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Mid Glamorgan |
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 #1196 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 25/01/2010 @ 17:06 |
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| #1197 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 25/01/2010 @ 21:08 |
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| In reply to post #1196
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those are some fat skis being nicely ridden in some tasty conditions |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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| #1198 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 26/01/2010 @ 18:45 |
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Thanks to all for the updates.
Monday 25th January 2010
Summary
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.
All five Scottish resorts were open on Monday providing good riding in the west and excellent conditions in the east. Further snow showers are expected this week and these should follow this pattern. A light dusting could fall on the western resorts while slightly more should fall in the east.
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.
Italy
Courmayeur (170/245cm) is the only one of our featured Italian resorts to report fresh snow this weekend. It was snowing lightly on Monday, dropping a few centimetres of fresh snow. This provided a nice, smooth layer of fresh snow on top of the groomed pistes giving some fun skiing. Off piste is largely tracked out but if you look hard enough you will find some untouched areas in the trees this week.
Val Senales (50/150cm) hasn’t reported fresh snow since 9th January. The pistes here are being maintained by an excellent snow cannon system, so piste conditions are still very good. It does mean that off-piste skiing isn’t great however and it is largely hard packed. Cold weather and fresh snow is forecast this week, so it should improve.
Scotland 
Cairngorm (70/180cm) is in fantastic conditions with skiable snow cover across the resort. The White Lady is in superb shape with all of the new snow providing natural features to have fun with. Only two of the lifts were closed on Monday so there was plenty of access to the superb snow that was dumped last week during the severe snowstorms that closed the resort.
Glenshee (35/70cm) and the Lecht (30/60cm) also offer excellent skiing conditions and the pistes had a soft cover of fresh snow for visitors on Monday.
Glencoe (20/50cm) reports packed snow cover on the pistes which can be quite hard first thing in the morning. The beginners’ area has a good cover of snow if you are heading to Glencoe to learn to ski or snowboard.
Hard packed snow cover was reported at Nevis Range (20/50cm) on Monday 25th January despite a light dusting of new snow. The best snow cover can be found on the higher pistes as the snow base can be thin in places lower down.
Changeable weather is forecast this week with a chance more snow falling at all five ski areas. The most snow is expected in the east with up to 13cm forecast by Tuesday 2nd February at Cairngorm, while in the west only around 5cm may land.
Andorra
No new snow has fallen in Andorra since Wednesday 20th January. Cold weather has kept the pistes in good condition however and there is lots of good skiing to be enjoyed.
The deepest snow base is reported at Arcalis (90/130cm). All of their lifts are running and there aren’t many people on the mountain at the moment. It is a good time to be skiing there, especially if you enjoy having the whole piste to yourself.
Norway/Sweden
A light dusting of new snow was reported at Geilo (60/105cm) and Trysil (46/77cm) in Norway and Sälen (48/50cm) in Sweden on Saturday 23rd January. This was not enough to dramatically change the riding conditions but it did freshen up the packed snow cover.
Åre (39/42cm) in Sweden reported 7cm of new snow on the ground when the lifts opened on Monday morning which provided excellent riding at the start of this week.
Fresh snow is forecast this week in Norway and Sweden and most resorts can expect around 20cm of new snow. Voss (15/50cm) is the exception though where over 50cm of new snow is forecast to land by Tuesday 2nd February.
Germany
Our featured German resorts offer great on-piste riding on the packed and groomed snow cover. The only resort to report any new snow over the weekend was Feldberg (70/80cm) which had 5cm of new snow on the slopes when the lifts opened on Monday morning, providing a nice soft cover to the packed base.
The weather on Monday was a mixture of sun and cloud at the majority of German resorts. More clouds are forecast to move in on Tuesday which could deliver a light dusting of new snow and then on Wednesday the resorts should again be blessed with a little sunshine. Thick clouds will move in on Thursday and heavy snowfall is forecast for the end of this week and over the weekend. Garmisch (20/180cm), Oberstdorf (40/170cm) and Spitzingsee (20/30cm) are forecast the heaviest snowfalls with over one metre of new snow expected by the end of Tuesday 2nd February.
Bulgaria
A dusting of new snow fell over the weekend at Borovets (20/85cm) and Pamporovo (50/70cm) this weekend, topping up the great snow cover. The best riding at Borovets can be found on the higher slopes with the snow cover lower down thin in places. Pamporovo has not had the best start to their season but now they have much improved snow cover due to January’s snowfall and the riding is now really good. The sun was shining at both of these resorts on Monday providing excellent visibility.
Cloudy skies are forecast at all three of our featured Bulgarian resorts from Thursday 28th January and 20-40cm of new snow is expected to fall at the end of this week and over the coming weekend.
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.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Thanks to the SCGB for todays report. |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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| #1199 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 26/01/2010 @ 18:49 |
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I have noticed that we are not getting so many reports submitted into the Snow-Reports section of the site this season.
So if you are out there and want to tell everyone how good things are and upload a few piccies you know where to go. |
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| #1200 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 26/01/2010 @ 18:53 |
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AHHH gotta go to Japan!! snow looks so light!! |
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Nottinghamshire |
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| #1201 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 27/01/2010 @ 00:11 |
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Champery got fresh on Monday, but today has been a total whiteout. Apparently my father fell off a cat track yesterday when following piste markers and he skis there at least 5 weeks a year. 
You can follow Champery reports at http://www.twitter.com/monteillyc |
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| #1202 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 31/01/2010 @ 02:07 |
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Interior B.C. January 30
Bit of a drought in the southern Interior this past 10 days, no significant fresh at Red, Silver Star or Sun Peaks. A small front has just brought 10 cm in 4 hours to the Star, however, so perhaps the dry spell is now over. Temps have dropped a bit as well so here's hoping for a snowy February. |
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Gnarnia, Interior B.C. |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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| #1203 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 01/02/2010 @ 19:21 |
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Monday 1st Feb 2010.
Summary
It is bitterly cold across the Alps at the moment and there have been some big snowfalls to accompany it. Resorts from France across to eastern Austria received up to 30cm of fresh snow at the end of last week and over the weekend. Great powder skiing can be found, especially on the higher slopes.
The Andorran resort of Soldeu enjoyed another powder day on Sunday. 20cm of fresh snow provides excellent conditions at all levels.
It’s been snowing again in Scotland. Fresh snow has fallen at all of the resorts apart from Glencoe and with the temperature below freezing conditions are generally good.
Another 20cm of fresh snow fell across resorts in Utah in America over the weekend. This is on top of the huge snowfall they had at the beginning of last week, providing some awesome powder skiing.
Some of the lifts and runs are now closed at Whistler, in Canada, for Olympic preparations. 90% of their terrain is still open however and the resort is very quiet ahead of the Olympics. Now is a great time to be skiing the area, as the snow conditions are excellent also.
Austria
A snowy weekend in Austria brought a decent amount of fresh snow with it to many resorts. This means there is plenty of excellent skiing to be found right across the country this week.
Lech (75/190cm) now has one of the deepest snow bases in Austria. The Arlberg resort received around 30cm of fresh snow over the course of the weekend and this provided some great powder skiing. On Monday the sun came out and all of the lifts in the Arlberg region were running.
The little resort of Filzmoos (50/95cm) also received a good amount of fresh snow. A temperature of -8°C on Monday morning at 1000m helped to preserve the snow in brilliant condition. They only have nine lifts but these lifts serve some great runs. The fresh snow greatly improved the piste conditions.
France
There is plenty of great skiing on offer in France this week due to decent snowfalls over the last week accompanied buy very low temperatures. The cold weather means the snow is generally in excellent condition but dress warmly if you are heading out anytime soon.
The Ski Club rep in Les Arcs (105/210cm) reported excellent piste conditions everywhere and plenty of powder off piste. 20cm of fresh snow fell on Saturday and the cold weather this week means there is still plenty of light, dry powder to be found. Some areas are quite tracked out now but venture further from the pistes and there are untracked areas.
Over in Val d’Isere (100/146cm) Friday night’s snowstorm continues to give awesome skiing both on and off piste. The cold weather is maintaining the snow but some of the flatter pistes are quite slow now as it is so cold. According to the Ski Club reps in resort the best snow can be found in the Le Fornet sector at the moment.
Switzerland
Switzerland has some of the best skiing in the Alps at the moment, but also some of the coldest weather. Many resorts are below -12°C and some of the higher ones are as cold as -20°C.
30cm of fresh snow fell on Murren (97/185cm) on Saturday, giving them one of their best powder days of the season so far. The very low temperatures mean the snow is light and fluffy making it great fun to ski in. Subsequently, all the runs are in great condition as well but a few of the exposed runs up high are prone to wind.
There is also plenty of powder over in Verbier (15/190cm). 20cm of fresh snow fell on Saturday, on top of the snow that fell last Thursday and Friday, 28th and 29th January. The Ski Club rep currently in Verbier described Sunday’s skiing as ‘A superb powder day with deep, light snow and the sun shining’. All 36 lifts are open in the Verbier area, as are the links over into Nendaz and the other valleys.
Italy
Fresh snow fell at Sauze d’Oulx (100/180cm) over the weekend. The Milky Way received one of the greatest amounts of fresh snow in Italy due to it’s location near the French border where the best snowstorms were. We have a rep in resort and she said the fresh snow and cold weather meant the runs are in great condition. The upper runs are prone to the wind so some of them are quite hard but lower down it is better.
20cm of snow also fell at Courmayeur (170/245cm) over the weekend. The biggest dump was on Saturday 30th January. All but one of the lifts at the resort are currently running so there is plenty of access to the great snow conditions on offer. The cold weather is preserving the fresh snow but also means that you frost-nip can be an issue, especially on exposed lifts in the wind.
The deepest snow base in Italy, and of all the resorts we feature worldwide, is still at Passo Tonale (70/430cm). Over four metres of snow up on the Presena Glacier is excellent for this time of year and should ensure great skiing right to the end of their season. Lower down the cover isn’t as thick but there is still plenty of snow. The resort runs are hard in places due to a lot of skier traffic but move away from these and it’s excellent.
Scotland
Cairngorm (40/150cm) has received more snow. There was around 5cm of new snow on the ground when the lifts opened on Monday morning, and the piste conditions were reportedly excellent. There are a few icy patches but these are not a real problem as they are quite limited now.
Glenshee (40/75cm) also reported a light dusting of new snow on Monday morning, with full snow cover on all runs. If you are after soft and deep snow then head to the south facing slopes as the snow on north facing slopes is hard now.
The other resort in the east, The Lecht (20/55cm), also reported new snow on Monday morning. This added a fresh cover to the firm base.
In the west Nevis Range (20/60cm) also reported fresh snow on Monday. Powder snow was reported on the packed base of the upper slopes and the east wall of the Goose was recommended if you wanted some great riding. On the lower slopes the snow is hard packed as well as being icy in places so stay high for the best skiing.
Glencoe (20/50cm) has good snow cover although the best conditions can be skied on the upper slopes. The snow on the lower areas has been scrapped away so there is a hard base with some icy patches.
Further snow showers are expected this week across Scotland. The most snow is forecast to hit the eastern resorts where around 30cm of new snow should fall by Tuesday 9th February. In the west around half that amount is forecast.
Andorra
Fresh snow fell on all of our featured Andorran resorts on Saturday 30th January and the riding is excellent as a result of the new snow.
The Ski Club rep in Soldeu (60/100cm) reported excellent riding across the area on Sunday thanks to continued snowfall throughout Saturday delivering around 15cm of new snow.
The weather on Monday was sunny at all four featured resorts and this is expected to last until Wednesday. Cloudy skies could then move in for Thursday which could bring a light dusting of new snow then bright skies are again expected next weekend.
Norway/Sweden
An impressive 20cm of fresh snow fell at Voss (40/60cm) on Sunday 31st January, giving them a much needed boost to the snow conditions. Voss is the only resort in Norway to be relatively warm with a temperature of -4°C at mid-mountain level on Monday. This is due to its slightly closer proximity to the sea, although it is still 50 miles from it. It is best to stick to the groomed runs rather than venture off piste, as the cover is thin in places.
It was snowing at Sälen (50/53cm) in Sweden on Monday 1st February. Only 1cm fell but the snow conditions were good anyway. There is plenty of skiing to choose from in Sälen at the moment, with 83 of their 85 lifts running. It is cold though, around -18°C.
Germany
It has been a snowy weekend at all of our reported German resorts and the new snow provided excellent riding conditions on Monday 1st February.
Feldberg (120/130cm) is in superb condition thanks to heavy snowfall this weekend. The base depth has increased by 40cm since Friday’s report.
As you would expect, the glacier resort of Garmisch (30/200cm) reports the deepest snow base in Germany but the greatest depth can be found on the higher slopes up on the Zugspitze mountain.
The weather this week is forecast to be predominantly cloudy and the thick clouds are expected to drop even more snow. To keep with the trend from the weekend Feldberg is expecting the greatest amount of snow. Almost 40cm of new snow could fall by the end of Tuesday 9th February. Lenggries (50/70cm) is forecast the least snow of our featured German resorts, but this is not too bad as over 25cm of new snow is predicted to fall over the same period.
Bulgaria
Fresh snow fell on Monday at our featured Bulgarian resorts.
Thick clouds at Bansko (100/125cm) reduced the visibility and the number of open lifts. The riding was great on the fresh cover and with ten lifts operating there was still plenty of access to the new snow.
The dense snow clouds also reduced the visibility at Borovets (30/95cm) and Pamporovo (20/50cm) on Monday but the snowfall nicely topped up the on and off piste cover.
Brighter weather is forecast for Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd February, which will provide better visibility to take advantage of the new snow. Further snow could fall due to changeable weather from Thursday.
USA
The huge snowfall at Mammoth (210/345cm) between 20th and 25th January still provides areas of deep powder. It has been topped up with fresh snow a few times since then, most recently 10cm fell on Saturday 30th January. All off-piste obstacles apart from trees are now covered thanks to an upper base depth of nearly three and a half metres. More snow is expected at Mammoth all through this week.
Park City (178cm) received 15cm of fresh snow on Saturday as well. The whole of Utah has seen some decent snowstorms recently, so there is some awesome skiing on offer at Park City and its neighbouring resorts at the moment.
On the other side of the country Killington (71/91cm) received some fresh snow on Saturday 30th January. 8cm fell over the course of the morning which helped repair the damage the recent rain and mild weather caused. Fortunately the cold weather looks as if it’s here to stay which should allow decent conditions to be maintained.
Canada
Sun Peaks (133/157cm) in British Columbia received 12cm of fresh snow on Saturday night and Sunday. The skiing there improved as a result even though it was already very good across the area. Powder stashes can be found off piste and tree runs are said to be great fun at the moment.
5cm of fresh snow was also reported at Revelstoke (179cm) over the weekend. The upper half of the mountain is in excellent condition, with plenty of untouched powder in the trees and groomed runs providing great coverage. Lower down, especially at the base, the snow is quite hard due to mild daytime temperatures and low night time temperatures. The fresh snow fell right down to base however so this will have improved it down there.
Over on the east coast it is very cold again. It’s around -16°C at mid mountain so the open runs are likely to be quite hard. Snow cannons keep the snow in the best possible condition though and it is generally very good.
European Weather Outlook
Europe looks likely to see a big change in the weather later this week. At present, it is very cold across the whole of the Alps and it has been fairly snowy too.
As of Wednesday, milder weather is expected to make an appearance and by the coming weekend it could be as warm as 4°C in Flaine, with light rain at the base. The freezing level could rise to around 2600m, which is the summit of Flaine.
Further east in Switzerland and Austria, the same weather trend should also be dominant. Austria isn’t likely to be as warm as France with the freezing level rising to around 1800m in most places, before cooling down for the next week.
It’s been a very cold winter in Scandinavia and the situation isn’t going to change anytime soon. Norwegian and Swedish resorts aren’t expecting any respite from the cold. The warmest day at Hemsedal in Norway will be -11°C on Thursday 4th February. It should snow lightly for most of this week which should keep the snow in great condition.
North American Weather Outlook
Snow is expected at all of our featured American resorts. Most of it looks likely to fall in the west of the country in areas of Colorado and California.
Light snow is expected all week at Heavenly on the California and Nevada border. This could amount to around 30cm by Sunday 7th Feb.
Timberline, which is in the northwest of the country, is forecast 50cm of new snow to fall by Tuesday 9th February. Forecasts for this far ahead are difficult to predict though so this figure is likely to change.
Light snow is forecast all week at Whistler in Canada. Around 40cm is expected to fall by Tuesday 9th February and the freezing level should hover around 1100m, bringing snow to the village at times. Most of the snow will fall higher up though.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Thanks again to the SCGB for todays report. |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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| #1204 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 04/02/2010 @ 21:03 |
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Thursday 04 February 2010
Summary
The cold weather in the Alps has loosened its grip. It is now much warmer which signals the arrival of fresh snow in many places this weekend. The sun was shining across the Alps on Thursday 4th February and the snow is in excellent condition right from France to Austria.
Soldeu in Andorra offers plenty of excellent skiing at the moment. The Ski Club rep in resort says fresh snow earlier in the week made the pistes excellent and there is some powder off piste.
It’s been snowing again in Scotland but also fairly windy. Large snowdrifts covered the funicular track at Cairngorm on Thursday and they spent half a day digging it out.
Over in America the best of the snow is in the west, although it has improved in the east. Stowe, on the east coast, received around 40cm of fresh snow earlier in the week making for some awesome powder turns.
Olympic preparations at Whistler are well underway. This week is the calm before the storm and the slopes are very quiet despite 90% of the terrain remaining open. The Ski Club rep there at the moment says there is plenty of great skiing on offer and now is an excellent time to be skiing there
Austria
Austria had some awesome skiing on offer this week, due to lots of fresh snow that fell earlier in the week. The past two weeks have been very cold and also snowy.
30cm of fresh snow fell at St Wolfgang (130/140cm) on the night of Tuesday 2nd February. This was on top of 20cm the previous night so off piste there is plenty of deep powder skiing available. Although the resort is small, they offer some good skiing served by seven lifts. The sun was shining on Thursday, making for an excellent days skiing.
Over in the Ski Welt region, the same snowstorm dumped up to 50cm of fresh snow over the course of the week. An upper base depth of over a metre and a half at Ellmau (105/160cm) is excellent and their average for this time of year is around one metre at the top. There are plenty of off piste opportunities and it is generally untracked powder. Closer to the pistes it will get tracked out quickly but you won’t have to venture far to find fresh tracks.
France
The recent cold and snowy weather has provided the French Alps with some great skiing conditions.
Temperatures were as low as -25°C at altitude in Tignes (112/163cm). Fresh snow fell at the beginning of the week which topped up the powder off piste. The Ski Club reps in Tignes this week say off-piste skiing is excellent but some of the upper slopes are quite windblown. On the lee slopes however there is plenty of powder, some of it up to knee deep.
La Clusaz (50/270cm) reports one of the deepest upper snow depths in France at the moment. Excellent early season snowfalls allowed this to build up, which means off piste skiing is superb. Most obstacles are well and truly covered. Recent cold weather has maintained the marked runs and good skiing can be found from top to bottom.
Switzerland
The cold weather of the last two weeks in Switzerland has gone. Much milder air has replaced it which has made skiing much more comfortable and helped the hard pistes soften a little.
The Ski Club reps in Zermatt (26/113cm) reported temperatures as low as -25°C earlier in the week, but this is now a much more modest -6°C. Wednesday was the Luttman Johnson race in Zermatt and the reps said it was a great day.
The freeride resort of Andermatt (75/230cm) received lots of fresh snow recently. The resort is primarily known for its steep terrain and off piste skiing potentials and the current snow conditions are excellent for this. It’s been cold and snowy so there is plenty of powder available. All the lifts are running, giving prime access to the awesome area.
Italy
Recent high winds in Cervinia (65/150cm) forced the resort to close their link over to Zermatt in Switzerland on several occasions. The Ski Club rep in Cervinia told us that the wind had blown away most of the fresh snow off piste but some slopes had deep windblown powder on. The wind has made more rocks become exposed so take care if you are skiing off piste.
The first fresh snow in a while fell at Cortina d’Ampezzo (35/150cm). This greatly improved their snow conditions, which were hard packed prior to the fresh snow. They have an excellent snow making system though which made the most of the cold weather before the snow. Upper slopes are the best as always, but lower slopes have some nice soft snow on.
One of the deepest snow depths in Italy at the moment is at Courmayeur (170/245cm). Situated just behind Mont Blanc, they received some great fresh snow earlier in the month. All runs are complete, right down to village level, and off piste skiing is superb there at the moment. Untracked powder can be found off piste if you know where to look.
Scotland
A dusting of new snow overnight and high winds at Cairngorm (40/150cm) buried the funicular track on Thursday morning. They spent the morning digging it out and it opened around midday. The wind has meant that the pistes are quite hard, particularly up high, but patches of heavy powder can be found where the fresh snow has blown into.
Over on the other side of the country, the weather is slightly worse. The skies are cloudy and with high winds the visibility can be fairly poor at times. They managed to open six lifts on Thursday at the Nevis Range (20/60cm) but with better weather more should be able to open. Their snow base isn’t as deep as Cairngorm’s but the pistes are mostly in good condition.
Andorra
Parts of the Pyrenees received loads of fresh snow this week but unfortunately Andorra wasn’t as lucky. They still have some excellent skiing on offer however, due to snow last weekend. Saturday 30th January was the last time it snowed.
The Ski Club rep in Soldeu (70/110cm) has been reporting good skiing this week, largely due to the excellent snow and cold weather. He said that skiing off piste was very good earlier in the week but it is largely tracked out now. Piste conditions remain very good but head higher for the best of the snow.
Light snow is expected at all of our Andorran resorts over the weekend, although it could fall as sleet at lower levels on Friday.
Norway/Sweden
Some parts of Norway received fresh snow on Thursday 4th February. Geilo (60/105cm) saw 4cm land on its slopes over the course of the day. This has helped to freshen up their snow which had become quite hard due to the cold. There isn’t really any powder to be found but the nice layer of fresh snow on the pistes will make for some fun skiing.
15cm of fresh snow fell at Åre (70cm) in Sweden on Wednesday night which is one of their biggest snowfalls of the season so far. This has made the pistes feel like off piste with a fresh powder covering and there should be excellent skiing all over the mountain. Off piste is still varied because of the lower depths but there are many great areas, which will have been made even better by the fresh snow.
Germany
The large snowstorm in Germany this week dropped up to 60cm of fresh snow on their ski resorts. Resorts like Feldberg (130/150cm) offer excellent skiing at the moment. Although it isn’t big by alpine standards, all the fresh snow makes it a great alternative place to head for. Feldberg has 28 lifts and 22 of these were running on Thursday. This is likely to increase over the weekend as more people head there to enjoy the snow.
Reit im Winkl (75/100cm) received lots of fresh snow too. Around 40cm fell between Monday and Thursday this week which has greatly improved the skiing they have to offer. Untracked powder can be found off piste and the marked runs are excellent. Reit im Winkl is smaller then Feldberg but they still have 17 lifts, all of which were running on Thursday.
Bulgaria
It’s been snowing in Bulgaria this week, particularly at Bansko (140/165cm) where their base depth has risen considerably since Monday. All lifts bar one are running and with sunny skies the prospect is good for the weekend. There is some powder to be found off piste but this could be quite windblown high up. It is advisable to head to the trees for the best powder.
Pamporovo (50/70cm) has also improved since some fresh snow fell earlier in the week. A temperature of -4°C ensures their snow isn’t melting and generally the conditions are good. They didn’t receive as much fresh snow as Bansko so there isn’t much powder to be found off piste. Piste skiing is good though, considering the poor start to the season they have had.
USA
One of America’s highest resorts, Arapahoe Basin (74cm), received a dusting of fresh snow Tuesday 2nd February. Despite what is a fairly low snow depth, there is plenty of skiing available. Five of seven lifts are open. The two not running are closed during the week due to lack of demand, rather than poor snow. The base of Arapahoe Basin is at 3250m so it can get very cold, on Thursday it was -13°C.
Over in Wyoming, the recent massive snowstorms at Jackson Hole (147/196cm) gave some incredible skiing. Last week over a metre and a half of snow fell and then this was topped up by a further 46cm of fresh snow on Monday night this week. The Ski Club rep in Jackson Hole reported phenomenal powder skiing, the best of the season so far.
The east coast is still benefiting from cold and snowy weather. The thaw a few weeks ago has long been forgotten as temperatures are well below freezing now. It was -9°C at Attitash Bear Peak (51/76cm) on Thursday and fresh snow earlier in the week means the snow is in good condition. Snow cannons have kept the pistes nice and soft but off-piste is varied.
Canada
7cm of fresh snow fell at Revelstoke (196cm) on Tuesday. This may not sound like much but there is already plenty of untracked powder lying on the mountain, especially in the trees. All four of Revelstoke’s lifts are running, as is their cat skiing operation. Stick to the upper mountain for the best snow.
Olympic preparations are well underway at Whistler (269cm). The Ski Club rep in Whistler at the moment says some of the lifts and runs are now closed for the Olympics, but 90% of the mountain remains open. Excellent snow can be found, particularly on the upper slopes where there is some nice powder in Symphony and Harmony bowls. The slopes are also empty in the run up to the Olympics, so it is a great time to ski there.
It’s still very cold over on the east coast, with a temperature of -15°C at Mont Sainte Anne (80cm). Snow conditions are varied because of a warm spell a few weeks ago, but a good snow making system means most of the runs are in a good condition.
European Weather Outlook
It should be quite a snowy weekend in many parts of Europe, particularly in France. Alpe d’Huez is expecting heavy snow on Friday and Saturday, amounting to around 30cm by Saturday night. A brief clear spell on Sunday and Monday is expected to be followed by more snow from Tuesday next week onwards.
The eastern Alps are expecting snow on Friday and Saturday too but it shouldn’t be as heavy. Bad Kleinkirchheim is expecting 10cm of fresh snow on Friday 5th February. It should be fairly warm too, around -5°C, but cold enough to ensure it doesn’t rain. Thursday 11th February is when the next snowstorm is expected in Austria, bringing with it anywhere from 20cm to 40cm of fresh snow to most resorts.
Up in Scandinavia, the brief respite from the cold weather will be short lived. On Saturday 6th Feb, Hemsedal in Norway is expecting a high of -7°C which is a lot warmer than of late. By Tuesday 9th Feb, the cold will have returned with an expected high of -18°C. Light snow is expected on and off through this time period.
North American Weather Outlook
Significant snowfall looks to be heading for Colorado soon. This will be welcomed by all the resorts as many are experiencing below average snowfalls so far this season. 30cm of fresh snow is expected at Aspen by Thursday 11th February. The snow should be heaviest on Saturday and Sunday and will be followed by a very cold day on Tuesday 9th February, with an expected high of -16°C.
Mammoth in California is expecting the most snow in America, with up to 45cm of snow falling by Thursday 11th February. Most of the snow should fall on Friday and then again on Tuesday. The temperature should remain well below freezing.
Canada is expecting largely dry weather for at least the next nine days. Whistler is only expecting 8cm of fresh snow and by Monday 8th February it should be very sunny. The east coast is where it will be coldest, with lows down to -20°C.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Many thanks once again to the Ski Club of Great Britain for todays latest snow report. |
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| #1205 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 11/02/2010 @ 19:43 |
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Thursday 11 February 2010
Summary
Lots of snow fell in Europe this week, right from the west to the east. With the busy half term week coming up this bodes really well for those heading out there soon. France has some great skiing to offer thanks to the snow and cold weather. The Three Valleys and Espace Killy are both fully open with plenty of fresh powder.
Over in Switzerland and Austria, heavy snow transformed resorts earlier in the week. Very low temperatures are maintaining the snow to keep the powder nice and dry off piste. It should be an excellent half term break next week.
Fresh snow fell at Cairngorm in Scotland on Wednesday night. It was only a light dusting but the fresh snow helps to keep the runs in generally good condition. Cairngorm offers the best skiing in Scotland at the moment.
A snowstorm on the east coast of America has benefited the ski resorts there too. Smugglers’ Notch has great piste conditions and the cold weather is keeping the snow in great condition.
This weekend is the big weekend for Whistler in Canada. The Winter Olympics opening ceremony is on Friday 12th February and after all the speculation of the area having no snow they will be keen to prove they have great conditions. This should be enhanced by the weather forecast, which predicts 70cm of fresh snow over the opening weekend.
Austria
On Thursday 11th February, snow was falling at all of our featured Austrian resorts. Up to 25cm fell on some resorts on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
20cm fell on Obertauern (145/180cm) on Wednesday night and it snowed all of Thursday too. Powder can be found all over the mountain, especially in the upper bowls. Despite the bad weather, only one lift is closed. This is the Gamsleiten 2 lift, which accesses a few black runs at the highest point of the resort. The snow is expected to continue falling on Friday 12th so it should be an excellent weekend skiing in the powder.
10cm also fell at Fiss (45/100cm) and Serfaus (45/100cm). The two resorts link to form one ski area and it is fairly large. The whole area is fully open and Thursday’s fresh snow ensures excellent conditions. It is very cold however, especially on the upper slopes, so wrap up warm if you are skiing there.
France
There is some fantastic skiing to be had in France at the moment and it’s shaping up to being a good half term week as well. Lots of fresh snow fell right across the country and cold weather means it is nice, light powder.
Morzine (90/215cm) has excellent conditions on Thursday and with further snowfall forecast it should get even better. There is plenty of fresh snow, even right down to the village at 1000m. Further up it is very cold but this means the snow is in superb condition and there is plenty of powder to be found off piste. Some of the runs even have powder on.
Over in the Three Valleys the same snowfall has created great conditions. Wednesday was the snowiest day this week and on Thursday there were gaps in the cloud allowing the sun through. Lots of powder can be found all over the area and the runs are in superb condition. It couldn’t really get much better.
Even over in the Pyrenees the skiing is superb at the moment. With nearly three metres of snow on the upper slopes Cauterets (40/270cm) has some awesome skiing available. There is no need to worry about lack of snow cover when skiing off piste up high. Plenty of powder is ready to be skied.
Switzerland
It’s shaping up to be an excellent half term week in Switzerland next week. Everyone heading out there on Saturday will be pleased to know its snowing heavily in most places and it is also very cold.
10cm of snow fell at Saas Fee (91/229cm) on Wednesday. A temperature of -14°C means the snow is in amazing condition; light and fluffy. Despite the snowy weather and poor visibility at altitude, all lifts are running, even up on the glacier at 3500m.
Davos (50/143cm) received a much welcome 15cm of fresh snow, also on Wednesday night. Like at Saas Fee, it is very cold there at the moment so the snow is in superb condition. The fresh powder has improved all the lower pistes which were getting a bit hard and icy. On Wednesday the Ski Club rep said the best conditions were on the upper slopes, but this new snow should have made it great everywhere
Italy
Italy has received some snow this week too, although not as much as in France, Switzerland and Austria. On the whole, the resorts near the French border received the most snow.
Arabba (120/215cm) received 18cm of fresh snow over Wednesday night. The heavy snow is forecast to continue to fall right through into Friday and should amount to a fair bit by the time it stops. Despite the snow and bad weather, all their lifts are running so for those who brave the conditions it should be awesome.
Around 8cm of snow fell at Livigno (114/190cm), also on Wednesday night. Snow also fell on Thursday and the piste conditions are excellent as a result. Due to Livigno’s altitude it is very cold at the moment. If you are heading there for the half term week you can expect some very cold weather. However by the end of next week it could be quite warm.
Scotland
Scottish skiing is still excellent, especially considering how it can be. The best of it is still at Cairngorm (30/120cm) where the deepest snow is and also the freshest snow. A few centimetres of snow fell on Wednesday night and it was snowing lightly on Thursday morning too. Upper runs are the best but even down low they aren’t too bad. Off-piste possibilities are slightly limited but there is soft snow to be found on the lee slopes.
There isn’t as much snow in the west of Scotland as in the east. Off-piste skiing at the Nevis Range (10/40cm) is only really possible right at the top or on lee slopes where the snow has blown into. The groomers have done a good job of maintaining the available runs and although they are hard, they are in good condition. Thursday was a nice sunny day but 10cm of fresh snow is expected on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th February.
Andorra
Wednesday in Andorra was a calm and sunny day however on Thursday it was snowing heavily and it was very windy.
The harsh weather forced Arcalis (110/160cm) to close on Thursday. Around 15cm of fresh snow fell but strong winds and poor visibility meant they weren’t able to open any lifts. They should reopen when the bad weather clears and you can expect some pretty good conditions.
The other three Andorran resorts we report on were open on Thursday. Snow was falling at Soldeu (70/110cm) on Thursday and all 63 of their lifts were running. It is very cold in the resort at the end of this week though with temperatures around -17°C and strong wind. Wrap up very warm if you are skiing there.
Norway/Sweden
The snow keeps on falling in parts of Norway. Oppdal (40/55cm) received fresh snow every day this week and Thursday was no exception. 5cm fell over the course of the day, keeping the runs in superb condition. Their base depth is gradually building up, as is the powder off piste. The snow should keep falling all weekend too.
Both of our featured Swedish ski resorts have received fresh snow this week too. The greatest amount of new snow is reported at Åre (68/85cm), where they recorded 25cm of fresh snow between Monday 8th February and Wednesday 10th February. 13cm of this fell overnight on Wednesday so there were great conditions on offer on Thursday. These are probably the best conditions of the season so far in Sweden.
Germany
More snow has fallen on our featured German ski resorts. It was snowing lightly at Feldberg (135/155cm) on Thursday 11th February freshening up the already great piste conditions. 23 of their 28 lifts were running on Thursday and there was plenty of great skiing available due to the fresh snow.
Garmisch (25/215cm) offers the largest ski area of our German resorts. Most of the ski area is open this week and fresh snow means the slopes are all in great condition. On Thursday some of the lifts were closed up on the Zugspitze Glacier due to the heavy snow and strong winds but you can be sure that once it all opens up there will be lots of untouched powder to ski.
Bulgaria
Bulgarian skiing is fairly good at the moment. This bodes well for everyone heading there for half term next week, as fresh snow has fallen this week and more is expected over the weekend.
It was snowing heavily at Pamporovo (50/70cm) on Thursday. After a poor start to their season, it’s great to see them receiving decent amounts of snow now. The resort has 18 lifts, 15 of which have been running for most of this week but this could increase with the extra demand over the half term break. The fresh snow means powder can be found all over the mountain so enjoy it while it lasts.
USA
There are no big snowfalls to report in America this week, but snow has been falling in some places. The western half of the country is where most of the snow fell this week.
Up at Timberline (257cm) in Oregon around 10cm of fresh snow fell on Tuesday 9th February. Earlier in the week 20cm of powder gave superb conditions so this extra 10cm will have topped it up. All the pistes are in great condition even down to the lowest level and there is plenty of powder away from the runs. The cat skiing operation runs every day until 3pm, so if you pay for the service they will take you to where the fresh powder is.
Snow also fell down in California. 13cm of snow fell at Mammoth (244/366cm) on Tuesday and this was on top of 60cm that fell over last weekend. There is plenty of excellent skiing at Mammoth at the moment and with a massive base depth off-piste skiing is just as good. Sunnier weather is forecast for this coming weekend and into next week, so it should provide the perfect weather to enjoy the great snow conditions.
Canada
5cm of fresh snow fell at Revelstoke (186cm) on Tuesday night, giving a bit of fresh powder on Wednesday 10th February. All four main lifts are running which gives access to the 1700m vertical that the resort has. All the gladed areas are excellent as they have held fresh snow each time it fell. Their cat skiing area is also very good at the moment and runs daily.
Over at Red Mountain (174cm) a few centimetres of snow fell on Tuesday 9th February. This helped freshen up the runs and improved the snow in the trees. The best part of the resort is around Granite Peak area, where the north facing slopes hold the most fresh snow.
This week sees the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Whistler, on Friday 12th February. The first events are to be held on Saturday 13th February, including the men’s downhill. The weather could affect the opening events however, as 9cm of snow is forecast on Friday 12th and a further 28cm on Saturday 13th. However this should make for some great powder skiing on the upper slopes and improve the snow conditions all over the mountain.
European Weather Outlook
At the moment in Europe it is very cold. Many resorts are experiencing temperatures below -15°C and it should remain very cold until the end of this coming weekend, Sunday 14th February.
In France and Switzerland most resorts are expecting a cold but sunny weekend. By Monday the temperature should start to rise steadily and on Friday the freezing level at Flaine could be at 1900m. This could bring light rain to the lower slopes of some resorts.
Further east in Austria and the Dolomites in Italy, a similar trend of weather is expected. -20°C is possible in the evening on Friday at many resorts. For half term week, the weather looks to be mainly cold and sunny but with a warming trend towards the end of the week. In Austria, the freezing level could be as high as 2300m by Friday.
The opposite is the case in Scandinavia. Currently it is fairly warm, by their standards. Geilo in Norway is -4°C on Thursday but by late next week it should be back down to around -14°C. Snow is forecast as well however.
North American Weather Outlook
Snow is expected for the next ten days in Colorado, but it will be mainly light. In most areas it will amount to between 20cm and 30cm by Friday 19th February. This will be welcomed by many of the resorts however as so far they have had a fairly dry season.
Timberline, up in Oregon, should receive the most of the snow. Heavy snow is expected on Friday 12th February which should amount to around 30cm. Next week looks like being sunny and increasingly warm.
Over on the east coast, cold and generally snowy weather should dominate. At Smugglers’ Notch, daytime temperatures are expected to range between -8°C and -11°C. This coupled with the fresh snow should make for some great skiing.
All eyes are focussed on the weather in Canada this weekend. The Winter Olympics opening ceremony is on Friday 12th February. The good news is that a lot of snow is forecast between Thursday and Sunday, around 70cm to be exact. Unfortunately it’s expected to fall as rain at resort level but due to their altitude this is fairly common. 28cm of snow on Saturday could affect some of the opening events, including the men’s downhill, but should at least give some great powder skiing on the upper half of the mountain. The weather for next week is expected to be fairly sunny and mild but this could change.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Thanks to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| #1206 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 18/02/2010 @ 15:55 |
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Thursday 18th Feb 2010
Summary
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.
Austria
There have been some excellent conditions all over Austria this week, which is good as it is one of the busiest times of the season at the moment. The sun has been shining all week so far while the coming weekend is promising some fresh snow.
It’s been sunny all week at Obertauern (125/160cm) and with low temperatures; the runs are in excellent condition. All of the lifts have been open this week and they should all remain open over the weekend too. Despite it being half term, lift queues are minimal so you can enjoy maximum time on the snow.
Over at Ischgl (25/90cm) the Ski Club rep in resort reports excellent conditions. The upper slopes are in the best condition due to the cold weather but snow making systems have kept the lower slopes in good condition too. If you plan to head off piste, pick your area carefully as some of the lower sections have a lot of rocks showing through and the snow conditions are very varied.
France
There is lots of great skiing on offer in France at the moment. Half term week means many resorts are very busy but these queues can be avoided in most cases, if you know where to go.
A dusting of snow fell on Wednesday night at Avoriaz (150/200cm). The Ski Club rep who is currently in Avoriaz says the pistes offer some great skiing, especially higher up. As the weather has turned warmer the lower slopes are softer but still good fun. The off-piste terrain is tracked out and they need more fresh snow to turn it back to powder.
Most of the fresh snow recently has fallen in the southern French Alps. Resorts like Serre Chevalier (105/225cm) received around 30cm of fresh snow over Tuesday night and into Wednesday 17th February. This is enough to transform the pistes and all the backcountry areas too. Light snow continued to fall on Thursday so it should be a good weekend.
Switzerland
After a sunny week in Switzerland the snow was starting to fall in some places on Thursday morning, although at most of our featured resorts it was just cloudy.
St Moritz (80/200cm) received just over 10cm of fresh snow on Thursday morning, 18th February, and the snow is expected to continue on Friday too and this would further improve the conditions. On Thursday the pistes were covered in a layer of soft snow and the off-piste cover was also freshened up by the new snow.
Not all resorts are snowy however. Andermatt (70/220cm) hasn’t received any significant snow since Thursday 11th February. This doesn’t mean conditions are bad though as most of their pistes are in great condition, particularly higher up.
Italy
Some areas of Italy received decent snowfall on Wednesday. More than 20cm of snow fell in some areas, especially in the west of the country towards France.
20cm of snow fell at Bardonecchia (120/180cm) on Wednesday 17th February. This gave a great powder day and the snow continued to fall lightly on Thursday morning. Many other resorts in the Milky Way ski area received snow too. Around 15cm fell at Sauze d’Oulx (100/180cm) over the same time period and the Ski Club rep in the resort said there was some awesome skiing all over. The powder up at the top was knee deep in places.
Cervinia (90/180cm) received 20cm of snow on Wednesday too. It snowed heavily for most of the day, blanketing the resort in a nice dump of powder. Cervinia’s location, above the tree line, meant visibility was very poor but it improved on Thursday when the snow lightened up. The whole area was open on Thursday allowing visitors to enjoy the powder before it gets skied out.
Scotland
Following heavy snowfall earlier this week, Scotland once again has some superb skiing to offer.
Between 20cm and 40cm of fresh snow was reported at the Nevis Range (30/70cm) on Wednesday 17th February. This improved their conditions hugely as it was beginning to get a bit bare, especially on the lowest slopes. On Wednesday the ski patrol at Nevis reported an “epic powder day”. It couldn’t be a better half term gift for the resort.
Over on the other side of Scotland at Glenshee (40/70cm) snow also fell. It wasn’t as much as at Nevis Range but was enough to improve their piste conditions. They have all but two of their lifts open which is brilliant and with sunny weather forecast it should be an excellent weekend.
If you are looking for something to do this weekend, definitely head up to Scotland for skiing as the conditions this season are some of the best they have had in years.
Andorra
All of our featured Andorran resorts received fresh snow on Wednesday 17th February. It only amounted to around 5cm but was enough to give the pistes a great improvement and freshen up areas off piste.
The Ski Club rep at Soldeu (70/110cm) said the fresh snow transformed the upper slopes but it fell as wet snow at the bottom. Some areas in the village are quite slushy and turning brown in places but upper slopes are all in excellent condition.
Norway/Sweden
It was snowing in parts of Norway on Thursday 18th February. Geilo (60/105cm) reported around 5cm of new snow on the ground in time for the lifts open on Thursday. The nice layer of fresh snow on the pistes provided great conditions for some smooth turns. -12°C was the temperature on Thursday so the fresh snow was in great condition.
Swedish resorts have received fresh snow too. Both of our featured resorts received snow on Thursday 18th February. The most fell at Sälen (70cm), where around 5cm was reported over the course of the day. 83 of their 85 lifts have been running all week and should do this weekend too. It is a relatively large ski area by Swedish standards and the snow conditions are excellent, so it couldn’t be much better.
Germany
Feldberg (140/160cm) received a light dusting of snow on Wednesday 17th February, but only a centimetre or two. Generally cold weather is keeping the snow in good condition although some of the lower slopes are now getting a bit soft. Fresh snow is forecast over the weekend which is good news.
Over at Reit im Winkl (50/100cm) it has been sunny for most of the week. On Thursday cloud moved in, which could bring some snow with it on Friday. Although there isn’t a huge amount of skiing available the terrain they do have is quite good, and they also have lots of cross country skiing if you want to try something different.
Bulgaria
The temperature has risen considerably in Bulgaria recently and to above freezing in most of our featured resorts.
Bansko (175/195cm) has some of the best conditions in Bulgaria at the moment, with the deepest average snow base and the coldest weather. Ten of their 14 lifts are open but these lifts serve the majority of the terrain.
Pamporovo (150/200cm) also offers some good skiing, although the lower pistes will have been affected by mild temperatures. 4°C is the temperature at resort level which will have made the lower slopes soft or even slushy.
USA
There has been no significant snow in the USA this week. Colorado received the most snowfall of the country with around 15cm falling between Sunday 14th February and Thursday 18th February.
5cm of fell at Breckenridge (160cm) on Wednesday 17th February and light snow should continue to fall on Thursday and Friday. Following a 30cm dump of snow last weekend, conditions are superb at Breckenridge and powder can be found in many areas both on and off piste.
It snowed lightly up at Timberline (259cm) in Oregon, dropping around 5cm of fresh snow with it. Their base depth is pretty deep too so there is plenty of good skiing off piste. All of their lifts are open, including their cat skiing operation which people can pay extra for. This takes them further up the mountain and to areas where you can’t ski from the lifts.
Over on the east coast it hasn’t snowed for a few days. Sugarbush (46/91cm) received 5cm of snow on Sunday 14th February which helped keep their pistes in good condition and the in-bounds skiing is very good.
Canada
With all the press coverage about the rain at Whistler (301cm) you might expect their skiing is bad. It is in fact the complete opposite, with plenty of fresh powder on the upper slopes and temperatures around -9°C. Over three metres of snow covers the mountain so the off-piste skiing is every bit as good as it is on piste. All the alpine bowls are full of powder, thanks to 86cm of fresh snow since Friday 12th February. Lower down the slopes are a bit hard but still offer great skiing, especially for carving turns.
It snowed a few centimetres at Revelstoke (196cm) on Tuesday 17th February. Their whole mountain is fully open and offering some awesome skiing. The resort never gets very busy so there are still plenty of fresh lines in the upper bowls and in the trees down lower.
The little resort of Blue Mountain (100cm) near Toronto offers some good on-piste skiing. A metre of largely artificial snow lies on the slopes but cold weather means the snow is in good condition. Off-piste skiing is extremely limited due to the terrain and lack of deep snow.
European Weather Outlook
The coming weekend should be a fairly snowy one with a fair amount of fresh snowfall forecast for France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria.
In Italy, Cervinia should receive 50cm of snow by the middle of next week. The snow should be heaviest on Friday 19th and Monday 22nd February and a dry weekend is expected. The next snowstorm should move over after Wednesday 24th February.
In Austria, rain is possible at the lowest slopes. Mild temperatures will bring wetter snow or rain to the villages of resorts like Saalbach, St Wolfgang and Ellmau. Further up, snow is expected to fall though which should make for some fun skiing.
40cm of snow is expected at Voss in Norway by Friday 26th February. Most of the snow is expected to fall next week but Sunday could see heavy snow too. A drop in temperature, down to -17°C at Voss, should be followed by milder weather of around -6°C.
North American Weather Outlook
The recent snowfall in Colorado isn’t expected to stop and if anything it should get even heavier. Aspen is expecting nearly 60cm of fresh snow by Thursday 25th February which should make for some awesome skiing. The temperature is expected to remain between -7°C and -10°C for the week ahead so the fresh snow should be of great quality.
Down in California, another snowstorm is fast approaching. Snow is expected this weekend at Mammoth but the main snow event is expected to be early next week. 34cm of snow is expected on Tuesday night which is great news and with a temperature well below freezing there should be some good powder around.
Wintry weather is still dominant on the east coast. The area can be plagued with warm spells but there isn’t one expected any time soon. Light snow and cold weather is expected over the weekend and then all the way through next week.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Many thanks once again to the SCGB for todays report. |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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| #1207 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 22/02/2010 @ 13:41 |
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Monday 22nd Feb 2010
Summary
Another weekend of heavy snowfall in the Alps leaves many resorts with lots of powder and pistes that are also in excellent condition.
In France between 10cm and 20cm of snow fell on most of the resorts at the end of last week and over the weekend. The Ski Club reps in France report generally good conditions, especially on the upper slopes.
Italy and Austria received the most snow. Bardonecchia in Italy got 40cm of fresh snow on Friday night and many places in Austria saw up to 30cm land on the their slopes.
The skiing in Scotland on Monday was superb with beautiful blue skies and excellent snow cover at all five resorts.
Over in America, the place for powder at the moment is Colorado. Over 90cm of snow has fallen at Aspen since last Tuesday so there is loads of powder all over. Lots of other resorts in Colorado have powder too.
The weather in Whistler has been great recently. Colder and sunnier weather has been dominant for a while allowing all the scheduled alpine skiing events to take place without issue. Many of the lower pistes are hard due to the lack of fresh snow but another storm is on the way this week.
Austria
Another dump of snow fell right across Austria on Saturday. Up to 30cm fell in a few areas but most places received between 10cm and 20cm.
15cm of fresh snow fell at Saalbach (55/95cm) on Saturday 20th February. The fresh snow was fairly heavy at the bottom but further up it was colder and in better condition. With all their 55 lifts running this week and better weather it looks very good for people heading out there.
Obergurgl (52/166cm) didn’t receive as much fresh snow as most places, with around 3cm falling over the course of the day. Their altitude means it was colder up there than at many other locations so the snow is in excellent condition. Some of the upper runs are quite windblown in places so the best conditions can be found around mid mountain.
France
Many areas in France benefited from the snow storm that came in over the weekend. It didn’t drop as much snow as it did further east, in Switzerland and Austria, but up to 15cm fell at most places.
7cm fell at La Plagne (120/185cm) over the course of Saturday 20th February. This was enough to completely refresh the runs and provide a nice layer of powder on top of them. The Ski Club rep in La Plagne reported excellent skiing over the weekend and plenty of tracked powder off piste. The weather has cooled after the warm end to last week so the snow is being well preserved.
On Monday 22nd February a few resorts received a dusting of fresh snow. A further 1cm fell at Le Grand Bornand (125/170cm) on Monday but the sun quickly came out, making for an excellent ski day. The resort is quieter now after the busy half term week last week. All 29 of their lifts are running and with superb snow conditions it’s a great time to be skiing there.
Switzerland
As with the rest of the Alps this weekend, snow fell in Switzerland too.
At St Moritz (80/200cm) around 15cm landed on Saturday 20th February and it was also snowing on Monday 22nd February. This has given an excellent boost to both their on and off-piste skiing as it hasn’t snowed much there recently. The snowy weather should clear away by Tuesday 23rd February so it looks to be an excellent week for skiing there.
Not as much snow fell at Lenzerheide (42/194cm) but it was more than enough to improve the piste skiing. There is plenty of good skiing off piste too, although there isn’t a lot of powder available as most of it is tracked out. The best conditions at Lenzerheide can be found on the upper slopes as milder weather at the end of last week softened up the lower pistes which then re-froze and are quite hard underneath the fresh snow.
Italy
Loads of snow fell in many areas of Italy over the weekend. Parts of the Italian Alps received over half a metre of fresh snow over the course of Saturday and Sunday.
40cm fell on Bardonecchia (150/200cm) on Friday night, 19th February. This made for awesome powder days on Saturday and Sunday. Bardonecchia is part of the massive Milky Way ski area so all of the other resorts in the area, including Sauze d’Oulx (120/180cm) and Sestriere (120/180cm) also received plenty of new snow. The skiing is excellent as a result.
Madonna di Campiglio (100/160cm) received a good dump of snow as well. 38cm of fresh powder was reported on Saturday 20th February and as Saturday is a quiet das on the slopes in Europe, those lucky enough to be skiing there were rewarded with waist deep powder in places.
Scotland
The riding across the five Scottish resorts is currently superb. It can often be the case that it is better on one side of the country than the other, but this week excellent snow conditions are reported on both sides.
As you might expect the deepest snow base is reported at Cairngorm (40/110cm), and the resort has been able to groom slopes down as low as the Ciste car park which is not normally possible. This shows you how good the riding is at the moment.
The fine weather is expected to last through Tuesday and then snowy weather could move in from Wednesday 24th January and this could last until the end of the week. The heaviest snowfall is expected on the east with around 30cm forecast, while about half that should fall in the west.
Andorra
A dusting of fresh snow fell in all our featured Andorran resorts on Sunday 21st February. It was only around 1cm but was enough to add a bit of freshness to the runs.
Arcalis (120/170cm) has the deepest base of the Andorran resorts we feature. Skiing is good both on and off piste so it is probably the pick of the bunch to head for if you are thinking of a last minute holiday to Andorra.
The other Vallnord resort of Pal/Arinsal (80/130cm) also offers some good skiing although their base depth isn’t as deep as at Arcalis. The links between the two resorts are open so there is plenty of skiing on offer.
Norway/Sweden
The temperature has dropped considerably again in Norway, with most resorts hovering around -20°C. The cold weather at Trysil (46/77cm) brought with it a dusting of fresh snow on the morning of Monday 22nd February. Some of the lower pistes are pretty hard however due to the very cold weather but snow cannons are doing their best to keep it all fresh.
Sweden is even colder than Norway at the moment. -24°C was the temperature at Åre (68/79cm) on Monday so there are no issues with soft or slushy snow. Most of the lower pistes are pretty hard but, like with Trysil, snow cannons help to keep them as fresh as possible. A dusting of natural snow fell at Åre on Monday 22nd February.
Germany
A recent dump of fresh snow once again topped up the snow conditions at all our featured German resorts.
The fresh snow at Garmisch (35/210cm) amounted to around 15cm. There was plenty of powder up on the w*nk area of the resort. The best of the snow can be found on the upper half of the mountain as recent mild weather turned the lower pistes slushy. Then it went cold and re-froze them so they are fairly hard at the moment.
Bulgaria
Recent very mild weather in Bulgaria has affected the snow conditions and reduced the base depth in many resorts.
Pamporovo (55/100cm) has lost a fair amount of snow from its slopes but there is still enough left to cover the whole area. The lower slopes are fairly slushy but up top they are good so stick to the upper slopes for the best conditions.
The deepest base depth is at Bansko (175/195cm) still. The snow was affected by the warmer weather but they haven’t reported a drop in the base depth. As with Pamporovo, head to the upper slopes where the lower temperatures have kept the snow in the best condition.
USA
Big dumps of snow have finally arrived in Colorado. It has been snowing loads at all resorts we feature in Colorado which has transformed their skiing and hugely increased the base depth of many resorts.
The most snow seems to have fallen at Aspen (140/214cm) where most recently 28cm of snow fell. Nearly 90cm fell in the second half of last week however so there is plenty of deep powder to be found all over the mountain. Skiing on even the marked runs will feel like off-piste riding due to the amount of fresh snow on top of them. It should be an awesome week as cold and clear weather is forecast for the week ahead.
Another area to receive some snow is California. 20cm fell at Mammoth (230/351cm) on Saturday. The resort is having an excellent season and one of their biggest storms in a while hit the region a couple of weeks ago at the end of January. Snow conditions are superb all over the mountain and as the temperature is around -7°C, the snow should stay in great condition for a while yet.
Canada
Good conditions can be found in Canada, although it hasn’t snowed for around a week in most places. At Red Mountain (186cm) the last snow fell on 16th February. Lower slopes are hard packed now which makes for some great carving turns. Further up there is still some tracked powder to be found as Red Mountain never really gets busy.
Over in Whistler (289cm) the Olympics are still in full swing. The recent dry and settled weather has allowed all the alpine races that have been scheduled up to now to take place at last. The conditions have been ideal too. However there is another storm heading for Whistler which is expected to drop a further 60cm of snow over the course of this week. Fortunately most of the alpine skiing events have taken place now so it shouldn’t cause too much of a problem.
A dusting of snow fell at Tremblant (30/70cm) over in the east on Saturday 20th February. Around 2cm landed on the slopes, refreshing the conditions and giving a smooth layer of powder to ski on. Since then the sun has come out and as the temperature remains low the snow is generally in excellent condition.
European Weather Outlook
Around 30cm of snow is expected in the majority of French resorts this week but it is expected to be fairly warm. At Meribel the temperature will vary between -4°C and 4°C. This is expected to bring heavy rain to the lower slopes up to 2000m on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th February as the freezing level should be around 3100m. This does mean heavy snow above that level though so a powder day at the end of the week should be on the cards.
Further east it shouldn’t get as warm as in France. No rain is expected at the higher Austrian resorts but in places like Ellmau and Kitzbuhel, which are situated below 1000m, rain could fall in the town. The freezing level is expected to rise briefly to 2000m on Friday 26th February before dropping back down again.
The Italian and Swiss Alps are expecting much the same weather, with the colder weather being the further east you go in each country. Most of the snow is expected on the upper slopes of resorts like Bardonecchia in Italy but rain is expected below 2100m.
It’s very cold in Scandinavia and it should remain that way. Heavy snow is expected at most resorts in Norway at the end of this week.
North American Weather Outlook
The recent snowstorms in Colorado are expected to clear away and leave sunny but cold weather behind them. This gives people the opportunity to enjoy the amazing powder the resorts there currently offer. California, Wyoming and Oregon are all expecting drier weather this week.
The eastern coast of America is where the snow is expected this week. A storm with over half a metre of snow in it is expected to hit resorts like Mount Snow between Tuesday 23rd February and Friday 26th February. The snowstorm should bring with it milder temperatures but it should still be cold enough to fall as snow, albeit wet snow, at the bottom. 45cm is expected over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Whistler’s recent run of dry and settled weather looks set to come to an end. 60cm of snow is expected to fall on the resort over the course of this week which is great news for recreational skiers but not such good news for Olympic organisers. Fortunately most of the alpine skiing events have already taken place so it shouldn’t affect them too much. A combination of rain, sleet and snow is expected at village level but anywhere above 900m should see snow falling all the time. There should be some great powder days in Whistler this week.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Thanks to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| Posts: 1545 |
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Forum Mod |
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Gloucestershire |
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| #1208 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 23/02/2010 @ 13:34 |
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have jsut come across this story from Cumbria... 
Ride safe! |
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www.s2as.com
LibTech Neversummer DC Burton Ride Union & more... |
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| Posts: 1048 |
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Mid Glamorgan |
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| #1209 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 23/02/2010 @ 15:23 |
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| In reply to post #1208
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WALES
Good conditions in the Brecon Beacons yesterday.
Light, dry snow with coverage back to the car park.
Snowed most of today so far.
Tomorrow morning should be excellent |
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MIKE RICHARDS
Passing on the Passion for Powder since 2002
CSIA (Canada) Level 2 Ski Instructor
PSIA (United States) Level 2 Ski Instructor
Canadian Avalanche Association Level 1 - Ski Operations |
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| Posts: 6001 |
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Forum Mod |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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| #1210 Re: This week's snow conditions. Posted 26/02/2010 @ 00:34 |
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Thursday 25th Feb 2010
Summary
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.
Austria
No new snow has fallen in Austria since Saturday 20th February in most places. Despite the lack of fresh snow the pistes are generally in very good condition all over, especially high up.
Some great skiing can be found at Lech (85/170cm) where heavy snowfalls on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th February last week left some great powder on the mountain. This snow has all packed down now leaving the upper pistes in excellent conditions. Milder temperatures this week and sunny weather have left the lowest pistes a little slushy but on the whole the conditions are very good.
The pistes at Zell am See (25/110cm) aren’t as good as at Lech. The Ski Club rep in Zell am See says that the mild weather and general low altitude of the resort has taken its toll on the snow conditions. The upper pistes are fairly hard but lower down they are much softer, still offering some fun skiing.
France
Snow fell across most of France earlier this week with some substantial accumulations in some places. Mild weather has been dominant which unfortunately means that rain fell at resort level for many places.
The Ski Club rep in Avoriaz (175/230cm) said there was lots of fresh powder on the upper slopes of the Portes du Soleil area. Many areas were knee deep in fresh snow on the highest slopes. Further down the snow is heavier and even slushy in places. Rain fell down in Morzine (70/210cm) right up to around 1500m so it is worth staying high for the best of the snow.
It was a similar story in Tignes (114/180cm) where the upper slopes received snow and the lower of the Tignes villages received rain. Due to the height of the Espace Killy area it fell mostly as snow, especially above 1800m. The whole area is fully open, including all the links over to Val d’Isere (117/180cm) where conditions are also generally good. The Ski Club rep said the snow up on the Grande Motte glacier was excellent on Wednesday 24th February.
Switzerland
A few Swiss resorts received fresh snow on Wednesday and Thursday but most haven’t had fresh snow since the weekend. This allowed people to enjoy the generally good snow conditions.
The deepest base in Switzerland of our featured resorts is at Engelberg (75/275cm). Nearly three metres of snow lies up on the Titlis Glacier and its surrounding mountains. The resort is known for its off-piste skiing and the conditions off piste are excellent now. The last significant snowfall was on Friday 19th February so it hasn’t snowed for a while but there is plenty of tracked powder to be enjoyed off piste.
The Ski Club rep in Verbier (25/165cm) said they enjoyed some great runs when skiing the upper slopes on Wednesday 24th February. 10cm of snow fell on Tuesday which gave a good layer of powder to ski on. He said it is best to stick to the upper slopes, as always, as milder weather has turned most of the lowest slopes fairly soft and slushy.
Italy
A light covering of fresh snow fell at Passo Tonale (70/430cm) on Tuesday 23rd February. With more than four metres of snow on the highest slopes and glacier there are some fantastic off-piste opportunities. Top to bottom runs can be enjoyed completely off piste, although some of the lowest slopes have thin snow cover. Piste skiing is also excellent with ample cover on all runs.
Excellent snow can also be found at Courmayeur (210/290cm). Nearly three metres of snow lies on the upper slopes, which is an excellent base depth for any time of the year. The upper runs are in the best condition, as lower down the mild weather has turned the snow a little soft and slushy in places. 18 of their 21 lifts are running this week so there is plenty of skiing to be enjoyed.
Following a 40cm dump of snow at Madonna di Campiglio (100/160cm) last weekend, 20th and 21st February, the resort enjoyed several awesome powder days. This snow has been largely packed down now meaning most of the runs are in superb condition. As with Courmayeur, stick to the higher slopes for the best of the snow conditions.
Scotland
Severe wintry weather has delivered heavy snowfalls to all five Scottish resorts on Wednesday and Thursday. All of the resorts were temporarily closed on Thursday and they may not reopen until the weather eases and they can ensure safe access to the slopes.
65cm of new snow was reported in the valley below Cairngorm in the east of Scotland on Thursday morning, 25th January. In the west at Glencoe the fresh snow was reportedly waist deep at the top of the access chair, also on Thursday morning.
The wintry weather is expected to last over the weekend at all five resorts and this could deliver as much as 40cm of new snow, on top of what they have already received so far this week. When the resorts reopen the skiing will be epic!
Andorra
Good snow can be found in the Pyrenean country of Andorra. Its resorts have a decent snow base both up high and down low so there is no need to worry about a lack of snow.
It last snowed at Soldeu (70/110cm) on Monday 22nd February. The Ski Club rep in Soldeu said most of the pistes are in good condition but milder weather was affecting the lower ones. This doesn’t mean they are in bad condition however as they hold some great, grippy snow.
A generally sunny weekend with mild weather is expected and that should continue into next week as well.
Norway/Sweden
Lots of fresh snow has fallen on the west coast of Norway. Most of the resorts haven’t benefited from the storm but Voss (60/90cm) received 25cm on Wednesday, which is their biggest dump of the season so far. There is plenty of good powder skiing on their runs now so get out there and enjoy it before it all gets groomed.
Dustings of snow fell at our featured Swedish resorts recently. Åre (58/78cm) received a light cover of around 1cm on Thursday 25th February, keeping the pistes nice and fresh. All of the area is open and cold weather means the pistes are in great condition.
Sunny and cold weather is forecast in Sweden all this weekend and next week.
Germany
Mild, spring weather has taken over in Germany and is melting some of the snow, particularly low down. Resorts like Feldberg (130/150cm) and Reit im Winkl (25/60cm) still have a good snow base, especially Feldberg. This should enable them to see out the warm weather and still be left with some snow.
The best of the skiing can be found at Garmisch (30/205cm) and Oberstdorf (30/190cm) where there is plenty of skiing up high. At Garmisch it is possible to ski at nearly 3000m and the snow up there is in superb condition.
The warm weather should continue through the weekend then it will cool down a bit next week.
Bulgaria
No significant snowfalls have occurred in Bulgaria for a while now. Milder and drier weather has dominated the area for the past week but the snow is generally still in good condition.
Pamporovo (55/100cm) has some good skiing on soft and slushy slopes lower down. The summit remains just below freezing so the snow up there is better but generally the whole area has soft snow.
Mild and windy weather is expected for most of the week, with the freezing level rising up 3400m at Bansko on Sunday, bringing light rain to the whole mountain.
USA
There has been loads of snow on both sides of America this week. Over on the east coast many resorts received up to 80cm of fresh snow on Wednesday 24th February, which is the biggest dump of their season so far.
76cm was reported to have fallen at Mount Snow (76/122cm) on Wednesday which is the most they have received so far this season. The whole mountain is blanketed in powder, which is up to waist deep, which should make for some incredible skiing on their steep slopes. It is best not to try to ski the easy runs as the snow will just cause you to grind to a halt. Find some of the steeper terrain and enjoy the face shots.
Meanwhile over in California it has also been snowing loads. Mammoth (274/396cm) received 71cm of fresh snow, also on Wednesday. There is plenty of super steep terrain at Mammoth as well so it is perfect to enjoy all the fresh powder. They are having an excellent season and have already received 9 metres of snow so far, and it’s only February.
Canada
The good news is that fresh snow has arrived at many resorts in western Canada. Between 3cm and 13cm has fallen so far on many areas but it should continue, further improving the riding conditions.
The greatest amount of snow fell at Silver Star (144/180cm), which received 13cm of fresh snow on Wednesday 24th February. This is the first significant snowfall in the area since 16th February so it comes as a welcome relief. All of Silver Star’s terrain is open, including the back side of the mountain which houses many steep double black diamond runs. These should be great fun with the new snow.
It’s also been snowing on the east coast of Canada. 15cm of snow fell at Tremblant (30/70cm), also on Wednesday. The hard packed pistes are nicely covered with the fresh snow which should give some fun skiing all over the mountain.
European Weather Outlook
The weather in the French Alps is expected to remain fairly mild. Heavy snow is forecast at Argentiere over the course Friday which could dump around 30cm of snow on the upper slopes. Mild weather is then forecast over the weekend, with a freezing level of up to 2200m.
Over in the east of the Alps, it should be snowy too. Resorts like Davos in Switzerland and Ischgl in Austria are expecting around 30cm of fresh snow by the middle of next week. As with France, Sunday is expected to be a warm day with the freezing level rising to around 2100m in most areas.
Scotland is in the grip of a powerful winter storm on Thursday 25th February. The storm has already dropped around 70cm of fresh snow in some places and it should continue to snow on Thursday night and Friday. The snow and high winds are expected to last until Sunday, before clearing away on Monday. Skiing in Scotland next week could be the best it has been for a long time.
Oppdal in Norway is expecting a big dump of snow next week. 50cm is the predicted total but it should fall towards the end of next week. This will be great for the resort if/when it happens.
North American Weather Outlook
Heavenly in California/Nevada is expecting the most snow in America over the coming seven days. 47cm should fall, with it being heaviest on Friday 26th February and then towards the end of next week. However Monday 1st March could be a very warm day, with freezing levels rising to nearly 3500m.
The snow on the east coast isn’t supposed to let up any time soon either. It should remain snowy until at least Monday, accumulating to nearly 50cm by the time the weather has cleared. This is on top of the 70cm of fresh snow they received on Wednesday 24th February.
It should be snowy in Colorado too, but not as much as the other two areas mentioned. 30cm is expected at Vail by the end of next week which should provide some excellent skiing conditions.
Up in Canada, snow should fall all weekend and next week at Whistler. This could hamper some of the Olympic events but fortunately most of the alpine skiing events are finished now. For recreational skiers it should be an excellent time with the fresh snow.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Many thanks to the SCGB for todays snow report. |
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