Messages posted by : J2SkiNews
British Columbia's ski season got underway earlier than expected at the weekend with coastal Cypress Mountain opening about 10 days ahead of its planned date (pictured). The centre said it had had 35cm of natural snowfall and temperatures cold enough for snowmaking on top. At least three more BC ski areas – Big White, Silver Star and Sun Peaks – are planning to open at the end of this week, some earlier than previously planned after above average November snowfall and consistent cold weather. Silver Star already has cross country runs open. They join five Albertan ski areas that are open already, including Lake Louise, Sunshine and recently opened Nakiska, Marmot Basin an Norquay. Temperatures have also dropped on the Eastern side of the country allowing snowmaking systems to fire up, although there has been little or no natural snowfall there yet. |
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Kitzbühel has become the first ski area to open in the Alps that doesn't rely on a glacier beneath the snow, although for the first week the slopes are only open to teams for training and practice races. Instead of a glacier, it has used snow-farming - re-using snow stockpiled through summer from last winter then spreading it back out on the slopes in Autumn - to create a run up on Resterkogel, some of the region's highest slopes. Conditions were described as "like full-on winter" by one skier there this weekend, describing hard-packed conditions in the morning softening through the day. The slopes are only open to professional teams training and competing in practice events this weekend when fellow Austrian ski area Lech Zurs was due to have been hosting men's and women's FIS World Cup Parallel Slalom races, but these have been cancelled for lack of snow there. Although Kitzbühel is the first non-glacier ski area to open in Austria, its opening is a month later than it had been in recent winters before the pandemic. The resort was highlighted as a likely early-victim of climate change in a UN report published in the early 'noughties. Since then it started opening its slopes in early October using snow farming, then making an effort to complete a nearly 7 month, 200+ day season to the following May. When asked whether the change was due to the pandemic, the warm autumn, high energy costs, another reason, or a combination of one or more of these, the lift company did not respond. The Resterkogel slopes are due to open to the public next weekend when several other Austrian ski centres, Obergurgl and Obertauern, in their cases opening thanks to high altitude, if not glacier slopes, are also due to open taking the number of centres open in Austria back into double figures. Picture credit: O Kern |
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After the 22-23 FIS Women's Alpine Skiing World Cup Tour has failed to start over three weekends in Solden, Zermatt-Cervinia and Lech Zurs due to too much or too little snowfall and warm weather, the planned fourth stage at Levi in Finland next weekend has been given the green light. The opening events of the 22-23 FIS World Cup Alpine Skiing Tour in Solden in October were given the go ahead but the first race, a Women's GS, had to be cancelled due to heavy snowfall, rain and low visibility, although the men's race on the Sunday went ahead as the skies cleared. However two successive weekends of downhill racing planned for a new course crossing the Swiss-Italian border above Zermatt and Cervinia had to be cancelled due to warm weather and rain damage. Then the first Parallel slalom races of the season planned flor Lech-Zurs this weekend have also been cancelled for lack of snow. The planned start of the Ski Cross and Snowboard Cross World Cup seasons in Les 2 Alpes were also cancelled or postponed although a World Cup Big Air contest was successfully staged in Chur. The current tally is therefore three competitions successfully staged, 15, unfortunately, cancelled. Two women's slalom races are planned for next Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th November at Levi. |
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Verbier has announced it will start its 22-23 ski season on Friday, opening one slope, Lac des Vaux on November 11th. Skiers and boarders will receive 20% off a day's lift pass. The resort says it plans to open at weekends through the rest of November, then daily from December 3rd. Verbier's move comes as ski areas with glaciers or very high altitude terrain have been reporting glorious conditions with fresh snow under blue skies after several snowfalls. However the bigger picture – not a lot of snowfall yet below these high altitudes and not that much cold weather for snowmaking – is causing some nervousness as the main season start draws nearer. Andermatt, which had originally hoped to open at the end of October "if conditions were right" snow says it'll be November 19th at the earliest. Cortina, which had similar plans, has also not yet opened but has said it has been cold enough for snowmaking on its highest slopes over recent nights. More than a dozen glacier ski areas, almost all in Austria and Switzerland, are now open and reporting gradually improving stats for snow depth and open terrain. There's once centre open in Italy but still none in France.
A coffee and croissant will be offered to the first 100 skiers arriving on Friday morning. |
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Snowfall and cold weather across the northern hemisphere's ski slopes is a little patchy as we begin the run-in to the start of the 22-23 main ski season. While there are issues in the Alps so far and it has been too warm for snowmaking to operate much in Eastern North America, the past fortnight has seen a series of major snowstorms hit Western North America dumping several feet on ski slopes there, with more forecast. As a result some areas like Brian Head in Utah and Mammoth in California are already open, along with five Colorado ski centres meaning the US has overtaken Austria to have the most areas open this early in the autumn/fall. The numbers open look set to double this weekend as more announce early openings. In Colorado, Breckenridge (pictured prepping above and below yesterday) will open two days earlier than planned, later today on Wednesday, 9th November. Copper Mountain and Vail are due to open this weekend too. In Utah, where the ski season had it's 4th earliest ever start last weekend, Solitude has brought its opening date forward to this coming weekend after more than three feet of snowfall there in recent weeks. In California, Mt Rose is set to join Mammoth and potentially be the first area to open at lake Tahoe, this coming Friday, although all the snow means other areas may decide to open there too.  |
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Lake Louise Ski Resort opened on Friday with a base of 40cm (16") and 42cm (17") of fresh snow in the last seven days as part of 70cm (28") of recorded snowfall in the past fortnight. This new snow, along with Lake Louise Ski Resort's enhanced state-of-the-art snowmaking system, has set a generous foundation for the season ahead and a desirable base for upcoming events, like the Lake Louise Audi FIS Ski World Cup, happening in just three weeks. Men's and Women's World Cup Downhill and Super G races are scheduled for Nov. 25-27 and Dec. 2-4. With the cancellation of the planned new cross-border season opening races in Zermatt-Cervinisa that had been due to be staged this weekend and last, Lake Louise is back in its old position of hosting the World Cup speed Ski season opening races. Over the past two weeks, the Canadian Rockies was blessed with consistent, heavy snowfall. Because of these recent storms, on Opening Day, Lake Louise Ski Resort was able to open the longest run to date in the Canadian Rockies from the top of Glacier Chair. This run (which consists of three named runs) was the perfect green/blue warm-up for skiers and snowboarders to fire up their muscles and practice their first few turns of the season. Sunshine ski area was the first in Canada to open, on Thursday, and fellow Albertan resorts Nakiska, Norquay and Marmot Basin are expected to join them within the coming week. Known for its spectacular views of Mount Temple, the Victoria Glacier, and the famous Lake Louise, Opening Day at Lake Louise Ski Resort was no exception. Soft snow was falling through whips of cloud and colourful skiers and snowboarders looked like a scene from storybook as they dropped over the playful rollers towards the snow-covered valley below. The coverage on the runs felt exceptional and conditions were perfect for carving deep, fast turns. Plus, the first 100 riders got a limited edition "I was there Opening Day 2022" long-sleeve shirt. As of October 1, 2022, all Canadian COVID-19 restrictions have lifted, meaning this winter it's easier than ever to book a ski trip to the Canadian Rockies. Border requirements including proof of vaccination, use of the ArriveCAN App, and any testing and quarantine/isolation requirements have ended for all travellers entering Canada whether by land, air or sea.  |
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There's excitement in the Alps this morning with snow falling to valley floors – in most cases for the first time this autumn. Snowfall has been reported in Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland and resorts in the Pyrenees and the Dolomites are also reporting snow currently falling. Forecasts point to 30-60cm accumulations through the weekend on higher slopes. The snowfall is very welcome after promising early accumulations up high in September gave way to a mostly dry and warmer-than-average October in the Alps. As a result only about a dozen glacier ski areas have managed to open so far, about half the total open in November in a 'good year' for early autumn snowfall. Most notably there's still nowhere open in France, believed to be the first time in more than 50 years that there's been no glacier skiing in the country in October. With the first non-glacier resorts planning to open for their 22-23 season in a fortnight's time the snowfall is therefore very welcome. Lech pictured top, Val d'Isere below, morning of Friday, 4 November, 2022  |
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After Arapahoe Basin, Keystone and Winter Park opened at the end of October, the snow has kept falling and the first resorts outside Colorado have announced they plan to open over the next few days. Canada's ski season will start 24 hours earlier than expected – tomorrow Thursday 3rd November rather than Friday 4th – as Sunshine ski area (pictured top yesterday) has decided to open a week earlier than planned after a prolonged period of cold, snowy weather. Lake Louise was due to open Friday as it was, and Nakiska and Norquay are expected to open for the weekend too (Nakiska will decide tomorrow). In Utah, Brian Head ski area says it will open on Friday following several feet of snowfall on the state's ski slopes in recent weeks. The first significant snowfall of the autumn so far is currently underway in California too, where Mammoth, pictured below yesterday, plans to open next week. Mt Rose had hoped to open this Friday and is showing snow cover on its webcams but it is unclear if it has had enough and been able to do enough snowmaking to hit that November 4th target. Two more Colorado ski areas – Loveland and Wolf Creek are opening this weekend too meaning the number of open areas in North America is set to be back in double figures at the weekend.  |
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