three Norwegian summer glacier areas are all set to open in the next few weeks for 2018 and Riksgransen in the Swedish Arctic circle is rapidly approaching its period of 24 hour daylight when they open the lifts sat midnight several times each week for skiing under the midnight sun. North America Canada Most of Canada's resorts closed at the weekend but a number remain open and are even getting fresh snowfall. They include the Banff resorts of Sunshine and Lake Louise as well as Marmot Basin to the north in Alberta and Whistler over on the BC Coast. Ski areas on the East have also seen colder conditions recently and about half a dozen in Ontario and Quebec are still intent on reopening at the weekend, including Mont Sainte-Anne and Mont Sutton. USA Despite many of the big names closing at the weekend, the US probably has more ski areas open than any other country now – at least 50 areas are still operating or will be re-opening this weekend. Part of the reason for this is an unexpected very snowy spell in the Midwest, bringing up to 75cm of fresh snow and causing some areas to re-open, and continuing cold weather in the east where about a dozen areas have extended their seasons. It's been snowing too in the west and Mt Baker has gone back to the top of the global pile for snow depth hitting 7.1 metres, but here it's more of the usual late season spring suspects that are operational. Squaw Valley quests were taken by surprise as the resort opened its giant hot tub at its mid-mountain High Camp area for the first time this spring at the weekend, only for the heavens to open and several days of heavy snowfall to begin. |
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Came home through Geneva yesterday and was surprised (and impressed) at the alternative security checks.
Anyone who's flown out of Geneva will, no doubt, be familiar with the mahoosive snake/queue for security that needs to be negotiated after you've checked in. There's now an additional option for easyJet customers; once you've dropped your bags, head round to the right behind the check-in queues as before BUT do a left - at the back of the hall - through some double doors, across a small courtyard and into a (presumably) new set of 5 or 6 security gates and X-ray belt thingies. There is a sign, comprising a stick with a picture of a departing aeroplane, but it's not that obvious (especially when busy) and we would have walked straight past if I'd not stopped to ask one of the staff if there was a queue for security. There was no queue, at all, at the new desks and that's certainly the fastest I've ever got through to air-side at Geneva. Not sure when this was implemented, or if it's permanent, as it's not (yet?) mentioned on easyJet's own airport guide at http://www.easyjet.com/en/cheap-flights/switzerland/geneva/airport-gva but it's there for now and really useful! |
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 Warmer today but quieter slopes Picture taken 14-Apr-2018 Upper Slopes : Packed Powder, Lower Slopes : Spring Conditions, Off Piste : Variable - Good. |
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The forecast 15cm overnight turned out more like 40cm so today we will be mainly powder skiing. Sun is out and wind has dropped... fabulous.
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 Yeah that's a piste marker Picture taken 13-Apr-2018 Upper Slopes : Powder, Lower Slopes : Spring Conditions, Off Piste : Powder. |
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J2Ski Snow Report 12th April 2018
Exceptional April snow cover in Tignes, France, open until 6th May. As the number of open ski resorts dwindles, it's still snowing... J2Ski Snow Report 12th April 2018 This Week's Snow Headlines - Fresh snow in the Alps for the final weeks of the season for many areas. - Around 30cm of fresh snow forecast for the Dolomites by Friday. - Heavy snow in Colorado with resorts receiving more than a metre of new snow. - Mt Baker in US overtakes Engelberg for world's deepest base at 7.5m to 7.1m. - Snow in New Zealand with 2018 season a few months away. The ski season in the northern hemisphere is really winding down now with a large swathe of resorts closing for the season at the end of last weekend. Around 75% will be closed by this coming Sunday. But mother nature being the capricious character that she is, closing lifts doesn't end the snowfall and it has been snowing hard on ski slopes already closed or soon to do so. The heavy snowfall of the past week in Colorado – with many areas receiving more than a metre of fresh snow – may be seen as particularly ironic with the state struggling to open runs for much of the main ski season until the start of March due to a severe lack of natural snowfall. More recently it has been snowing in Europe – first in Scandinavia at the start of the week and now in the Alps, with snow also expected/beginning to fall in the Dolomites and Pyrenees too. Of course although the ski season is winding down at many areas, several dozen will be staying open in to May and some in to June, July or beyond – so the fresh snow for them is just a bonus. And as the season north of the equator nears its end, the 2018 season in South America, southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand comes closer with several ski areas in NZ reporting fresh pre-season snowfall this week. In the Alpine Forecast A little more snow at altitude is forecast for the next few days in some parts, with a few localized falls likely to be substantial. Temperatures are on the rise, however, and powder is likely to be short-lived on any but the highest slopes. Into next week, warm Spring conditions will prevail. Precipitation is likely to give way to clearer, sunnier weather in much of the Alps and the abundant snow cover should give classic Spring skiing conditions at those ski areas still open (see our forum reports for who's open until when). 
See where it's expected to snow this week...
EUROPEAN ALPS Austria About a third of Austria's main ski areas have closed for the season already and most of the rest will close after this weekend. There are notable exceptions like Obertauern and Ischgl which stage big end-of-season events in to the start of May and a chunk of Austria's eight glacier destinations – more than any other country – which will stay open still later in to the spring. There's not been much fresh snow reported in Austria the past week and the snow forecast for the Alps looks like it will be heaviest in other areas but there should still be some fresh Austrian snow by the weekend and those areas planning to stay open longer all have deep bases which put them in a strong position for their later spring ski seasons. Most of the glaciers have 3.5m or more lying with the Dachstein still deepest at 5.8m (nearly 20 feet). France It is snowing again in the French Alps with the first powder alarms for 20cm or more of fresh snow in 24 hours issued by ski areas in the south like Isola 2000 (which reported 45cm of snow on Monday –Tuesday, Bonneval-sur-Arc 25cm on Tuesday-Wednesday) but many resorts expecting up to 80cm of fresh snow by the weekend. More than 50 of the ending ski resorts in France are open until at least a week more up to the 20th and ten at least a week later until 27th or 28th April or later. They include Bonneval, Les Saisies, Les 2 Alpes, Montgenèvre, La Plagne, Les Arcs and La Clusaz to the last few days of April; then Val d'Isère until 1 May, Tignes until 6 May and Val Thorens until 8 May. Italy Several of Italy's best known ski areas, including Val Gardena, have already closed for the 2017-18 ski season last weekend, whilst others will be open until this Sunday and some – including Cervinia and Cortina, will have at least some terrain open in to May. Cervinia in fact has one of the deepest snow depths in Italy with 2m on lower slopes and 4m up top. Significant snowfall is forecast for the Dolomites over the latter half of this week with Arabba, Cortina and San Martino amongst those expected to get 35-55cm of fresh snow by Friday. Further West in the Alps at ski areas like Bardonecchia, Pila and Courmayeur there may be as much as 50 - 80cm of fresh snow. Switzerland Although Engelberg has lost its position held most of this season for the deepest snowbase in the world to Mt Baker in the US this week, it's still the deepest in Europe by some distance at 7.1m. More snow is expected in Switzerland by the weekend although for most resorts the forecasts are smaller than for France, typically 20-40cm, although for some like Saas Fee (which closes this weekend until July) and Zermatt (open for snow sports year round) it's still 50-60cm. Saas Fee reported the snow started falling on Tuesday with a 10cm accumulation then. As with the rest of Europe, although Swiss resorts have their best bases for many years, most of the country's resorts will be closing this weekend or next with just a few staying open in to May. Eastern Europe It's the final few days of the 2017-18 ski season at most Eastern European ski areas that are still open. At Bansko temperatures are well above freezing – in double figures above zero in fact and the snow cover is thawing fast. There's nothing left in resort but still 1.5m on upper slopes with most runs still open and the best conditions in the mornings. Scotland Scotland's incredible 2017-18 ski season continues with all five ski centres open (few other countries can claim all centres open this late in the season), and all areas operating with all or most lifts running and pistes perfectly groomed and open. Officially reported snow depths range from 40cm at The Lecht to 150cm (five feet) at Nevis Range but locals report the snow is in fact much deeper and that conditions are exceptionally good. With more snow forecast, the season is likely to continue into May with some, if not all, resorts open daily until customer numbers dwindle, a statement from the centre's managing body Ski Scotland has said. Pyrenees The end of the ski season is very definitely nigh in the Pyrenees with most centres due to close at the end of this weekend. The good news is that fresh snow is falling/forecast at many areas with accumulations of up to 30cm expected ready for closing weekend. Piau Enaly reported 23cm on Tuesday-Wednesday. Not all centres in the region are closing on Sunday though, Sierra Nevada to the south has already announced it will stay open to May 1st. Scandinavia The snow is back in Scandinavia too where quite a lot of the ski areas will stay open; at least two until the last week of April with some open in to May. Snow accumulations of up to 35cm were reported in the past few day with Hemsedal in Norway, which is open to May 1st, reporting 25cm in 24 hours up to Tuesday. North America Canada The Western Canadian resorts that are still open have seen rain on lower slopes, fresh snow on upper runs (if rather heavy, wet stuff) in the past few days. Whistler had rain and fog on lower runs on Saturday with heavy snow fall up in its Alpine region but much better conditions since. Inland at Sun Peaks there was less precipitation but what did fall was mostly snow. There are typical freeze-thaw conditions with otherwise with the best skiing between 10am and 2pm. Over on the East Coast some ski areas like Mont Sainte Anne have announced extended ski seasons. USA There has been plenty of fresh snow in Western North America where resorts in Colorado, which has been particularly snowy, have reported up to a metre of snow since the weekend. A chunk of the ski areas in the famous ski state had already closed the previous weekend unfortunately but others are enjoying a powdery final few days of their seasons whilst some including Arapahoe Basin and Loveland are open in to May or June. Generally though it is getting warm across the country and most of the ski areas on the East Coast have closed, whilst resorts in California have seen rain at lower elevations. There are exceptions though with resorts like Killington in Vermont or Mammoth in California already announcing their intention to stay open at least in to May. |
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Blue sky yesterday afternoon (after the snow had stopped). Today was mixed again, with a dusting of snow, howling winds and occasional brighter spells that have now given way to very fine and light snow that's forecast to increase overnight. |
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