SNOW NEWS UPDATED 21 December 2009
INTRODUCTION
The bitterly cold weather is coming to an end in the Alps this week and this is good news is made even better by the fact that that heavy snow showers are forecast for most places.
The Ski Welt area in Austria now offers much more skiing. The weekend just gone was when many lifts were opened and as the pistes are in good condition there is fun skiing to be had there.
20cm of snow fell on a handful of French resorts over the weekend. Flaine and Samoens both received a good dump of fresh snow over the weekend and lots of the Grand Massif ski area is open now. It should be a great Christmas week for the area as well as the rest of the French resorts.
Switzerland is where the greatest amount of fresh snow fell in Europe over the weekend. Lots of resorts received between 20cm and 30cm of powder across Saturday and Sunday. The best of the fresh snow is at resorts like Adelboden, Anzere and Gstaad.
There is lots of great skiing to be enjoyed at all of our featured American resorts. Snow has been falling at Jackson Hole in Wyoming and it’s expected to be a snowy Christmas week, so the possibility of riding powder on Christmas Day is high.
Banff in Canada is now fully open, with all of its lifts running. Conditions are excellent due to prolonged cold weather and good snowfalls. Another cold snap is heading for British Columbia and Alberta around Christmas Day. It could dip down to -37°C in Alberta so take plenty of layers if you are heading there for Christmas.
AUSTRIA
The weekend just gone was a great one for Austria. Many resorts opened a lot more of their terrain, including the Ski Welt area which now has over two thirds of its lifts running.
The resort of Soll (5/45cm) has eight of its ten lifts turning and it should stay this way all week. Although the low snow depths might suggest the skiing isn’t great, the runs are mostly on grassy meadows so 45cm of snow is more than enough for complete coverage. Some more light snow is forecast on the upper slopes this week.
Three lifts were opened on Saturday at St Wolfgang (50/70cm). The resort has a very impressive snow depth considering its low altitude of around 700m. Although the ski area is fairly small, there is still some fun skiing to be had and the slopes are likely to be quite quiet for at least the first few days of this week.
FRANCE
Most of the French resorts we report on are now open. Many that were already open have now opened up more terrain and lifts.
This is the case at Meribel (20/80cm) where 40 of their 43 lifts are now running. The links over to Val Thorens (85/105cm) and Courchevel (46/110cm) are also open so there is loads of skiing on offer. Fresh snow fell in the Three Valleys on Sunday 20th December and more should fall this week. The cold weather has also disappeared, so skiers are blessed with more comfortable temperatures this week. The best snow is on the upper slopes, so head high for the best skiing.
The Ski Club rep in Les Arcs (30/70cm) reports good snow on the upper slopes but the lower slopes are hard and icy. The recent cold weather and lack of fresh snow has created some rock hard areas, but the snow cannons are doing their best to make the conditions better. The good news is that fresh snow is forecast for most French resorts this week so conditions should improve in time for Christmas.
SWITZERLAND
It’s been snowing at virtually all of our featured Swiss resorts recently. Many have received up to 30cm of fresh snow, so Monday was a powder day for many resorts.
20cm of powder fell at Adelboden (35/65cm) on Monday, giving a great boost to the snow conditions in their ski area. You can now find powder over virtually all of the resort, the best of it being in the highest areas. 43 lifts are running so there is plenty of access to the fresh snow. It puts the resort in a good position ahead of Christmas.
There wasn’t as much fresh snow at Saas Fee (65/110cm) but around 7cm fell on Monday, topping up their pistes nicely. Virtually the whole area is now open as it is the Christmas holiday period. As you might expect, it is fairly busy but as nearly all of the lifts are running the queue times should be minimal. More features have been opened in the terrain park, so head over there for a bit of fun on the kickers and rails.
USA
Many of the resorts on the east coast managed to open lots more lifts over the weekend just gone. The big snowstorm that hit much of the eastern areas of America gave some of the resorts a good dump of snow too providing some excellent skiing. Stowe (30/101cm) is now almost fully open, with only two lifts closed. It is nice and cold as well meaning the snow cannons are working all the time. Off piste, the snow is a little thin for decent skiing yet but it should improve with some more snow.
Down in California and Nevada, the snowstorm last week which dumped over a metre of fresh snow is still providing great skiing. Squaw Valley (127/178cm) has a great base depth, meaning excellent skiing both on and off piste. Most of the area is open, including a lot of the steeper terrain which is great for this time of year.
Snow was falling at in Jackson Hole on Monday. Nine lifts are running this week and the fresh snow should make for an excellent Christmas week. Most of the steep terrain that Jackson is famous for is still closed as they need more snow for it to open, but the available runs are all good.
CANADA
There is now a Ski Club rep in Whistler (229cm). On Sunday the rep reported excellent skiing, particularly on the upper slopes where it is coldest. Low down the resort runs are a bit hard packed due to the warmer weather. Off piste there is also some lovely snow at higher elevations, with a mixture of powder and tracked snow. Lower down it is heavier but still fun to ski. 21cm of fresh snow fell on Sunday and more is forecast for the week ahead.
15 out of 16 lifts are running at Big White (120cm) now. The only chair closed is the Falcon Chair, which needs a deeper snow base to be able to open due to the rocky terrain that it serves. 5cm of fresh snow on Sunday helped top up the pistes and there is great skiing to be enjoyed all over the mountain. The powder bowls at the Cliff area opened for the season on Monday 21st December and all the double black diamond runs will be open to ski and board.
Further east, Tremblant (40/50cm) is almost fully open. Only four lifts were closed on Monday and more could possible open this week. A temperature of -13°C at the base is quite cold so wrap up warm if you are skiing in Tremblant this Christmas. The cold weather is expected to continue all week, which is excellent news.
EUROPEAN WEATHER OUTLOOK
It should be a snowy Christmas week for most of the Alps, with many resorts expecting up to 75cm of fresh snow by Boxing Day.
Saas Fee in Switzerland should receive of snow each day this week, with 28cm expected to fall on Christmas Eve. It could be a Christmas Day powder day at Saas Fee. The colder weather of late should also disappear too, giving way to warmer but snowier weather. Due to Saas Fee’s altitude however, snow should fall at all levels.
Up to 81cm should fall at Passo Tonale, especially on the Presena Glacier. The busy holiday period needs great snow conditions so this heavy snowfall will be warmly welcomed. The heaviest of the snow in Passo Tonale and also across most of the Italian Alps should be on Christmas Eve, when anywhere between 20cm and 35cm could fall.
It should be snowy in Austria too, but not as much as in Switzerland, Italy or France. The Ski Welt area could see mild temperatures too, which may bring rain to anywhere below mid-mountain. Snow should fall at the top however, improving conditions in the area.
Up in Scandinavia, the cold and dry weather is set to continue. Hemsedal in Norway will remain below -15°C at all times, dropping to around -25°C at night. No snow is forecast in either Norway or Sweden but the snow cannons will be running all the time.
NORTH AMERICAN WEATHER OUTLOOK
Most resorts in America should see light snow over the coming week, which is excellent news for the Christmas period.
Winter Park in Colorado should receive around 18cm of fresh snow by Boxing Day with temperatures getting progressively lower as the week goes on. By Friday, it is expected to be -20°C during the day at mid mountain, bringing a frost nip risk with it.
Mammoth, Heavenly and Squaw Valley in California and Nevada should be dry this week. Only a light dusting of snow is expected at all three resorts which will give great weather for the Christmas period. Tuesday is when the light dusting of snow is expected at Mammoth and the temperature will drop sharply for Tuesday. After Wednesday it should recover to around -1°C however.
Warmer weather is heading for the east coast of America by Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Before then it should be cold but dry, at least allowing the resorts to have the snow cannons running full time. Winds of 56mph on Boxing Day with a mixture of rain and snow could make for a miserable days skiing, but the snow base should stay intact due to the recent cold weather.
Up in Canada there is another cold snap heading for the western areas. Jasper in Alberta should see temperatures down to -37°C but it will feel even colder with a strong wind blowing. This is expected to be the coldest of the resorts there but all other resorts will dip below -20°C during the day on Thursday and Friday.
INTRODUCTION
The bitterly cold weather is coming to an end in the Alps this week and this is good news is made even better by the fact that that heavy snow showers are forecast for most places.
The Ski Welt area in Austria now offers much more skiing. The weekend just gone was when many lifts were opened and as the pistes are in good condition there is fun skiing to be had there.
20cm of snow fell on a handful of French resorts over the weekend. Flaine and Samoens both received a good dump of fresh snow over the weekend and lots of the Grand Massif ski area is open now. It should be a great Christmas week for the area as well as the rest of the French resorts.
Switzerland is where the greatest amount of fresh snow fell in Europe over the weekend. Lots of resorts received between 20cm and 30cm of powder across Saturday and Sunday. The best of the fresh snow is at resorts like Adelboden, Anzere and Gstaad.
There is lots of great skiing to be enjoyed at all of our featured American resorts. Snow has been falling at Jackson Hole in Wyoming and it’s expected to be a snowy Christmas week, so the possibility of riding powder on Christmas Day is high.
Banff in Canada is now fully open, with all of its lifts running. Conditions are excellent due to prolonged cold weather and good snowfalls. Another cold snap is heading for British Columbia and Alberta around Christmas Day. It could dip down to -37°C in Alberta so take plenty of layers if you are heading there for Christmas.
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