Tag Archives: austrian snow report

Dec201105

0

No Christmas plans yet? Snow is falling everywhere, so how about St Anton?

Snow on Wildebener mountain, above Stuben Austria

We have a fantastic ‘Christmas Cracker Special’ to offer you at Chalet Der Alte Stadl, St Anton. Save £230 and now pay just £950 per person.

Christmas in the mountains is magical and it’s particularly special here. This cosy chalet offers homemade mince pies, seared fillet of venison on Christmas Eve, beautifully tender confit of duck on Christmas Day, homemade stockings filled with chocolates and lots of champagne!

With more snow on the way over the next few days, and right into the weekend, we’re looking forward to a white Christmas! Give our Private Travel Consultants a call on +44 (0)1993 899420.

Sep201102

0

Arrange your flights now for your luxury ski holiday 2011/12 season

With just over 3 months until European ski resorts open, now is a good time to get your flights arranged. Snowjet offer flights from Gatwick and Stansted to Chambery and Sion, opening up some of the best resorts the Alps have to offer.

Chambery – Ideal for Courchevel, Meribel, La Plagne, La Tania, Tignes and Val d’Isere.

Sion – Ideal for Crans Montana, Saas Fee, Verbier and Veysonnaz.

If you are interested in booking a luxury ski chalet, or if you would like further information on any other properties on our portfolio, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the chalet team on 01865 398 131.

 

Mar201029

0

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.

Read more

Mar201011

0

Snow News Updated, 11th March, 2010

INTRODUCTION
Winter has been very much in charge this week in Europe with temperatures below -20°C in many places.
Fresh snow fell on Thursday in Austria but wasn’t much more than a dusting in most places. Obergurgl has some fantastic skiing available and the snow is generally very powdery.

Over in France the temperature is very low, down to -23°C at some of the higher resorts like Tignes. There was some fresh snow earlier this week, particularly at Les Deux Alpes where 15cm of snow fell on Monday.
The Italian Milky Way resorts of Sauze d’Oulx and Sestriere have excellent conditions too, thanks to heavy snowfall earlier this week. Plenty of powder can be found off piste if you know where to look.
Zermatt in Switzerland received 15cm of fresh snow on Wednesday, greatly improving their skiing. All the steep terrain is now a lot better thanks to the new snow.
Both Andorra and Bulgaria received lots of snow earlier this week. Bansko now has much better skiing and some of the grass patches on the lower slopes are now completely covered. Cold weather is forecast to stay in both Andorra and Bulgaria so it should stay good.
Spring has sprung on the east coast of America. Mild and sunny weather is bad for the snow but with plenty of existing snow it should remain for a while. It is definitely the time for some t-shirt skiing.
Winter has returned to Canada, where it was unseasonably dry and mild since New Year. 25cm of fresh snow fell at Banff on Monday which vastly improved all three ski areas. Whistler is also forecast nearly a metre and a half of fresh snow next week.

Feb201025

0

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 24th 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.


Read more

Feb201018

0

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.

Read more

Jan201025

0

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.
SkiClub_Logo-lowBrought to you by The Ski Club of Great Britain
Ski Club Website
Snow Reports
Ski resort guide

Dec200924

0

Snow News, 24th December, 2009

SNOW NEWS UPDATED 24 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.
AUSTRIA
Lots of resorts in Austria received a mixture of rain and snow at the beginning of the week. Most slopes below around 1500m saw rain fall, which turned the runs quite wet and slushy. Higher up snow fell, dropping around 10cm on the majority of resorts in Austria on Monday and Tuesday.
The Ski Club rep at Obergurgl (61/127cm) said there was light rain at resort level earlier in the week. This turned some of the pistes slushy at first and then icy when it went colder. Snow has fallen since then however which has improved the conditions. It was very windy on Christmas Eve at Obergurgl and only seven lifts were running as a result. Unfortunately the wind also created bad visibility.
The Stubai Glacier at Neustift (40/150cm) was fully closed on Christmas Eve because of the high winds. They are expecting to open on Christmas Day however which is good news for people there at the moment.
All but five lifts in the Arlberg area are now running. Lech (40/140cm) has great snow conditions, particularly on the upper slopes where it is coldest. Down at resort level there was a bit of rain but not as much as fell elsewhere, so the snow is still OK. All the links over to Zurs (40/140cm) are open and St Anton (30/130cm) is running all of its lifts too.
FRANCE
Lift operations in France have been affected by strong winds several times this week. Flaine (20/110cm) was forced to shut all but its beginner lifts on Tuesday because of 50mph winds on the upper slopes. Snow has fallen with all the wind however but mainly on the upper slopes. At Flaine village some rain fell so it got quite slushy at times. The Ski Club rep in Flaine said it should be excellent on the upper slopes when the weather clears.
30cm of fresh snow fell at Isola 2000 (74/126cm) on Wednesday 23rd. It is mild in the resort, around 0°C, so the snow is quite heavy down low but higher up it is a lot better. This should make for some excellent skiing on Christmas Day and the forecast looks good for next week too.
The Ski Club rep at Avoriaz (100/130cm) reports mixed skiing, ranging from powder to heavy snow due to the mild weather. As always, it is better the further up you go and Avoriaz is no exception. 30 out of a possible 34 lifts are running on Christmas Eve and it should remain this way on Christmas Day. Even warmer weather is expected for next week with the possibility of rain at all levels.
SWITZERLAND
Most Swiss resorts have received fresh snow this week. Between 10cm and 50cm fell, giving some excellent skiing in the fresh powder.
20cm of snow fell at Arosa (70/120cm) on Wednesday 23rd December. More snow is expected to fall on Christmas Eve and Christmas day but not as much as on Wednesday. Around half of the lifts are open on Christmas Eve, partly due to the increased avalanche risk. When the upper areas reopen there should be some great powder skiing.
Zermatt (40/146cm) also received lots of snow recently. Around 30cm is reported to have fallen on 23rd December, which was on top of another dump earlier in the week. Milder temperatures mean that the snow on the lower slopes is quite heavy in places so for the best powder head high but watch the avalanche risk.
USA
It’s been snowing in Utah. Snowbird (125cm) and Snowbird (119cm) received the most, with around 15cm falling on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both resorts hadn’t received snow for a long while until now so it will have come as a welcome relief for them. Snowbird should open its final three lifts by Boxing Day. Alta has all but one lift running but the fresh snow could mean they open it soon.
Snow is also falling in Colorado, but not as much as in Utah. Around 8-10cm fell at Vail (51cm) on Tuesday and Wednesday which will have freshened up their pistes nicely. Off piste the cover is still fairly thin but there are some good areas where the snow is the deepest.
It has warmed up on the east coast but not to the point where the snow is affected. Sunday River (38/51cm) received a dusting of snow last weekend and currently it is -1°C at resort level. Ten lifts are open at Sunday River, 8 short of their total lift number. It should be a good Christmas for Sunday River.
CANADA
The biggest dump of snow this week in Canada was on the east coast, at Mont Sainte Anne (45cm). 29cm of fresh snow fell on Wednesday 23rd December giving an excellent powder day. The fresh snow covered all the pistes and hugely improved the off piste too. Six lifts were running on 23rd December but most of the terrain was open. It should be a fantastic Christmas period for the resort following this big snowfall.
Over on the west coast it has gone cold again. Sun Peaks (103/121cm) was -24°C on Wednesday morning and a bit of fresh snow fell too. The lower pistes are quite hard but more snow fell up top so it is best up there. Generally the piste conditions are excellent however and all of the lifts and runs are open.
There is great snow at Kicking Horse (143cm) too. Fresh snowfall on Tuesday 22nd boosted the already excellent piste conditions and a good base depth means off-piste skiing is also great. The freshest snow is at the summit of the resort but right down to base level it is very good.
EUROPEAN WEATHER OUTLOOK
The weather in Europe this weekend and next week will vary quite dramatically. The weekend should be very warm in most resorts, with the freeing level rising to nearly 3000m in Avoriaz. Then the cold weather should briefly return, with -12°C expected at 2450m at Avoriaz. Then even warmer weather is due for the middle of next week, unfortunately bringing rain even to the upper slopes of most resorts.
Mayrhofen in Austria is expecting similar weather, with a cold snap around Saturday and then going much warmer around Monday. 10cm of snow is expected at Mayrhofen on Saturday night but only above mid-mountain. It will fall as rain at resort level.
Switzerland and Italy should receive more snow than France and Austria. Grimentz in Switzerland is expecting around 25cm of snow on the upper slopes by Tuesday next week. Thursday night and Monday is when this snow is likely to be the heaviest. It will be 2°C by Tuesday 29th December.
Up in Scandinavia there are no worries of warm weather. It should be a snowy Christmas Day at Geilo in Norway with 12cm of snow expected and a total of 25cm is expected by Tuesday next week. 16cm of snow is expected on Christmas Day at Hemsedal too.
NORTH AMERICAN WEATHER OUTLOOK
Another cold snap is expected for Colorado. -17°C is the expected high on Christmas Day and around 1cm of snow should fall then. The cold weather usually brings dry conditions with it and this cold snap is no exception. -28°C is the expected low on Saturday night at resort level so make sure you wrap up very warm.
Park City in Utah should be cold, dry and sunny for at least the next five days. No new snow is expected at all but the cold weather will mean the snow cannons can be used lots. The windchill will make it feel very cold, around -33°C on Christmas Day.
Over on the east coast there should be more snow. Sugarbush is expecting light snow for at least every day until Tuesday. It should amount to around 10cm, keeping the pistes nicely topped up. It looks as if there will be a sudden cold snap on Tuesday next week, with an expected high of around -21°C at Sugarbush on Tuesday.
It should be cold and dry in the west of Canada. No snow is expected at Whistler until at least Tuesday but the cold and sunny weather will please skiers heading there for Christmas. The same is the case for resorts like Big White, Fernie and Red Mountain. None of them are expecting much snow but the cold weather will keep the snow they do have in good condition.

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.
Read more

Dec200921

0

Snow News, 21th December, 2009

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.
Read more

Dec200907

0

Snow News, 3rd December, 2009

Introduction

Lots more resorts in Europe are poised to open this weekend, helped by the recent snowstorm.

Switzerland received huge amounts of snow earlier this week. This allowed Arosa to make a surprise opening after having previously postponed their opening to this coming weekend. Around a metre of fresh snow fell there, providing excellent skiing.

Meribel and Courchevel in France open this coming weekend. The neighbouring resort of Val Thorens is already open so the opening of Meribel and Courchevel will create a great place to ski this weekend. All three resorts have excellent snow conditions, particularly on the upper slopes, so there should be some fun skiing on offer.


Read more

« Older Entries