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Heavy snow continues to fall at altitude, on both sides of the Atlantic. There's been some fierce wind, some wild temperature variation at times - and even some Saharan sand - in the Alps. But it's Spring, and high slopes are in great condition for April skiing.
Even the Easter Bunny got some Powder in Alta, Utah, this week. Where to Ski in April 2024 It's April 2024 and for most of the northern hemisphere's ski areas, the next few weekends will mark the end of the season. But hundreds, including many of the world's best-known resorts, will make it to the latter half of the month, some into May or beyond. The good news is that as in 2023, we're seeing colder weather and heavier snows in spring than we did for much of March and base depths are actually increasing after some heavy late-March snowfalls on higher slopes, so it's looking like a good April for skiers and its to be expected that more resorts will announce extended seasons. In the wider world about a dozen Japanese ski areas including big names like Niseko aim to stay open into May and the country's only summer ski area, Gassan, is due to open for their 2024 season on April 12th, which runs to July if there's enough snow. We're also just two months away from the start of the southern hemisphere's 2024 ski season and we've already seen early autumn March snowfalls on ski slopes in Australia, New Zealand and the South American Andes. Europe Austria Austria offers the two extremes of Spring snow - the vast majority of its ski areas are quite low-lying and have been hard hit by the warm winter with wet snow the norm for much of 2023-24 around Kitzbuhel, the Skiwelt and Saalbach and many more big areas. Most of these will close on the first weekend of the month or in the Skiwelts's case, what is still open (about 35%) closes April 1st! But Austria also has high areas like Obertauern and Ischgl which plan to stay open to May 1st and more glacier ski areas than any other, with the Stubai posting the world's deepest snowpack with nearly 5m lying through much of March, so by mid-April more Austrian areas will be open than any other European nation. France France was posting some of the world's deepest snow depths and saw some of the biggest snowfalls in the final few days of March, so is looking good for the start of April. Isola 2000 got nearly five feet (1.5m) of snowfall in 48 hours into the Easter weekend. Many of the country's ski areas will close by April 14th but some of the biggest and most famous areas continue through to the end of the month, or even to early May. The Paradiski area (Les Arcs and La Plagne) is aiming for the 27th (April) with Chamonix, Les 2 Alpes, Tignes, Val d'Isere and Val Thorens aiming to stay open into May. Italy Italy saw some good snowfalls in the latter half of March, with the mountains across the north seeing a good late-season top-up. As a result most of the vast Domoliti Superski with its 1,200km of slopes, and most of the country's other leading ski regions, start the month 95-100% open. Like the rest of the northern hemisphere, about 90% of them will be ending their seasons in the first half of April. If you want to carry on later it'll have to be at one of the stalwarts carrying on to the final weekends of the month, or into May. Among them are Cervinia, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno, Macugnaga, Passo Tonale (Presena Glacier), Sella Nevea on the Slovenian border and Sulden in the Ortler Alps. Switzerland Several Swiss centres were posting both big snowfalls and some of the world's deepest snow depths as we approached the start of April. Glacier 3000 near Gstaad, which is open right through April, was closed for much of the last week of March as a massive storm raged. Saas-Fee meanwhile posted over 150cm (5 feet) of fresh snowfall on its glacier and was for a time posting the world's deepest snowpack up there, nearing 5 metres. So, as with the rest of Europe, most Swiss centres close over the next few weekends, with snow depths healthy and snow still falling up high, and some remaining open to late April or beyond. The late-openers include Murren, Saas Fee and Verbier (to April 21st), Grindelwald and Glacier 3000 to the end of the month with Adelboden, Engelberg and the Diuavolezza glacier near St Moritz open into May, along with year-round Zermatt of course. Pyrenees The Pyrenees were having a really bad season until heavy snowfall arrived in late February and continued through the first half of March. The past fortnight has seen the best conditions of the season, at least at the big, higher resorts (many smaller lower ones have closed already). Most will focus on keeping everything open through the Easter week and the first seven days of April, even though temperatures are back up to double figures. Most still-open areas will be closing on either the weekend of the 6th/7th or 13th/14th with perhaps just one or two soldiering on into the latter half of the month. Scandinavia Scandinavian ski destinations tend to come into their own in April as their northerly latitude means temperatures stay lower and the snow stays in better shape longer, usually, than down in the Alps or Pyrenees. The daylight hours also tend to extend later than further south as the north rapidly approaches 24-hour daylight (a point reached about a third of the way into May up at Riksgransen). The good news is that 2024 is very much up to par with temperatures low, snow falling and all the major areas fully open and planning to stay open at least to the end of the month and in some cases into May. Finland's Ylläs, Pyhä, Levi and Ruka are open through to May, as are Norway's Hemsedal and Sweden's Åre, Hemavan, Tärnaby and Kåbdalis, as well as, of course, Riksgransen. Eastern Europe We're into the final weeks of the season for most ski areas that are still open in Eastern Europe; around 90% are already closed in fact, but most of the bigger centres are still going, at least their higher slopes. The Spring thaw, as elsewhere in Europe, has impacted the snow cover at lower elevations and bigger resorts like Bulgaria's Bansko and Slovakia's Jasna have about two-thirds of their terrain still open for the Easter holidays but are likely to see open runs drop away dramatically after the 6th/7th weekend. Jasna plans to keep some runs open into May, as does Slovenia's Kanin. Scotland Scottish centres have seen some cold periods with snowfall in the final week of March, but it looks like there won't be much open into April. Three centres, Glenshee, Cairngorm and The Lecht currently have slopes open for Easter Holiday beginner lessons on all-weather snowmaking machine-maintained snow but not a whole lot more than that. Glencoe and Cairngorm have had the most terrain open using natural snow cover otherwise and there's the hope that a good early April snowfall and cold temperatures will allow them to stay open longer into the month, if there's enough demand to justify keeping the lifts running. North America Canada Canada has had a mixed winter 23-24 with generally below-average snow depth/open terrain and above-average temperatures. Coastal resorts on both the East and West Coasts have suffered the most but bases have been down across the country. Against that, the final week of March (and a period in mid-March before it) saw substantial snowfalls delivering a real late-season boost to conditions which should continue into April. Many Canadian ski areas will end their seasons anyway on the first or second weekends of the month, but some, including the three Banff ski areas, Jasper's Marmot Basin and of course Whistler Blackcomb will be staying open into May. USA It has not been an epic season really, for much of the US, although the latter half has been much better than the first, with plenty of snowfall in March, and most of the country's resorts start April with their slopes fully open. The majority will close on the upcoming first or second weekends of April (i.e. the 7th or the 14th). A few dozen will stay open to the end of April though and the biggest, Utah's Park City, has extended its season towards the end of the month. Mammoth and The Palisades in California will be open into May and so, most likely, will be Colorado's Arapahoe Basin, Breckenridge, Loveland and Winter Park. It will be interesting to see what Killington in Vermont does as it normally aims to stay open to late May but this winter has battled through on very thin cover. |
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Chamrousse, France, with 30cm of fresh yesterday. Late season snow keeps coming; Spring skiing is looking pretty good from here! The Snow Headlines - March 28th - Great late-March snowfalls across many North American ski areas. - Cold temperatures and fresh snowfall return to the Alps, Pyrenees, Eastern Europe. - Huge snowfalls in southwestern Alps send Avalanche Risk Levels up to 4(High). - Scottish ski centres struggle to open terrain beyond beginner slopes for Easter. - Swiss, Austrian and US areas overtake French for deepest snowpack in the world. - New Zealand ski areas see early-autumn snowfalls. 
More heavy falls of Spring snow forecast, at altitude...
World Overview As Easter arrives, the ski season is starting to wind down with the first of the big ski regions, including Austria's Skiwelt, closing as early as Easter Monday and most others over the following two weekends. But Mother Nature hasn't quite got the memo with lots of snowfall reported this week across Europe and North America, albeit with temperatures more typical of Spring than Winter. Base depths on higher runs continue to grow and are close to the 5-metre mark in places; the deepest bases since early January. The Northern Alps and Eastern Europe, as well as the US East and West coasts, reported some good snowfalls over the weekend, but the past few days have seen huge falls in the south-eastern Alps with French, Swiss and Italian areas posting up to 80cm in 24 hours and 140cm in 48 hours, sending the avalanche danger leaping from a moderate '2' to a high '4' on the scale to 5 in the region. So all in all, in terms of fresh snow and open terrain, things are looking pretty good across European and North American slopes, albeit with the caveat that it's nearly April so expect conditions to get heavy by lunchtime, even where there's fresh snow, the best at high altitude and northerly latitudes. Ski areas in the southern hemisphere have been reporting some early pre-season snowfall, with the 2024 season still 10 weeks or more away. Ski areas in New Zealand had snowfall down to resort level on Wednesday. Europe Austria Austria has had a snowy week since the final Men's World Cup Downhill race of the 23-24 World Cup season in Saalbach was cancelled on Sunday with 15cm of snow on the upper half of the track. There have been snow showers through the week but the heavy snowfall forecast at the start of the week which was expected to peak around Wednesday/Thursday did not really materialise. The country's lower-lying ski areas continue to suffer with the warm temperatures and the end of the season is here really, with the Skiwelt due to close after the Easter weekend and many others next weekend (8th April). However, Austria does have more glacier ski areas than any other country, where the snow is lying up to 4.7 metres deep. High areas like Ischgl and Obertauern will be open to the start of May. France The Southern French Alps have seen some big snowfalls over the past 48 hours, with some fresh snow for the Northern Alps too. Most of the country's ski regions are between 85-100% open for the Easter holidays, although some lower centres like La Clusaz have announced they'll be shutting sectors down soon after Easter Sunday. The biggest falls (several feet/60cm in 24-36 hours, then up to 140cm in 48 hours to Thursday) were reported in more southerly areas in Serre Chevalier, Risoul-Vars, Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d'Huez and Isola 2000. Here the avalanche danger has shot up to a 'high' 4. The forecast is for more snow showers, but lighter, through the Easter weekend and gradually warming temperatures. Italy Italian ski centres have seen a big mix of weather over the past week, with valley temperatures touching +20C at the weekend, but much colder weather and for some, heavy snowfall, over the past few days, which will continue into the Easter weekend. Some ski areas in the western Alps, including the country's largest, the Milky Way (Via Lattea) with Sestriere and Sauze d'Oulx linked to Montgenevre in France, saw some of the biggest midweek falls. Pila in the Aosta Valley posted a 45cm accumulation on Thursday. The snow is expected to keep coming, in showers, through the Easter weekend but with valley temperatures gradually rising as we enter April – so rain to increasingly higher levels. Switzerland The (in)famous Foehn wind was back bringing snowfall to Swiss areas, particularly in the south and west of the country and especially on higher slopes this week. However, it was the common scenario of the snow being welcome, the wind not so much and Glacier 3000 near Gstaad was among the areas closed by the weather for several days. Davos Klosters posted one of the biggest accumulations, with 40cm in 48 hours at the start of the week. Switzerland now has two areas in the world's top 5 for deepest snow, the only country with more than one; Saas Fee with 4.7m up high (another area getting a big fall this week) and Laax with 4.75m, the most in the world at the time of writing. Scandinavia Conditions, in terms of fresh snowfall and low temperatures, remain good across much of Scandinavia. Most of the region's big resorts have reported 10-20cm snowfalls in the past few days with Norway's Geilo posting a 30cm fall on Tuesday. Most ski areas remain fully open with many planning to be open to the start of May. Pyrenees Winter has been back in the Pyrenees again with plenty of snowfall down to low levels. There have been periods of warm weather in the valleys, so the thaw continues at low levels, despite the snow sticking around higher up. Thus the amount of terrain open has dropped, Grandvalira (Soldeu, Pas de la Casa), is back down to about 70%/150km of its slopes open, still the most in the region but down about a quarter on a week or so ago. Freeride centre Arcalis posted 15cm of fresh snow on Wednesday. Scotland The usual weeks of ups and downs on Scottish slopes with Cairngorm and Glencoe managing to open the most terrain, mostly on their upper mountains, mostly only suited to good skiers and in Cairngorm's case still requiring a hike up due to the funicular being out of action. Both areas, along with The Lecht and Glenshee, also have beginner slopes available, maintained with all-weather snowmaking systems. Glenshee has a little more terrain open. Nevis Range is unable to offer snowsports at present. It was cold with fresh snowfalls in the first half of the week, but now temperatures are rising a little as we go into the Easter weekend. Eastern Europe For the last full week of March, it's been a good one for the bigger, higher ski areas still open in Eastern Europe. Ski areas like Spindleruv Mlyn in Czechia and Jasna over the border in Slovakia both reported sub-zero temperatures and fresh snowfall to start the week, and Bansko in Bulgaria got snow up high from Monday. It is the final week or two of the season for most areas in the region. Even with the new snow, it's very much spring conditions with the best up high and not much left on lower runs. Bansko's long run back to base is now closed. North America Canada Definitely one of the better weeks of the season for Canada with low temperatures and snowfall from coast to coast. Ski areas in Eastern Canada claimed the weekend was THE best of the season, despite arriving close to the end of it, with every slope open for some for the first time this often-challenging season, and a foot or more of powder snow on top. A similar story on the West Coast where the snow fell too, also delivering powder days through this week. Whistler Blackcomb and the ski areas around Banff, several of which still have nearly two months of season left, reported every run open for the Easter holidays. USA It has been a very snowy week from coast to coast in the US. Among totals claimed were 55cm in 72 hours by Aspen in the Colorado Rockies, 80cm in 48 hours by the Palisades in California and then over on the East coast multiple ski areas posted up to a metre of fresh snow through the last seven days. So, it's a case of powder at almost every open centre in the country and some of the best conditions we've seen all winter, particularly for the East Coast. That said, temperatures have warmed up over the past 48 hours so it's freeze-thaw time for most US slopes for Easter although another big snowfall is just coming in off the pacific coast and is expected to last all through the weekend. |
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Spring skiing is pretty snowy in Breckenridge, Colorado... Spring in the valleys, but plenty of snow at altitude - with more fresh arriving on both sides of the Atlantic. The Snow Headlines - March 21st - Heavy snowfall in the Rockies brings a powdery start to the week. - Warm weather, wet snow and rain for World Cup Finals on low slopes in Austria. - Fresh snowfall and colder weather in Eastern North America. - More low-lying Austrian terrain closes early due to warm weather. 
More snow forecast, mainly at altitude, across the northern hemisphere...
World Overview We've reached the start of springtime by the Astronomical measure of the season now, joining meteorological springtime which kicked off three weeks ago. That's brought with it the usual mix of conditions we get as the seasons change across the northern hemisphere. So we've had some fresh snow showers on higher slopes providing some nice freeriding, but also very warm temperatures in Alpine Valleys, melting the remaining snow cover at lower levels and turning things sticky at mid-mountain by midday. Europe Austria Austria's larger, lower ski regions like the Skiwelt, Kitzbuhel and the Saalbach Hinterglemm domain that's currently hosting the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Finals, are locked in a losing battle with nature. Despite still having 65-95% of slopes open (although the Skiwelt just dropped to 51%), it is heavy wet snow, white ribbons on green hillsides and definitely at its best first thing. Most of these ski areas close at, or soon after, the Easter weekend. Austria has more glacier resorts than any other country, however, and plenty of high-altitude terrain at resorts like Obertauern and Ischgl will open into May. Most report deep snow up high and freeze-thaw conditions. The past week has seen plenty of sunny weather with some mostly light showers, snow up high, and rain below - and that looks set to continue. France After a few final snow/sleet/rain showers earlier this week, we've seen some very warm temperatures in valleys, getting up as high as +15C with the freezing point climbing above 3,000m, so it definitely feels like Spring is here. Fortunately, most of the main ski areas have snow lying up to 4.8 metres (that's 16 feet) deep up high and as long as you're heading for slopes above 2,000m you should find most runs still open and in good shape for the start of the Easter fortnight. The 3 Valleys still reports about 580km of its slopes open and it's a similar 90% plus for most other big French regions. Chamonix announced on Thursday that higher runs in its Brevent sector would stay open an extra week, through to 21st April; it currently has snow lying almost 3m deep up top. Italy Warm, sunny weather has been dominating Italy's ski slopes since early in the week and those conditions will continue in most areas into the final week of March. Temperatures of up to +15C have reached 1500m altitudes in the afternoons so the end of the season definitely feels imminent. Some Italian areas plan to continue into late April; in the case of resorts like Cortina and Cervinia, into May. Conditions are certainly much better above 2,000m altitude although with the freezing point now getting above 3,000m it's freeze/thaw conditions even to high elevations. Most of the country's big-name resorts still have 80-100% of their slopes open for the Easter fortnight. Switzerland Swiss centres have a similar mix of Spring weather, with very warm temperatures (up to +16C) reported below 1000m in ski area valleys, with the freezing point up above 2,000m. There has been powder and freeriding above about 2,500m over the past few days, however, and lower temperature and heavier snow is currently forecast for the first few days of next week. Saas Fee, Laax and Lötschental are posting some of the deepest snow depths in the world right now - on their highest slopes - all over 4 metres deep. Scandinavia Scandinavia is coming into its own for Spring skiing as usual. Most of the region's larger areas are fully open (until well into April and in some cases, early May) and several have extended spring opening hours; in the case of Finland's Ruka, until 7 pm six days a week then 11 pm, on Fridays. Ruka just reported another 10cm accumulation. Temperatures have been colder than on 'mainland Europe' to the south as you'd expect and there have been some good snowfalls, Norway's Geilo among centres posting 25cm of fresh snow to start the week. Pyrenees Although temperatures have risen a little and the heavy snowfall has eased to showers with longer sunny spells, conditions remain the best of the season in The Pyrenees as we reach the final 3-4 weeks. Base depths are more than double (in some cases triple) what they were at this point last month and most of the region's bigger resorts have 90% or more of their slopes open. For Pas de la Casa – Soldeu El Tarter (aka Grandvalira) that's over 200km, the most of the season. Continuing mostly dry, but with snow/sleet/rain showers into the weekend. Scotland Scottish slopes have been battling to keep terrain open for the Easter holidays, not that there was much, alas, and have been helped by more snowfalls earlier in the week on high slopes, but against that temperatures were very warm earlier in the week leading to a net loss. Glencoe closed its main area this week and Cairngorm hasn't operated anything since Monday due to a weekly two day closure followed by two days of gales. It's not clear if anything beyond nursery slopes will be open there at the weekend, but temperatures are dropping. The gales have currently closed most areas. So it currently looks like there won't be much more than nursery slope areas maintained by all-weather snowmaking guns for the Easter fortnight. That's available at Cairngorm, Glenshee and The Lecht, all being well with a dry slope and an all-weather snow toboggan slope at Glencoe and Nevis Range unable to offer snow sports. Eastern Europe Spring weather continues to impact snow cover in Bulgaria with the thaw reducing lower slope cover. There have been a few snow showers up high though and temperatures have been dropping well below freezing, down to -10C up high on Bulgarian slopes so it's freeze-thaw. Smaller, lower centres have closed but the big names still have 50-70% of runs open on the upper mountain. Bansko, with about two-thirds of its runs still open, has both the deepest snow and most terrain open in the region, though its long run back to the base is getting very thin. North America Canada It's been a mostly good week in Canada, with cooler temperatures in the East and the best snow depth of the season and all trails open in the west. Against that temperatures have been rising again, particularly in western BC, with Whistler reporting +15C down at resort level in the afternoons and two feet lost from it's upper base depth, although that's still at 2.4 metres (8 feet). That said, the forecast is looking more promising, with snow showers and sub-zero temperatures around the clock on higher slopes and temperatures dipping back into single figures early next week on the Pacific coast, and North America's largest ski area continues to post almost every run open and lift operational for the Easter fortnight. USA The Rockies saw more snowfall through the weekend (it was already falling as we published last week's report) so storm totals ended up over several feet in many areas, with southern centres doing particularly well. The East Coast has also seen snow showers and colder temperatures this week, good news with the Easter period coming up and hopefully providing a final boost after a lacklustre Thanksgiving and Christmas/New Year at the start of the season. Most areas across the country are almost fully operational, although smaller, lower centres have already started closing and most US resorts will close just after Easter or on the first or second weekends of April. Several dozen ski areas will continue to late April or into May. Washington state's Crystal Mountain has now extended its season to the end of next month and Oregon's Timberline started running its spring/summer Palmer chairlift last weekend. |
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Feeder airports for France, Switzerland and Italy - queueing times
Started by SkiYetiMagic in Ski Chatter, 5 Replies, discussing Innsbruck |
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We hear you w.r.t. Geneva! Although avoiding Saturdays really helps...
We used Innsbruck a couple of times last year, and were pretty much straight through on arrival and departure with nothing you'd describe as a queue. First time was February half-term (NOT Saturday though) and it was barely 15 minutes from getting off the plane to starting the hire car (no checked luggage, which also helps massively if you can make that work). |
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Someone having the perfect run, at Keystone, Colorado... Late season snow is looking great on both sides of the Atlantic, with a lot of fresh snow this last week. It's Spring, so go high! The Snow Headlines - March 14th - Record open terrain in Pyrenees for 23-24, several centres extend season. - In Canada Whistler gets 1m+ in 48 hours, Big White extends season. - Laax overtakes Alpe d'Huez to post world's deepest snow at nearly 4.9 metres. - Heavy snowfall across the Iberian peninsula buries Portugal's only ski centre. 
Nothing huge, but there's snow forecast across the northern hemisphere...
World Overview The snow has kept falling in the Alps, Dolomites and Pyrenees this week with up to a metre more reported in total. It means the snow is the deepest it has been all winter and that some of the continent's biggest areas now have the most terrain open they've had all season. 2023 had a similar pattern, but with less snowfall earlier on. The Pyrenees are the region that's really benefitted from the recent accumulation, with Andorra's slopes 95% open after struggling at 50-70% all winter until now. Across the Atlantic, conditions are also among the best they've been all season. No huge snowfalls this week, unlike last, but several feet of snow is currently falling in the Rockies and there's been very welcome heavy snowfall along the east coast, which has had a very mixed and often lacklustre snowfall season to date. Resorts on Canada's Pacific Coast are also fully open after more big snowfalls there, Whistler Blackcomb getting nearly 5 feet in the last 7 days. But against these falls on upper mountains, spring warmth in the valleys is eating away at lower base depths so some centres like Austria's Skiwelt have closed big chunks of their low-lying terrain for the final weeks of their season. Europe Austria There's an upper slopes / lower slopes divide in Austria with more snow dumping on higher slopes and glaciers, but low-lying terrain down below about 1500m increasingly closing as the end of the season nears. That said there has been snowfall down to lower levels with fresh snow for the streets of Kitzbuhel, Lech and St Anton earlier this week. Skies have cleared in the past 24 hours though and it is likely to stay largely dry with some snow/sleet/rain showers (depending on altitude) over the week ahead. Most of the big areas remain 80-90% open and glacier base depths are the best they've been all season, but low valley runs are probably now shut until 24-25. France There's been a third week of snowfall in the French Alps too with those at the more southerly end of the mountains including Les 2 Alpes, Puy St Vincent and Val d'Isere posting some of the larger accumulations. Southerly Isola 2000 down near Nice topped them all with a full metre in just three days. All the snowfall has meant more southerly areas are tending to post the highest avalanche danger – 3 on the scale to 5, more like 2 elsewhere. It also means the world's largest ski area, the 3 Valleys, has enough snow to open some of its more deep-snow-dependent terrain and that it has the most runs its had open all season, up from about 550 to 580km of its 600km – so almost everything. Italy Italy has also had another good week for snowfall with reports of up to 60cm (2 feet) on higher slopes over the past week in the Western Alps, and up to 80cm in the Dolomites. Conditions are generally good across the country and there's more terrain open now than there was in February, with Cortina d'Ampezzo among the areas moving back up to 100% of its slopes open after fresh snowfall there. As elsewhere though, afternoon valley highs are hitting +10C this week again so any precipitation is rain in valleys and we've got real spring conditions, continuing through the coming week with more sun, and less snow forecast now. Switzerland It's been a pretty good week for Swiss ski areas, particularly on high slopes which will stay open later into April and in some cases longer into spring or even summer. Laax saw its base jump to nearly 4.9 metres up on the glacier, the deepest snow reported anywhere in the world. But it only has six-inches of snow at its base, reflecting the reality of warming spring weather impacting low slopes just as bases continue to build up high. Zermatt posted the biggest base depth increase in the Alps adding 50cm to the total lying (now 2 metres deep) on its year-round glacier runs, now at two metres. The coming week will bring light snow showers up high, and rain below with sunny spells at all levels in between. Scandinavia Scandinavian centres saw temperatures drop and fresh snowfall arrive this week after the warm spell last week. Hemsedal in Norway was one of those posting a 20cm jump in its base this week after seeing rainfall last week. It, like most areas in the region, reports all of its slopes open and good conditions for spring skiing through to the start of May. Pyrenees The full season reset in the Pyrenees appears about complete with the region's big centres almost fully open for the first time this season – with just a month of it left to run! The biggest of them all, Andorra's Grandvalira (encompassing Soldeu el Tarter, pas de la Casa and others), posted 201km of slopes open this week, more than 50km more than it or any other area had managed this season to date, and representing more than 90% of its 215km of slopes. Its Arcalis freeride sector has also announced a one-week season extension thanks to all the snow that's landed there. It will now be open until April 14th. Scotland Sadly there's been no real change for Scottish slopes. The weather has been largely dry although with occasional snow/sleet/rain showers and the inevitable periods of very strong winds. Open terrain remains limited with the most at Cairngorm and Glencoe. Glenshee has a few short runs and The Lecht has its nursery slope, much of this thanks to the all-weather snowmaking machines creating white areas on a green/brown background. Nevis Range remains closed and has only operated a few runs for a few days this season. Eastern Europe Spring is making itself felt in Bulgaria and other eastern European nations but there's also been some fresh snowfalls to report on higher terrain where temperatures have kept it fresh this week. But there is a slight dip in what's open as warm temperatures impact lower runs. Most of the smaller, lower centres have closed for the season but the big-name destination resorts remain typically 60-80% open. More spring-like weather is forecast for the coming week. North America Canada It's been another good week in Canada as the country's ski areas seem to be ending the season on a high after the poor start and lacklustre mid-season. Although the big snow news comes from the West, with Whistler Blackcomb almost fully open again after posting a 102cm base depth increase in 48 hours and other areas reporting great powder conditions, it's worth mentioning that east cost centres have seen fresh snowfall too after a poor warm, wet few weeks there, with a welcome return to more wintery weather in Quebec. USA Snow is falling again in the Rockies as we complete this week's report, with up to two-foot forecast for Colorado peaks by the weekend. That comes after a mostly dry week in much of the west, although there have been some snow showers and heavier falls up north in Oregon and Washington State. Timberline, the centre with North America's longest season, is posting the continent's deepest base at 4.4 metres. There have also been some good snowfalls in the Eastern US this week, which has struggled with warm and wet weather spells all winter. This time though up to 30" (75cm) has been reported since the weekend, with Mad River taking the top spot while other areas have had 1-2 feet of fresh. |
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Getaway Deals 2024 Save 15% or more on stays Slow down this spring and save on stays with Getaway Deals. Terms and Conditions Minimum 15% savings available on new accommodation bookings at participating properties indicated by the 'Getaway Deal' badge on the search results and room selection pages. Bookings must be made before 9:59 am CET on 30/09/24 for stays with check-in from 29/03/24 and check-out on or before 30/09/24. Discount applies to the cost of room only (excluding any additional fees or taxes). If you make any changes to your booking you may lose your discount and be liable for the full amount. Discount cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotion except Genius discounts. Room rates labelled "Partner Offer" are excluded from this promotion. This offer is provided by the participating property and subject to availability.  |
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Exploring Empowerment: International Women's Day and the Transformative Power of Travel
From our brilliant friends at Heaven Publicity As the world commemorates International Women's Day on March 8th, we take this opportunity to celebrate the remarkable achievements and contributions of women in the travel industry. From fearless adventurers to innovative entrepreneurs, these women have shattered glass ceilings and inspired countless others to pursue their passions and dreams. These are just three of the many, many talented and professional "women in travel". Melody Sky: Capturing the World Through a Lens 
Melody Sky's lens doesn't just capture images; it captures stories. As a travel photographer based in Verbier, her work transcends mere visuals, delving deep into the heart and soul of every destination. Melody's journey as a photographer began in the picturesque landscapes of Scotland, where her mother's passion for photography ignited her creative spark at the tender age of four. A twist of fate found Melody in Tignes, France, inspired by the cinematic beauty of Luc Besson's 'The Big Blue'. Here, she immersed herself in the world of ice diving before her journey took a new turn as she delved into the world of skiing, eventually becoming the first female in Europe (and the world) to have her ski films broadcast globally and showcased on cinema screens. Fuelled by her passion for adventure and storytelling, Melody pursued a university degree in film and sport in London and Melbourne, further honing her craft and expanding her horizons. Today, Melody's lens continues to inspire awe and wonder, capturing the essence of each destination she encounters. From the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps to the sun-kissed shores of distant shores, her photographs evoke a sense of wanderlust and a deep appreciation for the beauty of our world. 
Picture copyright, and courtesy of, Melody Sky At J2Ski, we've long been fans of Melody's photography, and in awe of the efforts she goes to "get the shot". Do check out her work at https://melodysky.com/ Anjalee: A Culinary Journey Through Kandy 
Meet Anjalee, a woman of remarkable talent, whose journey as a tour guide in Kandy embodies the essence of Sri Lankan cuisine, culture, and community. As a mother of two, Anjalee's passion for food and storytelling knows no bounds. Anjalee's culinary expertise isn't just a skill—it's an art form. With a deep-rooted love for experimenting with new dishes, she has mastered the art of blending flavours and spices to create mouthwatering Sri Lankan delicacies. Her journey began with a desire to introduce her children to the rich tapestry of Sri Lankan cuisine. Waking up before dawn each day, Anjalee meticulously prepares curries and dahls from scratch, ensuring that her family's meals are not just nourishing but also bursting with flavour. But Anjalee's culinary talent extends far beyond her kitchen walls. As a tour guide with Tropical Sky, she invites travellers to join her on a culinary adventure through the vibrant streets of Kandy. With every step, she unveils the secrets of Sri Lankan cuisine, weaving together stories of tradition, history, and heritage. What sets Anjalee apart is not just her culinary expertise but also her dedication to her craft. In a male-dominated industry, she stands as a beacon of inspiration, challenging stereotypes and breaking barriers with every tour she leads. In a world where female tour guides are a rarity, Anjalee's presence shines brightly, paving the way for other women to follow in her footsteps. A six-night Sri Lanka Food Tour is priced from £1,799 pp on a half-board basis. This includes international flights, accommodation, transfers, foodie tours in Kandy and Colombo, attractions including Dambulla Cave Temple and the Temple of Tooth Relic, a safari in Kaudulla National Park, a trip to a tea factory and a tour guide throughout. Tropical Sky (01342 331795) www.tropicalsky.co.uk Patrizia Iantorno: Sailing Towards Success 
In the male-dominated world of cruising, Patrizia Iantorno stands tall as a beacon of leadership and empowerment. As the Chief Commercial Officer of Swan Hellenic, she navigates the seas of change with grace and determination. From overcoming challenges to embracing opportunities, her journey exemplifies the spirit of resilience and innovation. Patrizia confronts various challenges inherent in the cruise industry's historical male focus. Breaking through this mindset requires steadfast determination and a commitment to fostering gender diversity. Additionally, the demands of global leadership often necessitate extensive travel and balancing time zones, presenting personal challenges for Patrizia and other women in similar positions. Nevertheless, she finds immense reward in witnessing the industry's evolution towards greater gender diversity and inclusivity, with more opportunities for female leaders to rise within Swan Hellenic. Patrizia reflects on the emergence of a new wave of female cruising leaders with enthusiasm. She believes that women bring invaluable soft skills to the industry, injecting empathy and fostering balance within cruise companies. As the industry shifts towards a more consumer-centric focus, understanding guest insights becomes paramount. Patrizia observes that many top female leaders in the industry possess marketing backgrounds, driving a shift towards a more customer-oriented approach rather than purely technical aspects. A 10-night cruise, departing 30 April 2024, beginning in Dakar and ending in Casablanca, costs £1,980 pp (two sharing) and includes group return transfers from the airport to the cruise port, one-night pre-cruise accommodation with breakfast at a four / five-star hotel or onboard and all meals onboard. Swan Hellenic (0207 846 0271, www.swanhellenic.com) As we celebrate International Women's Day, let us honour the trailblazing women who are reshaping the future of travel. Their stories of resilience, innovation, and empowerment serve as a powerful reminder of the limitless potential that lies within each of us. Together, let's continue championing gender equality and diversity in the travel industry and beyond. Here's to the women who inspire us to dream, explore, and soar to new heights. Happy International Women's Day! |
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Stubai Glacier were late opening the lifts today, after a metre of snow overnight... Major snow storms for the West Coast, USA and continued heavy snow in parts of the Alps and the Dolomites; with more to come. The Snow Headlines - March 7th - Huge snowfalls for US West Coast ski areas, especially California; over 3m/10 feet for some. - Pyrenees have most terrain open of 23-24 season after 1m plus snowfalls. - Western Canada enjoys best conditions of 2024 after resorts see 1m+ 7-day snowfall totals - Much more snowfall in the Alps. Some resorts get over a metre more snowfall this week. - Avalanche risk hits Level 4 in a number of areas, some completely closed due to danger. 
There's more snow forecast for Europe and elsewhere...
World Overview The biggest snowfall news worldwide this week comes from the huge storm that moved in from the Pacific, leading to "do not travel" warnings, power blackouts, 180mph winds and over 3m/10 feet of snowfall for some over four days - and leaving the El Nino hit region with North America's deepest lying snow. Other parts of the Western US saw 1metre / 3 feet+ snow over 7 days too, particularly welcome in the Northwest. In Europe, the snow kept falling in the Alps, in some cases more than expected, with several areas in the main four ski nations seeing over a metre of snowfall more this week. It's tipped the avalanche danger to 4 on the scale of 5 in some areas with Obergurgl one of those completely closed at the time of writing because of it. Elsewhere, The Pyrenees have had snowfall too and are in the best shape they've been all winter with (nearly) everything open at last. Scottish ski areas are still struggling with not enough snow though and more southerly Scandinavian areas saw the first rainfall of their season. Europe Austria Austrian ski areas continue to reap the rewards - in terms of fresh snow and deeper bases to lower levels, as well as renewed freeriding opportunities - from the heavy snowfalls in the final week of February. But most of the country's ski areas have also seen more snowfalls over the first week of March, with more big falls; the Stubai glacier among those reporting another metre plus accumulation. It, and others like Obergurgl, were among those completely closed by high avalanche danger at the time of writing this report. The country's big areas like the Skiwelt, Saalbach Skicircus and the Arlberg remain 80-95% open and half-a-dozen Austrian areas (including the Arlberg) as well as glaciers like the Kaunertal and Stubai, have base depths up near 4 metres - with their seasons expected to continue into May and in some cases June. More springlike conditions, with snow showers on higher slopes, are forecast. France French resorts saw perhaps a little more snowfall than forecast over the last week, particularly in the first half of this week when some 60cm 24-hour totals were reported for areas including Val Cenis and Val d'Isere. With other smaller falls through the week, it pushed the 7-day totals through the metre mark. Most areas remain fully open and snow conditions are being claimed as the best of the season so far with so much fresh cover on the groomed runs as well as lots of freeriding potential from the off-piste powder. The avalanche danger is widely at Level 3, Considerable, so there are warnings to only go off-piste with a guide and/or on areas known to be avalanche-safe. Alpe d'Huez continues to post the world's deepest snow at 4.8m (16 feet) up top. It's looking drier through the weekend with more snowfall forecast next week. Italy Italy has had a good week for snowfall too, with 30-60cm accumulations posted in many areas right across the country's ski slopes. Everywhere is pretty much fully open with fresh cover on slopes and again, the best freeriding possible of 2024 so far. The huge Via Lattea (Milky Way) ski areas on the French border have seen some of the biggest accumulations of the past week and reached a 3 metre (10 feet) base on its upper slopes having struggled earlier in the season. Snowfall is expected to continue across Italy into next week with more heavy falls expected. Switzerland Swiss ski centres have seen more snowfalls over the last seven days and Switzerland is the only European nation to have ski areas posting 4m+ bases on upper slope depths, outside of France. Among the more noteworthy snowfall totals this week were 90cm in 72 hours (i.e. three feet in three days), then another metre in the latter half of the week for Saas Fee. The past week we've seen a mixture of sunny spells and moderate to heavy snow showers, boosting freeride terrain. It's also cooler than it was for much of February. But springlike freeze-thaw weather is gradually gaining its grip as we move further into March. Western Switzerland will see more snowfall after a dry weekend, the east of the country staying drier longer. Scandinavia Scandinavia's superb season for low temps and fresh snow has been derailed a little, at least at more southerly destinations in the region, with warm weather, rain and fog rather than the powder reported all winter. Things remain good, with lower temperatures now, but it's not been the best of weeks in parts of Norway. Lapland, on the other hand, has reported everything still below freezing, the snow light and powdery! Pyrenees The snow has kept falling in the Pyrenees, finally, with many areas now having posted more than a metre over the past two weeks, much more than they'd seen in the previous three weeks. So most areas have finally been able to open nearly all of their slopes for the first time this season. The snow should keep falling through the weekend so the final month of the 23-24 season should be far, far better than the first three-quarters of it was. Scotland Sadly there's not been much improvement in Scottish snow cover. Conditions have been fairly settled with just a few windy days and some snow showers, but not enough. Cairngorm has about a fifth of its runs open if you want to hike up to the open section with the funicular out of action. The Lecht and Glenshee are little more than nursery slopes open still. Glencoe has about the most runs available, about a third of its terrain, but has warned demand doesn't really justify running the lifts they are operating at present. Nevis Range remains unable to offer snowsports. Eastern Europe Some snowfall up high in Bulgaria but the spring thaw definitely seems to be well set in across Eastern Europe with base depths thinning fairly rapidly and the amount of open terrain at the main areas starting to drop too. Most of the big-name areas like Jasna, Borovets and Zakopane still have 60-70% of their slopes open though, smaller lower centres have ended their seasons. North America Canada It has been one of the best weeks of the season in Western Canada with a number of ski areas posting another metre of snowfall on top of some decent accumulations last week. Temperatures have also stayed low so essentially it's a return to normal service after months of unusually warm and dry (or wet) weather. Whistler Blackcomb picked up an 83cm accumulation in three days through the weekend to reach a 2.5-metre base and its most open terrain of the season – around 90%. USA A massive four-day snowstorm that hit California from the Pacific lived up to expectations with storm totals of up to 3.2 metres (at Sugar Bowl) of snow, meaning the continent's deepest snow is now in California, with Mammoth Mountain moving to top spot at 4.4 metres. The snow didn't float down gently but was driven in by winds gusting at up to 180 mph which left some areas scoured and huge drifts in others. Things have now settled down though, with terrain reopening and skiers warned of the dangers of tree wells. There was plenty of snowfall elsewhere in the West too with resorts in the Rockies getting several feet of snow and those up in the Pacific Northwest some of the best of the season so far. It's not such a great picture on the East Coast though with dry weather and some warm temperatures again, so bases remain very thin here, although most centres are still managing to keep 60-90% of their slopes open. The coming week will see more snow showers in the west, though not as heavy as the last seven days. |
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