Snow Report, 29th of March, 2010

INTRODUCTION
Conditions are a lot better in most of Europe now after the heavy snow that fell in the Alps over the weekend. Loads of snow fell in France and parts of Switzerland and lighter snow fell in Austria too.
Val d’Isere and Tignes in France received some of the heaviest snowfall. The Ski Club rep in Tignes reported 50cm of fresh snow on Saturday 27th March. Awesome skiing can be found, particularly on the upper slopes.
20cm fell on the upper slopes at Zermatt in Switzerland. This gave a fun powder day although the lower slopes are slushy, where rain and wet snow fell.
Not so much snow fell in Austria but it was enough to boost their conditions a little. The Ski Club rep in Mayrhofen said that although it rained in the valley, it was snowing up on the mountain and there was some fresh snow to ski.
Over in America, Colorado enjoyed a snowy weekend. There was plenty of powder to ski in most resorts, including Vail. Their base depth is pretty good now and the powder over the weekend made for some excellent skiing.
Big White and Silver Star in British Columbia, Canada, received the biggest dump of their season so far on Friday night. 35cm of fresh snow gave an awesome day on Saturday. Their base depths are at the deepest they have been all season which bodes very well for the remainder of the season.

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Snow Report, 25th March, 2010

INTRODUCTION
Say goodbye to spring weather in the Alps as loads of snow and colder weather is just around the corner.
It’s been a mild and sunny week again in Austria. The skiing is generally good though with the best advice being to stay high, as always. Obergurgl has some of the best skiing thanks to slopes up to 3000m.
It’s also been warm and sunny in France, where conditions are virtually identical to in Austria. Lower resorts have largely slushy snow at all levels but places like Tignes and Val d’Isere have better snow above 2500m.
Soft spring snow can be found all over Switzerland and Italy at the moment too. Saas Fee in Switzerland has great skiing on its upper slopes. However the snow has already begun falling at Cervinia in Italy. The resorts received 20cm of fresh on Thursday, giving a new lease of life to the whole ski area.
20cm of fresh snow at Breckenridge in Colorado means you can enjoy powder skiing. Lots of other resorts benefitted from the fresh snow as well, so get your fat skis out!
The greatest amount of fresh snow in Canada fell on the east coast this week, which makes a change. 23cm fell at Monte Sainte-Anne on Wednesday 24th March, which is excellent for the rest of their season.

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Snow Report 18th March, 2010

INTRODUCTION
Spring has sprung once again in Europe. Mild and sunny weather, combined with plenty of existing snow, makes for some classic spring skiing at the moment right across the Alps.
Austria has some superb conditions due to heavy snow that fell at most resorts on Tuesday 16^th March. Lech received lots of snow right down to the town and the skiing has been superb all week. It should stay this way for the coming weekend.
The Ski Club reps based in resorts in France all report the same thing, sun! The skiing is great too with the sunshine guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Les Arcs and La Plagne have some of the best conditions.
It’s been a little colder in Switzerland and Italy so the snow isn’t quite as spring-like. The sun is shining over most of the country though so it’s the perfect weather to enjoy the snow. Zermatt’s best snow is on the higher slopes.
The thaw on the east coast of America continues, with temperatures of around 10°C at most resorts. Spring skiing is the name of the game but this is to be expected at this time of year. Try some new tricks in the park as the soft snow is more forgiving.
A metre of snow fell in Whistler between 10^th and 17^th March, giving plenty of deep powder on the upper half of the mountain. Kicking Horse and Revelstoke also had some decent powder snow, especially on the upper half of the mountains.

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Snow Report, 4th March, 2010

INTRODUCTION

The mild weather in Europe has given spring skiing all this week which is great for skiers but not for the snow. Fortunately, a return to wintry weather is just round the corner. The higher French resorts offer some of the best skiing at the moment. Tignes received dustings of fresh snow this week and most of their upper pistes are in great condition.

Some of the lower Austrian resorts have very slushy snow because of the mild weather. They all have a good enough base depth to ensure top to bottom skiing in most places though and the upper pistes are all in good condition.

Great weather in Scotland this week has allowed skiers and boarders to make the most of last week’s fresh snow. Cairngorm has the deepest base depth with nearly two metres of snow at the top. Conditions are excellent for the time of year so if you have always wanted to ski Scotland but have been put off by poor snow, now is definitely the time to go.

50cm of fresh snow at Squaw Valley in California provided them with yet more amazing powder skiing. They are enjoying a good season for snow so far and with more than four metres of it on the upper slopes, it should be an excellent spring.

Whistler is beginning to return to normal now the Olympics have ended. However there are some preparations for the Paralympic Games which begin on 12th March. Elsewhere in western Canada it is still pretty warm but this should come to an end as colder and snowy weather is expected, finally.

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Snow Report, 25th February, 2010

INTRODUCTION
More snow in France earlier this week means the skiing is excellent once again. Lots of areas received up to 40cm of fresh snow on their upper slopes but lower down the snow is wetter.

The same is the case in Switzerland and Austria. Not as much snow has fallen in these countries as did in France and milder weather means the lower pistes are soft or even slushy in some parts. Good skiing can, however, be found up high at all the areas.

The end of this week sees one of the biggest dumps of snow in Scotland for a long time. All five main resorts are closed due to extremely heavy snow and high winds. The snowfall is also affecting access roads but when the weather clears the skiing will be comparable to top powder resorts in the world, especially considering how the snow drifts at the Scottish resorts.

It’s also snowed loads in America, particularly the east coast. Resorts like Sunday River and Sugarbush have been hit with around 75cm of fresh snow, which fell on Wednesday 24^th February. It also snowed 70cm down at Mammoth in California, continuing their excellent season.

Eyes are still on Whistler in Canada and the weather there. Fortunately it has been dry and sunny recently, allowing them to run most of the alpine skiing events without problems. However another storm is heading for the area, bringing with it up to 50cm of fresh snow. This is great news for recreational skiers but not such great news for event organisers. Fortunately, most of the skiing events have now taken place.

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Snow Report, 18th February, 2010

INTRODUCTION

Despite it being one of the busiest weeks of the year in the Alps, many resorts have minimal lift queues and excellent snow conditions to go with it.

Fresh snow fell in the western half of the Alps on Wednesday and in many resorts the snow continued on Thursday too. The southern areas of the French Alps received the greatest amount of this fresh snow. Serre Chevalier received around 30cm of snow over Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th February.

The snow hasn’t yet arrived in Austria but it is heading their way. Ski Club reps in Austrian resorts report excellent conditions, particularly at Obergurgl where the pistes are being well maintained.

Nevis Range in Scotland reported up to 40cm of fresh snow on Wednesday 17th February. This is excellent news for Scottish skiing, which is experiencing its best season in many years.

Snow continues to fall in Colorado. The good news is that it is due to get even heavier. Earlier in the week Breckenridge received 30cm of fresh powder which made for one of their best powder days of the season so far.

Skiing in Canada is also good at the moment. Despite reports of a lack of snow at the Winter Olympic areas, Whistler has over three metres of snow and with around 90cm falling since Thursday 11th February there is plenty of powder to be found.

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Snow Report, 25th January, 2010

INTRODUCTION
This weekend saw fresh snow fall on western resorts in Europe especially in France and Switzerland. The heaviest snowfall this week is forecast in the eastern resorts of Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Up to a metre of new snow is forecast in Austria and Switzerland, so this gives you an idea of how much the snow conditions could improve.
There is some fantastic skiing in America at the moment, with resorts in Utah and California recently receiving over two metres of fresh snow. Unfortunately it is warm and wet on the east coast, which has turned much of the snow to slush.
Loads more snow fell at Whistler, taking their snowfall total for the year so far to nearly ten metres. There is lots of powder on the upper slopes. Elsewhere in Canada it is colder, with fantastic snow conditions from top to bottom.

AUSTRIA
The fresh snow that fell in Austria last week gave some great powder skiing in many places over the weekend. The snow has now packed down giving excellent on-piste skiing.
The Ski Club rep in Mayrhofen (5/70cm) reports very good on piste conditions, especially on the higher slopes. The base depth isn’t deep but is enough to ensure the grassy runs are completely covered in snow. All the lifts in the Mayrhofen area are running.
There is over a metre and a half of snow on the upper slopes at St Anton (40/170cm). Skiing is very good both on and off the pistes following fresh snowfall at the end of last week. As with Mayrhofen, last week’s fresh snow has now packed down giving generally excellent on-piste conditions.

FRANCE
Many French resorts received snow on Monday 25th January. Generally between 5cm and 10cm was reported on Monday morning and the snow was expected to keep falling through the day.
5cm of new snow was reported at Les Gets (55/130cm), giving a nice layer of powder on the groomed runs. The snowy weather meant the visibility was poor at altitude so it was prudent to take care, especially when skiing off piste. The weather should clear up on Tuesday.
A few centimetres of snow also fell at Courchevel (80/118cm) on Monday morning. This freshened up the pistes, which were beginning to get a bit hard at low levels. All the links over into the other valleys were open providing a huge amount of skiing.

SWITZERLAND
A few of our featured Swiss resorts received fresh snow over the weekend. It was only a light dusting but nevertheless it improved the snow conditions.
Around 5cm fell on Monday at Gstaad (15/160cm). The resort has a glacier and the snow cover up there is excellent. Head high for the greatest amount of fresh snow but the cold weather means the snow is very good even down to the bottom of the ski area at 1000m.
It was also snowing on Monday at Champery (30/80cm) in the Portes du Soleil area. With links to Avoriaz, Morzine and Les Gets in France there is loads of great skiing available. Fresh snow fell over the whole of the area. 180 of the 197 lifts in the massive Portes du Soleil area were running on Monday.

USA
There were some colossal snowfalls across America last week. Many resorts in Utah, Colorado and California received massive amounts of fresh snow.
Mammoth (225/360cm) received two and a half metres of snow in five days. While it fell this affected resort operations but they have since dug out their lifts and bottomless powder can be found across the mountain. On Sunday 24th January 21 of their 22 lifts were running.
Snowbird (246cm), Alta (259cm) and Park City (188cm) also received a lot of snow. Around two metres of snow fell between Thursday 21st and Sunday 24th January at Snowbird and Alta. Only half the lifts are running at Snowbird due the heightened avalanche risk but where the lifts are running the skiing is incredible. Expect chest deep powder on the whole mountain at the start of this week.
Unfortunately it has turned very warm on the east coast, with mid mountain temperatures of 8°C in places. It was also raining at Mount Snow (51/71cm) over the weekend, turning the existing snow into heavy slush. They are doing their best to preserve the snow base however and the mild weather isn’t expected to last too long. Only half the lifts at Mount Snow are currently running.

CANADA
Snow conditions in Canada are generally very good at the moment. The best of the snow conditions can be found inland, away from the coast where it is warmer.
Fernie (210cm) still has an excellent base depth and fresh snowfall last week ensures the snow is in great condition this week. All of the lifts were running on Sunday 24th January giving access to the runs, although some of the lower runs are quite hard packed.
Loads of snow fell at Whistler (280cm), especially on the upper slopes. They have excellent conditions higher up but low down the runs are quite hard due to mild daytime temperatures and cold nights. They are looking to be in excellent shape for the Olympics.

EUROPEAN WEATHER OUTLOOK
Lots of snow is expected in Europe this week, particularly in Austria and Switzerland where a metre of snow could fall over the next eight days in places.
Lech in Austria is expecting lots of heavy snow at the end of this week and over the weekend. Around 120cm of snow could fall by the end of next weekend. It will also be a very cold week, with the temperature remaining around -14°C at mid mountain so the powder will be light and dry.
Resorts in Italy could also receive significant snowfall this week and next weekend. The heaviest snows are expected at Livigno where up to 67cm could land by the end of Tuesday 2nd February. Other resorts in the east such as Val Senales, Bormio and Selva Gardena are also expecting around 60cm of new snow.
France should be cold and sunny as well, but they aren’t expecting as much as Austria, Switzerland and Italy.
Up in Scandinavia it should be snowy too, with Hemsedal in Norway expecting 53cm of snow in the next nine days. It should also be very cold, especially at the weekend. Expect a high of -19°C on Saturday.

NORTH AMERICAN WEATHER OUTLOOK
There is good news for east coast resorts, with the return of cold weather expected later this week. Attitash Bear Peak is suffering due to rain at the moment but it should be -14°C by the end of the week, although this could potentially turn all the slushy snow to ice.
In the west, the recent snowstorms for California, Utah and Colorado have cleared. Drier and sunnier weather is expected across most states but some snow is expected on and off throughout the week. The intermittent snow showers should amount to between 10cm and 30cm for most resorts.
It should be snowy in Canada too, but only a light amount of snow is forecast. The most snow is expected at Whistler, with around 40cm expected on the upper slopes by the weekend. The recent mild weather looks like staying, with snow above around 1000m at Whistler. Further inland it should be colder, with temperatures down to -16°C overnight at Big White.
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Snow Report, 21 January, 2010

Snow News, 24th December, 2009

INTRODUCTION

The weather in Europe has been very warm and wet this week. The good news is that the change in weather has brought lots of snow to the higher slopes but this has unfortunately fallen as rain on the lower ones. The warm weather in Austria bought rain to the lower slopes of most resorts, even Obergurgl. Fortunately though, snow has fallen on the upper slopes especially in the Arlberg region. The same is the case in France. The upper slopes have received lots of fresh snow, particularly in the southern French Alps. Isola 2000 had 30cm of powder on its upper slopes on Wednesday, putting them resort in good shape for Christmas. Loads of fresh snow fell in Switzerland, especially on the upper slopes. The Ski Club Rep at Verbier reported awesome powder above mid mountain but low down the snow is quite heavy. Lots of other resorts received good snow too, so it should be a great Christmas. Christmas should be a good one in the American ski resorts we feature. It was snowing in Utah and Colorado on Thursday and the Christmas weekend should be nice and sunny. For the best powder, head to either Snowbird in Utah or Steamboat in Colorado. There is plenty of great skiing in Canada for the Christmas period. Whistler received lots of fresh snow earlier in the week but the weather has since cleared and it is quite cold. Monte Sainte Anne on the east coast received 30cm of fresh snow on Wednesday so there is great skiing there.
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Snow News, 21th 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.
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