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Twice weekly reports from SCGB. (Thread Locked) |
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 #305 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 04/09/2009 @ 19:52 |
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Thursday 3rd September 2009.
Summary
The French summer skiing destinations that we report on have all now closed for the summer ski season. The summer ski season is not yet over in Switzerland but our featured resorts are unfortunately closed on Thursday due to poor weather. You can however ski in Austria and Italy on Thursday.
The New Zealand resorts are in great shape following the new snow that has fallen this week. Fresh snow has also fallen in Australia but not enough to significantly improve the conditions.
Packed piste conditions dominate at our featured Chilean resorts on Thursday, but with a lot of fresh snow forecast this weekend the famed powder conditions could quickly return.
Spring-like skiing conditions are reported in Argentina but this could all change as the temperature is forecast to drop over the weekend and fresh snow should fall.
Austria
Skiing is still only possible at Hintertux (165cm) and on the Mölltal (90cm) glacier.
The glacier at Hintertux has 15km of pistes open on Thursday and the Mölltal glacier has 9km available. Both resorts have similar conditions on offer with the snow being packed first thing in the morning but it quickly softens becoming heavy by midday.
It is forecast to be a weekend of sunny and cloudy weather at both of the open resorts. Rain is expected on Friday which will soften the cover.
France
The summer ski season has ended at our featured French summer skiing destinations.
Les Deux Alpes and Tignes closed their slopes over the weekend and are now looking towards the winter season. Les Deux Alpes is scheduled to open between 24 October and 1 November and then lifts will open for the main winter season from 28 November. Tignes will reopen for skiing from 26 September but at first you will only be able to ski on the Grande Motte.
Val d’Isere opens for the winter season on 28 November.
Switzerland
Unfortunately both of our reported Swiss summer skiing resorts are closed for snowsports on Thursday. Cloudy weather on the glaciers has reduced the visibility and rain could fall on Thursday.
The good news is that brighter weather is forecast this weekend so skiing should again be possible.
Italy
Val Senales (90cm) is the only resort in Italy that we report that is open for snowsports on Thursday. The conditions are not great as it is raining on the glacier ski area on Thursday morning, but the weather is expected to brighten up over the weekend.
The ski area on the Plateau Rosa above Cervinia (100cm) is closed due to the wet and cloudy weather on Thursday, but like at Val Senales the weather should improve for the weekend.
North America
Summer skiing has finished on the Blackcomb glacier at Whistler in Canada. The winter season is due to start on 26 November 2009.
Wet weather on Wednesday night means that the snow is not superb on Thursday on the Palmer Snowfield at Timberline (80cm) in America. The wet weather is expected to last throughout the morning’s ski session on Thursday and then things should brighten up a little for Friday. Unfortunately more wet weather is forecast this weekend.
South America.
Chile
The only Chilean resort reporting any fresh snow so far this week is La Parva (240cm) which received 2cm of new snow on Wednesday. Clouds dominate the skies above the Three Valleys ski area on Thursday so La Parva, El Colorado (143/165cm) and Valle Nevado (138cm) could all receive fresh snow before the weekend.
Portillo (153/218cm) is also expecting new snow to land before the weekend, which would freshen up the deep snow base nicely.
Cloudy skies are forecast at all of our reported Chilean resorts this weekend, which is not great for visibility but if the clouds bring the forecast heavy snows then it is superb for the skiing conditions. Valle Nevado is expecting the heaviest snowfall this weekend with up to 94cm falling.
Argentina
Spring conditions are to be found across Argentina on Thursday. At all resorts the sun is shining and the best conditions are to be found on the upper pistes.
First thing in the morning at Cerro Catedral (5/205cm), Chapelco (10/60cm) and Las Lenas (80/180cm) the pistes are hard packed so it is essential to take care. However by mid morning the snow softens and great conditions can be enjoyed. In the afternoon it is best to stick to the upper piste as lower down the cover becomes wet and slushy.
At Cerro Catedral and Chapelco the lower pistes are suffering due to the shallow piste depths. In some places the cover has become patchy.
On Friday it is forecast to become cloudy and snow is forecast to fall across Argentina over the weekend ahead. Las Lenas has 59cm forecast while Cerro Catedral and Chapelco are expecting at least 18cm.
Australia
Light snowfalls have been seen across Australia since the weekend however these have not made any significant changes to the conditions at each resort.
Spring conditions can be found at most of the resorts on Thursday. Perisher Blue (140cm) has typical spring conditions across the resort. The snow is firm in the morning due to the cold overnight temperatures but this does soften quickly. It is advisable to head to the groomed trails first thing but once the snow has softened the back country is the place to be.
On Thursday the snow patrol at Thredbo (115/147cm) is reporting that good conditions can be found from top to bottom at the resort. The upper mountain has a good cover of dry snow over a firm base. There are also stashes of windblown powder in the back country. Lower down the mountain the cover will be firm packed first thing but as the day progresses the snow will soften.
Mount Baw Baw (5cm) is temporarily closed due to a lack of snow.
Mixed weather is expected over the weekend ahead. It will be predominantly sunny but Ben Lomond (25cm) is expecting light snow across the weekend.
New Zealand
Fresh snow has fallen at all of our reported New Zealand resorts this week, and the sun is shining on Thursday providing excellent visibility to take advantage of the superb conditions.
Mount Olympus (140cm) has received 40cm of new snow since Sunday night, 20cm of which fell on Wednesday, and the riding is superb on Thursday as a result. The resort reports powder conditions across the mountain and some of the best skiing of the season.
30cm of snow landed at Coronet Peak (130cm) on Tuesday and the groomers have been out overnight preparing the slopes for Thursday. The riding on the marked trails on Thursday will be excellent as a result. There are variable conditions off piste with wind blown powder snow, some if which is already skier tracked.
Rainbow (105cm) reports 30cm of new snow landing through Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Powder conditions abound as a result.
Cardona (170cm) had 25cm of snow land on Tuesday which has been moved about by the wind, forming pockets of wind blown powder snow off the trails.
25cm of snow landed at Treble Cone (209cm) on Wednesday providing superb riding for Thursday’s visitors. The Hollywood Bowl is closed in the morning for avalanche control work, but the resort hopes to open this area at some point during the afternoon.
The Remarkables (180cm) reports 15cm of new snow on the mountain on Thursday morning. The pistes are groomed and the snow away from these prepared slopes is windblown, so you can expect some great riding before the weekend.
On the North Island Whakapapa (216cm) received 10cm of new snow on Wednesday and there are pockets of windblown powder snow off piste. Turoa (242cm) also had snow fall on Tuesday but only 5cm landed, which did freshen up the snow cover.
The bright sunny weather on Thursday is forecast to last throughout the weekend on both islands, so this is a great time to be skiing in New Zealand.
© 2009 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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| #306 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 19/09/2009 @ 03:55 |
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Thursday 17th Sept 2009.
Summary
The recent snowfalls across many European resorts have really helped the snow conditions on the summer skiing areas, and the fresh snow is hopefully a good omen for the approaching winter season. Kaprun in Austria is set to open the upper ski slopes following the recent heavy snowfalls, which is great news.
Spring snow conditions continue to dominate in Australia and New Zealand on Thursday, with packed snow cover for the first runs of the day which then softens through the morning as the temperature rises.
The conditions at our reported Chilean resorts are becoming spring-like with hard packed snow at first that softens during the day. The snow bases are holding up really well so the conditions are still excellent.
Spring riding is also reported at our featured Argentinean resorts, although a light dusting of fresh snow is forecast this weekend at Cerro Catedral and Chapelco.
Austria
Following snowfalls earlier in the week Kaprun (49cm) is set to open its upper glacier ski area on Friday 18 September. The Mölltal glacier (100cm) has also reopened now that the winds have died down. There are excellent conditions on the 3km of open pistes following 30cm of new snow. Skiing can also be enjoyed at Hintertux (55cm) which has 9km of piste available on Thursday.
It is forecast to be a sunny weekend across Austria. On Sunday clouds will start to gather and these could bring rain to the open areas.
France
The summer ski season has ended at our featured French summer skiing destinations.
Les Deux Alpes is scheduled to open between 24 October and 1 November and then lifts will open for the main winter season from 28 November.
Tignes will reopen for skiing from 26 September but at first you will only be able to ski on the Grande Motte.
Val d’Isere opens for the winter season on 28 November.
Switzerland
The conditions at Saas Fee (84cm) are excellent thanks to the amount of fresh snow that has fallen this week. The snow base has increased by 25cm since Monday, and 15cm of the new snow landed on Wednesday night. The slopes are unfortunately closed on Thursday as a result as the resort is using this time to prepare the ski area for visitors.
The conditions at Zermatt (80cm) are excellent following 3cm of new snow landing on Tuesday. The weather is a mixture of sun and cloud on Thursday but the visibility is good on the Plateau Rosa ski area.
The weather on Friday is forecast to be predominantly sunny and then some clouds are expected over the weekend.
Italy
A further 2cm of snow landed on the glacier ski area at Val Senales (80cm) on Tuesday, adding to the new snow that fell on Monday and freshening up the piste cover nicely for visitors this week. The weather on Thursday is a mixture of sun and cloud with excellent visibility and the weather this weekend will be similar.
Cervinia is closed for the summer ski season. The resort plans to reopen for weekend skiing from 10 October and then daily from 31 October.
North America
Summer skiing has finished on the Blackcomb glacier at Whistler in Canada. The winter season is due to start on 26 November 2009.
The lifts are scheduled to open again at Timberline in Oregon, America on Saturday 19 September but this will only be for foot passengers. Skiing will not be possible on the Palmer Snowfield until Friday 2 October, when the lifts are expected to open for weekend skiing.
South America
Chile
You can enjoy great riding at our reported Chilean resorts.
El Colorado (120/140cm) in the Three Valleys reports spring snow conditions across the resort. The links between El Colorado, La Parva (200cm) and Valle Nevado (158cm) are open on Thursday.
The weather this weekend is forecast to remain predominantly sunny but the temperature is not expected to significantly increase, which will help to preserve the snow cover.
Argentina
On Thursday spring conditions can be found at all of the Argentinean resorts that the Ski Club reports on.
Las Lenas (90/230cm) continues to have the deepest piste depths of the three resorts. At Cerro Catedral (0/200cm) and Chapelco (0/60cm) it is best to stick to the upper pistes. All three resorts have firm packed pistes in the morning but these soften as the day progresses. Towards late afternoon the pistes become slushy with the lower areas experiencing heavy conditions.
Dustings of snow are expected over the weekend at Cerro Catedral and Chapelco while Las Lenas will have bright sunny weather all weekend.
Australia
Spring conditions continue to dominate the snow cover at the open resorts in Australia.
On Thursday at Mount Buller (42/67cm) the snow patrol is reporting that there is a good cover of softening snow. They also have the Summit, Skyline and Kofflers. Similar conditions can also be found at Mount Hotham (66/77cm) with The Cornice, Sun Run and Big D being groomed overnight.
Perisher Blue (148cm) has now closed the Blue Cow area but there is still good skiing to be had on Perisher. Advanced and intermediate riders should head for Sun Bowl while Pretty Valley and Front Valley are in great shape for beginners.
Mount Baw Baw is still temporarily closed due to a lack of snow. Ben Lomond (20cm) is predicting that it will close for the season on Thursday.
It will be a predominantly sunny week across Australia with only the odd cloudy spell from time to time
New Zealand
Spring conditions dominate at our reported New Zealand resorts and all of the resorts are open on Thursday, except for Mt Lyford which is now closed for the season.
Treble Cone (175cm) is the only resort to report any new snow falling over the last week. 2cm of snow fell on Friday 11 September but as this was only a light dusting it was not enough to significantly alter the conditions. Treble Cone also boasts the most snow on the South Island.
The deepest snow base of our featured New Zealand resorts is reported on the North Island at Turoa (241cm). Whakapapa (207cm) also on the North Island has the second deepest base and the riding at both resorts is great as a result. The most consistent snow conditions can be found on the upper slopes where the snow stays firmly packed for most of the day, while the snow on the lower pistes is softer.
The weather on Thursday is predominantly sunny at our featured New Zealand resorts then heavy clouds are expected on Friday, with a chance of new snow falling. The weekend will then see a mixture of sunny and cloudy spells.
© 2009 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 the latest report. |
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| #307 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 24/09/2009 @ 15:41 |
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Thursday 24th Sept 2009.
Summary
There is still great summer skiing available in Europe, and Tinges in France is scheduled to reopen for snowsports on the Grande Motte glacier on 26 September. The weather is forecast to remain predominantly sunny at the open Austrian resorts this weekend, but further west in France, Italy and Switzerland changeable weather is expected with a chance of rain.
Fresh snow has fallen in Australia and New Zealand this week. This has not had a huge impact on the Australian resorts, but the riding in New Zealand is reported as wintry as a result of the new snow and the drop in temperature. Further snowfalls are forecast this weekend.
Spring snow conditions are reported at all of our featured South American resorts, with fantastic sunny weather overhead at the end of this week. Clouds are expected to build over the weekend and with snow forecast as we head into next week the conditions are expected to improve.
Europe
Austria
It has been a bright and sunny week across Austria and this is forecast to continue into the weekend ahead.
All of the open resorts have good skiing on offer. The pistes are hard packed first thing in the morning due to the low overnight temperatures but they soon soften under the bright and sunny skies. The largest open area is at Hintertux (55cm) which has 15km of pistes available on Thursday.
It is expected to be a bright and sunny weekend across Austria and this will continue into next week.
FranceThe Grande Motte glacier ski area at Tignes (10cm) is scheduled to reopen on Saturday 26 September. The weather this weekend is expected to be changeable with a mixture of sun and cloud and a chance of rain falling.
Les Deux Alpes is scheduled to open between 24 October and 1 November and then lifts will open for the main winter season from 28 November.
Val d’Isere opens for the winter season on 28 November.
Switzerland
The sun is shining at Saas Fee (79cm) and Zermatt (80cm) on Thursday, providing excellent summer riding conditions on the glacier ski areas. The snow is hard and fast at first but it quickly softens as the day heats up. Clouds are expected to move in on Friday bringing some wet weather to these areas for the start of the weekend. The weather is then forecast to brighten up again from Sunday.
Italy
The hot and sunny weather is taking its toll on the snow cover at Val Senales (40cm), with the snow base becoming patchy in places. Cloudy weather is expected over the weekend which could deliver rain, even as high up as the glacier slopes.
Cervinia is closed for the summer ski season. The resort plans to reopen for weekend skiing from 10 October and then daily from 31 October.
North America
Summer skiing has finished on the Blackcomb glacier at Whistler in Canada. The winter season is due to start on 26 November 2009.
Unfortunately the Palmer Snowfield at Timberline in Oregon, America has not been able to reopen for snowsports due to insufficient snow cover. More snow is needed before skiing can resume.
South America
ChileSpring snow conditions are reported at all of the open Chilean resorts we report on.
A light dusting of snow fell at La Parva (170cm) in the Three Valleys on Wednesday but this was not enough to significantly change the conditions. The overall piste state is reported as spring snow, so you can expect firmly packed snow cover early in the morning that softens as the day warms up.
Portillo (129/206) reports the deepest snow base with over two metres of snow on the higher slopes.
Chapa Verde is now closed for the season.
The weather is bright and sunny on Thursday and then some clouds are expected to move in over the weekend with a chance of snow falling on Sunday.
ArgentinaThe conditions at the three Argentinean resorts that the Ski Club reports on continue to have spring conditions on offer. These will remain throughout the weekend ahead as predominantly sunny weather is forecast.
20cm of snow is forecast from Sunday at Las Lenas (90/230cm). This could transform the conditions on the upper pistes but only dustings will be seen at lower levels. Snow is also forecast at Chapelco (0/45cm) and Cerro Catedral (0/110cm) but only dustings are expected which won’t have much of an impact.
AustraliaSince Monday the open resorts in Australia have decreased the amount of skiing that they have on offer. Dustings of snow have fallen during the week but these have not improved the snow conditions.
Following reports of Sydney being covered in orange dust this can also be seen at a couple of the resorts. The brownish tinge can be seen at Perisher Blue (121cm) and Thredbo (121cm). At both resorts the slopes are covered in soft snow and at lower levels the snow cover is patchy so it is best to stay on the upper areas.
Mount Baw Baw, Selwyn Snowfields and Ben Lomond are now closed for the 2009 season.
On Thursday clouds are starting to gather at all of the open resorts. Snow is forecast to fall over the weekend ahead with at least 20cm expected to fall.
New Zealand
Fresh snow is reported at many New Zealand resorts this week and the riding conditions are reported as wintry, rather than spring-like, as a result.
Coronet Peak (105cm), Mount Olympus (120cm), Rainbow (77cm), The Remarkables (130cm) and Turoa (236cm) all received a light dusting of snow landing on Wednesday, freshening up the snow cover.
Rainbow is temporarily closed on Thursday due the inclement weather but the good news is that up to 15cm of new snow is expected to land before the weekend.
Porter Heights (110cm) and Mount Hutt (125m) both report 10cm of new snow across their areas on Thursday, providing excellent riding conditions.
Mount Dobson (142cm) is temporarily closed from Monday 21 September until Friday 25 September. The resort will then be open from this weekend for the first week of the New Zealand school holidays, but this will be weather dependent.
The weather at the end of this week is forecast to remain wintry, with further snowfalls expected at all of our featured New Zealand resorts. Mount Dobson is scheduled to receive the most snow with 31cm expected to land by next Tuesday.
© 2009 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 report.  |
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| #308 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 24/09/2009 @ 15:42 |
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Thursday 24th Sept 2009.
Summary
There is still great summer skiing available in Europe, and Tinges in France is scheduled to reopen for snowsports on the Grande Motte glacier on 26 September. The weather is forecast to remain predominantly sunny at the open Austrian resorts this weekend, but further west in France, Italy and Switzerland changeable weather is expected with a chance of rain.
Fresh snow has fallen in Australia and New Zealand this week. This has not had a huge impact on the Australian resorts, but the riding in New Zealand is reported as wintry as a result of the new snow and the drop in temperature. Further snowfalls are forecast this weekend.
Spring snow conditions are reported at all of our featured South American resorts, with fantastic sunny weather overhead at the end of this week. Clouds are expected to build over the weekend and with snow forecast as we head into next week the conditions are expected to improve.
Europe
Austria
It has been a bright and sunny week across Austria and this is forecast to continue into the weekend ahead.
All of the open resorts have good skiing on offer. The pistes are hard packed first thing in the morning due to the low overnight temperatures but they soon soften under the bright and sunny skies. The largest open area is at Hintertux (55cm) which has 15km of pistes available on Thursday.
It is expected to be a bright and sunny weekend across Austria and this will continue into next week.
France
The Grande Motte glacier ski area at Tignes (10cm) is scheduled to reopen on Saturday 26 September. The weather this weekend is expected to be changeable with a mixture of sun and cloud and a chance of rain falling.
Les Deux Alpes is scheduled to open between 24 October and 1 November and then lifts will open for the main winter season from 28 November.
Val d’Isere opens for the winter season on 28 November.
Switzerland
The sun is shining at Saas Fee (79cm) and Zermatt (80cm) on Thursday, providing excellent summer riding conditions on the glacier ski areas. The snow is hard and fast at first but it quickly softens as the day heats up. Clouds are expected to move in on Friday bringing some wet weather to these areas for the start of the weekend. The weather is then forecast to brighten up again from Sunday.
Italy
The hot and sunny weather is taking its toll on the snow cover at Val Senales (40cm), with the snow base becoming patchy in places. Cloudy weather is expected over the weekend which could deliver rain, even as high up as the glacier slopes.
Cervinia is closed for the summer ski season. The resort plans to reopen for weekend skiing from 10 October and then daily from 31 October.
North America
Summer skiing has finished on the Blackcomb glacier at Whistler in Canada. The winter season is due to start on 26 November 2009.
Unfortunately the Palmer Snowfield at Timberline in Oregon, America has not been able to reopen for snowsports due to insufficient snow cover. More snow is needed before skiing can resume.
South America
Chile
Spring snow conditions are reported at all of the open Chilean resorts we report on.
A light dusting of snow fell at La Parva (170cm) in the Three Valleys on Wednesday but this was not enough to significantly change the conditions. The overall piste state is reported as spring snow, so you can expect firmly packed snow cover early in the morning that softens as the day warms up.
Portillo (129/206) reports the deepest snow base with over two metres of snow on the higher slopes.
Chapa Verde is now closed for the season.
The weather is bright and sunny on Thursday and then some clouds are expected to move in over the weekend with a chance of snow falling on Sunday.
Argentina
The conditions at the three Argentinean resorts that the Ski Club reports on continue to have spring conditions on offer. These will remain throughout the weekend ahead as predominantly sunny weather is forecast.
20cm of snow is forecast from Sunday at Las Lenas (90/230cm). This could transform the conditions on the upper pistes but only dustings will be seen at lower levels. Snow is also forecast at Chapelco (0/45cm) and Cerro Catedral (0/110cm) but only dustings are expected which won’t have much of an impact.
Australia
Since Monday the open resorts in Australia have decreased the amount of skiing that they have on offer. Dustings of snow have fallen during the week but these have not improved the snow conditions.
Following reports of Sydney being covered in orange dust this can also be seen at a couple of the resorts. The brownish tinge can be seen at Perisher Blue (121cm) and Thredbo (121cm). At both resorts the slopes are covered in soft snow and at lower levels the snow cover is patchy so it is best to stay on the upper areas.
Mount Baw Baw, Selwyn Snowfields and Ben Lomond are now closed for the 2009 season.
On Thursday clouds are starting to gather at all of the open resorts. Snow is forecast to fall over the weekend ahead with at least 20cm expected to fall.
New Zealand
Fresh snow is reported at many New Zealand resorts this week and the riding conditions are reported as wintry, rather than spring-like, as a result.
Coronet Peak (105cm), Mount Olympus (120cm), Rainbow (77cm), The Remarkables (130cm) and Turoa (236cm) all received a light dusting of snow landing on Wednesday, freshening up the snow cover.
Rainbow is temporarily closed on Thursday due the inclement weather but the good news is that up to 15cm of new snow is expected to land before the weekend.
Porter Heights (110cm) and Mount Hutt (125m) both report 10cm of new snow across their areas on Thursday, providing excellent riding conditions.
Mount Dobson (142cm) is temporarily closed from Monday 21 September until Friday 25 September. The resort will then be open from this weekend for the first week of the New Zealand school holidays, but this will be weather dependent.
The weather at the end of this week is forecast to remain wintry, with further snowfalls expected at all of our featured New Zealand resorts. Mount Dobson is scheduled to receive the most snow with 31cm expected to land by next Tuesday.
© 2009 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 report. |
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| #309 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 09/10/2009 @ 19:17 |
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Thursday 8th October 2009.
Summary
Changeable weather is forecast at our reported European summer skiing destinations this weekend, but this could deliver new snow to the glaciers. The Italian skiing scene will expand this weekend with Cervinia opening from 10 October until the end of the month for weekend skiing.
Austria
Bright and sunny weather has returned to the Austrian glacial resorts after a week of mixed weather.
Conditions underfoot are unchanged since Monday. The Stubai glacier (10cm) has the largest open area with 22km of pistes available on Thursday. The Mölltal glacier (50cm) is reporting good skiing on the 6km of open pistes. At Hintertux (55cm) and Kaprun (17cm) there are icy spots on the pistes so it is essential to take care.
Changeable weather is forecast over the weekend ahead. Rain is expected to fall across the resorts on Friday but the good news is that snow is forecast at the start of next week.
France
It is only possible to ski and board on the higher pistes of the Grande Motte glacier at Tignes (20cm). There is insufficient snow cover on the lower slopes for snowsports. Changeable weather on Thursday could see rain falling and similar weather is expected over the weekend but the good news is that the precipitation could fall as snow on the glacier.
Les Deux Alpes is scheduled to open between 24 October and 1 November and then lifts will open for the main winter season from 28 November.
Val d’Isere opens for the winter season on 28 November.
Switzerland
Unfortunately our two featured Swiss summer skiing destinations are closed on Thursday due to strong winds affecting lift operations. The wind is expected to ease for Friday then you will be able to enjoy good skiing at both Saas Fee (64cm) and Zermatt (75cm). Saas Fee received 5cm of new snow on Tuesday but this was not enough to dramatically change the conditions.
Cloudy weather is forecast over the weekend and fresh snow could fall on the glaciers.
Italy
It will again be possible get onto the Plateau Rosa glacier for snowsports from Cervinia (75cm) this weekend. The resort will then be open at weekends, with daily opening commencing on 31 October.
Val Senales (30cm) is still open and offers good skiing on the three Grawand pistes.
The weather on Thursday morning is a mixture of sun and cloud and then it could rain later in the day. Similarly changeable weather is forecast over the weekend.
Canada/USA
Summer skiing has finished on the Blackcomb glacier at Whistler in Canada. The winter season is due to start on 26 November 2009.
Unfortunately the Palmer Snowfield at Timberline in Oregon, America has not been able to reopen for snowsports due to insufficient snow cover. More snow is needed before skiing can resume.
Chile
All bar one of our reported Chilean resorts are now closed.
Valle Nevado (138cm) is still open for snowsports and their season has been extended until 18 October thanks to the deep snow base and recent temperatures remaining low. It is forecast to get even colder over the next few days. There are five lifts and six pistes open on Thursday, along with the snowpark. The open pistes are all in the Mirador area. The weather is forecast to be a mixture of sun and cloud at the end of this week and then heavy clouds over the weekend are expected to deliver fresh snow.
Argentina
Cerro Catedral (0/85cm) is scheduled to close on Monday 12 October. On Thursday spring conditions can be found on the upper pistes while on the lower area the cover is limited and patchy in places. It is forecast to be a cloudy weekend at Cerro Catedral with 12cm of snow forecast.
Las Lenas and Chapelco are now closed for the season.
Australia
The winter season has now ended in Australia. All of the Australian resorts that the Ski Club reports on are now closed.
New Zealand
Mount Hutt (138cm) and The Remarkables (125cm) on the South Island are still open for snowsports but this is the last week of skiing at The Remarkables. Their closing date is 11 October while Mount Hutt is scheduled to remain open until 18 October. The groomed pistes are best first thing in the morning while the snow is hard packed but the snow does soften as the day heats up, as you would expect during spring.
On the North Island Turoa (273cm) is in superb shape following 25cm of new snow landing on Tuesday. Packed powder snow exists on the upper slopes whilst the conditions are spring-like on the lower trails, starting the day packed but then softening as the day heats up. The snow cover at Whakapapa (206cm) is also excellent with similar snow conditions to Turoa, although Whakapapa has not reported any new snow since 20cm fell on Monday.
Cloudy weather and cold temperatures are forecast this weekend, and this could deliver further snowfalls.
© 2009 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 report. |
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| #310 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 19/10/2009 @ 19:27 |
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Monday 19th Oct 2009.
Summary
After the huge snowfall in the eastern Alps last week the sky has finally cleared. The Austrian glaciers are reporting fantastic skiing on snow conditions that you would expect more in January than October. Fresh snow has also fallen in France, Switzerland and Italy over the last week.
All of our reported Australian resorts are now closed for snowsports.
Mount Hutt in New Zealand is now closed for the season. The only remaining resorts in New Zealand we report on to be open are Whakapapa and Turoa. Fresh snow on the upper slopes last week was enjoyed under sunny skies over the weekend. The snow is generally very good for this late in the season.
Valle Nevado in Chile closed on 18 October, meaning all of our reported Chilean resorts are now closed for the season.
All of our reported Argentinean resorts are also closed.
Austria
The snowstorm that dumped loads of fresh snow on the Austrian resorts last week has finally gone. Generally clear skies prevail on Monday morning above the glacier resorts we report on. Snow conditions are fantastic thanks to all that fresh snow and cold temperatures.
Hintertux (65/150cm) has received enough snow to virtually triple its base depth since the beginning of last week. 65cm of snow down at the base is very rare for this time of year and puts them in good stead for the rest of the season if the temperature remains low. 14 lifts are running on Monday and the snow is great.
Mölltal (0/150cm) is open today, Monday. The glacier was closed last week due to bad weather. 80cm of fresh snow over the course of last week means the snow is fantastic up there now and sunny weather means you can enjoy it properly.
France
The Grand Motte glacier above Tignes (0/5cm) received a dusting of fresh snow on Saturday and Sunday. Five lifts are reported to be running up on the glacier on Monday despite the shallow snow base. The good news is that more snow is forecast to land on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week so conditions should further improve.
Les Deux Alpes is scheduled to open between 24 October and 1 November and then lifts will open for the main winter season from 28 November.
Val d’Isere opens for the winter season on 28 November.
Light snow is forecast for our French glacier resorts over the coming week, especially mid-week. It will probably fall as rain lower down but the glacier ski slopes should receive snow.
Switzerland
Both Zermatt (0/80cm) and Saas Fee (0/72cm) are open for skiing on Monday. The slope conditions are generally what you’d expect in October but the cold weather keeps the snow in good condition all day. Light snow at the end of last week gives a nice soft layer on top of the hard base.
Sun is forecast for the start of the week but Wednesday and Thursday should see 16cm of snow fall above around 2500m at Saas Fee and Zermatt. This should further improve conditions.
Italy
As with most of Europe at the moment, conditions on the Italian glaciers are also very good. Cervinia (0/80cm) is only open at weekends at present but will open every day from 31 October. The snow up on the Plateau Rosa is fairly good and the bit of fresh snow from last week has helped the conditions.
Val Senales (0/30cm) is also open. Clear blue skies and good snow conditions make for enjoyable skiing on the glacier. During the week it is very quiet up there so there is plenty of space for carving about the pistes.
The weather at the start of this week is expected to be sunny and mild then light snow is forecast as we head towards next weekend at Val Senales and Cervinia.
North America
Summer skiing has finished on the Blackcomb glacier at Whistler in Canada. The winter season is due to start on 26 November 2009.
Timberline in America is still awaiting that illusive snowfall to allow them to open. This weeks weather doesn’t look good though as rain is forecast across most of the mountain at all levels.
Chile
All of the Chilean resorts we report on are now closed for the season. Sunday was the last day of the season at Valle Nevado. They still had over a metre of snow on the lower slopes so the skiing was good right up to the seasons end.
Argentina
The winter season has ended in Argentina. All of the Argentinean resorts that the Ski Club report on are now closed.
Australia
All of the Australian resorts that the Ski Club reports on are now closed.
New Zealand
Mount Hutt closed for the season on Sunday. They enjoyed a fantastic closing weekend with great snow and good weather.
The only two resorts in New Zealand we report on that are still open on are Turoa (264cm) and Whakapapa (205cm). These were both closed at the end of last week due to rain and strong winds but they have both reopened now. Snow fell on the upper slopes which gave a welcome improvement to the conditions. Five lifts are running at Turoa on Monday and Whakapapa has seven working.
No new snow is forecast at Turoa or Whakapapa but sun is expected for most of this week.
Thanks to the SCGB for todays report.
© 2009 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 |
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| #311 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 26/10/2009 @ 17:01 |
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Monday 26th October 2009
Summary
Great skiing can be found on the European glaciers on Monday. The cold weather is coming to an end but it has left the snow in excellent condition, especially across Austria. Lots of glacier resorts have opened more lifts over the weekend so there is plenty of great skiing on offer. Kitzbuhel in Austria recorded their earliest ever opening this weekend. A small area was opened for skiing on Saturday after the exceptional early season snowfalls.
All of our reported Australian resorts are now closed for snowsports.
Turoa and Whakapapa in New Zealand have both reopened following the closure of each resort last week. Their excellent snow depths are providing good skiing on typically spring-like snow.
All of our reported Chilean resorts are now closed for snowsports.
All of our reported Argentinean resorts are also closed.
Timberline in the USA is awaiting heavy snowfalls to reopen the Palmer Snowfields area. This could be their lucky week, as lots of snow is forecast through the week.
Austria
Up on the Hintertux glacier (20/150cm) 18 lifts are running on Monday. The snow is still excellent following the snow in previous weeks so it is a great time to be skiing on the glacier.
The sun is shining on all our Austrian glaciers on Monday and the Stubai glacier (5/100cm) is no exception. Only seven lifts are running on Monday but lots of pistes are open and it is their quiet time of year.
Sunshine is expected over Austria this week and it will be warm.
France
Les Deux Alpes (0/20cm) has opened for this week before the proper start of their winter season. They are expected to stay open until Sunday when they will close until 28 November when the winter season will start. Selected runs on the glacier are open for skiing but it is fairly limited.
The Grande Motte glacier at Tignes (0/5cm) still has limited skiing due to the low snow levels. Five lifts are reported to be running on Monday and the snow is cover is hard packed due to the low temperatures.
No new snow is forecast for France this week but it should become sunny and warm.
Switzerland
Snow conditions on the Swiss glaciers are fairly good thanks to the snow and cold weather of the last few weeks. A few more lifts have opened on the glacier at Zermatt (0/80cm). The snow is typical of autumn at the moment, being quite hard in the morning and then slowly softening up during the day.
Sunshine and warm temperatures are forecast all week on the glaciers.
Italy
20cm of fresh snow fell on the glacier at Cervinia (0/80cm) on Thursday, providing excellent early season powder on Friday. They are only open for skiing on weekends at the moment but are expected to be open daily from this Saturday.
There is also good skiing to be enjoyed at Val Senales (0/30cm). Fresh snow last week and cold temperatures mean the snow is in very good condition for the time of year. Six lifts are open for skiing on Monday so there is good access to the slopes.
As with the rest of Europe this week, the weather is expected to be warm and sunny so should provide pleasant skiing weather.
North America
Summer skiing has finished on the Blackcomb glacier at Whistler in Canada. The winter season is due to start on 26 November 2009.
Timberline in America is still awaiting that illusive snowfall to allow them to open. Good news could be on the way though as heavy snow is forecast for Monday and then light snow throughout the week. This could allow them to finally open their glacier again.
Chile
All of our reported Chilean resorts are closed for the season.
Argentina
The winter season has ended in Argentina. All of the Argentinean resorts that the Ski Club report on are now closed.
Australia
All of the Australian resorts that the Ski Club reports on are now closed.
New Zealand
Following closures last week, Turoa (265cm) and Whakapapa (205cm) reopened over the weekend. Both offer good skiing on spring snow. The depth of the snow is excellent for this late in the season which should ensure skiing on the higher slopes for a while yet.
Monday is expected to be the last day in Whakapapa’s season but Turoa should remain open.
Light snow is expected at Whakapapa and Turoa on Tuesday and Wednesday along with cold temperatures. Night-time temperatures of -10ºC at the top are expected, which should keep the snow in good condition.
© 2009 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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| #312 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 09/11/2009 @ 21:00 |
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Monday 9th November 2009.
Summary
It has been another good weekend for skiing in Europe. More snow and cold weather has done wonders for the open glacier resorts and has brought many others even closer to opening for the winter. Obergurgl in Austria opens this Friday then many more resorts open next week.
The open French glaciers received a good amount of snow over the weekend. Conditions on the Tignes glacier are excellent and it is possible to ski down to Val Claret now.
Switzerland and Italy both have great skiing to offer as well. The Presena glacier at Passo Tonale in Italy has now opened for the winter. Their massive base depth last season meant it didn’t all melt over the summer so they have nearly a metre and a half of snow on the glacier ski area already.
Geilo, Hemsedal and Trysil in Norway all opened over the weekend. Oppdal, Voss and Lillehammer are yet to open but it shouldn’t be too long before they do.
Keystone and Copper Mountain in Colorado, America, both opened this weekend and currently offer top to bottom skiing. Timberline in Oregon received a lot of snow over the weekend which has allowed them to open for the winter season.
Austria
More snow fell at our featured Austrian resorts over the weekend. Many of the glaciers received more than 15cm of snow on Sunday so there is plenty of fantastic skiing to be enjoyed on Monday. The Hintertux glacier (10/170cm) has the most terrain available, with 18 lifts running and more than 60kms of piste available.
Elsewhere resorts like Obergurgl and Obertauern, which are both expected to open within the next ten days, received a good amount of fresh snow. They have also been using the snow cannons in the cold temperatures so the slopes are looking very good for when the resorts open. Obergurgl should be the first of the major Austrian resorts to open, with Friday 13th November their planned season start date.
France
Snow is still falling in the French Pyrenees, at resorts like Cauterets. There is no measured depth for the amount of snow that has fallen yet, but the webcam suggests there is a massive amount of new snow. Cauterets was forecast around a metre over the weekend, and there looks to have been about this much snow fall.
In the French Alps it has also been snowing, but not as much as in the Pyrenees.
Tignes (15/50cm) received fresh snow and the webcams show a good covering right down to base station level. Seven lifts and five pistes are open at Tignes, with one run down to Val Claret. Up on the Grande Motte glacier the snow is superb, with cold temperatures and fresh snow providing great riding conditions.
Switzerland
Zinal (0/60cm) has now opened for weekend skiing. A 60cm base on the upper slopes provides nice early season turns. Six kilometres of pistes are open and it is possible to ski back down to the village at 1650m, which is excellent for early November. They plan to open daily from 14th December.
Elsewhere in Switzerland, the Titlis glacier at Engelberg (0/45cm) has closed for lift maintenance. They are closed until 20th November and then they should open daily for the winter season from 21st November. A break in operations will allow the snow to build up without being skied on, and conditions should be very good for their opening in two weeks time.
Saas Fee (27/124cm) and Zermatt (12/100cm) both received a good dump of fresh snow over the weekend. Up to 15cm fell on both resorts and around 10cm of this fell to base level at Zermatt. It is only possible to ski on the glaciers at each resort at the moment but it is excellent up there thanks to the new snow.
Italy
Another Italian resort opened last weekend. Passo Tonale (40/130cm) opened the Presena glacier for the winter season on Saturday 7th November. Only one lift is running at the start of this week but the weather is quite bad at the moment so take care if you are heading there. Good amounts of fresh snow have fallen recently improving the base depth greatly and there is plenty of good skiing to be enjoyed as result.
The upper slopes at Bormio (0/60cm) have been opened for skiing too. It is possible to ski from 3000m down to around 2000m at the moment. Further snowfall would allow them to open more terrain but only 9cm is forecast until Friday. The good news is that 16cm of snow is expected to land on Saturday.
Scotland
All of the Scottish resorts we report on are yet to open for the season.
Andorra
All of the Andorran resorts we report on are yet to open for the season.
Norway/Sweden
It has been a great weekend for snowsports fans in Norway. Following good pre-season snowfalls Geilo (25/35cm), Hemsedal (35/65cm) and Trysil (20/30cm) have all been able to open for skiers and boarders. There are only a limited number of lifts and pistes open at each resort. Geilo is operating three lifts and pistes, Hemsedal one lift and two pistes while Trysil has two lift and pistes available. Despite this the riding is good due to the existing snow base being topped up by a dusting of fresh snow over the weekend.
Both of our featured Swedish resorts are currently closed for snowsports.
The weather is forecast to be predominantly sunny in Norway and Sweden at the start of this week and then thick clouds should move in for Wednesday, bringing with them the chance of further snowfall.
Germany
Garmisch (0/100cm) is the only open ski area in Germany that we report on this week. There has been a light dusting of snow fall on the glacier, but this was not enough to dramatically change the skiing conditions. The general piste state is packed snow, which is excellent for perfecting your carving turns.
Changeable weather is forecast as out featured German resorts this week, with a chance of fresh snow falling at all of our resorts although this will only be a dusting.
Bulgaria
All of the Bulgarian resorts we report on are yet to open for the season.
USA
Timberline (79cm) has finally received a massive dump of snow, which has allowed them to open for snowsports for the winter season. 71cm of fresh snow fell over the weekend and they have managed to groom some of the snow and open two lifts. As you might expect the conditions have gone from terrible to brilliant with all the fresh snow. Off-piste skiing will be good but stick to the upper slopes for that, where the snow base is deepest.
Last weekend also saw the opening of Copper Mountain (46cm) in Colorado. A manmade snow base ensures good cover on the open runs down to the village level at 2800m. Three lifts are running and four trails are available to ski on.
In the east of America, Sunday River (15/30cm) managed another weekend of skiing but the temperature is very warm which is damaging the snow base considerably. They will need a return to cold weather to be able to make snow again.
Canada
A lot of snow fell in parts of Canada over the weekend, especially at Banff (43cm). More than 35cm of fresh powder blanketed Sunshine Village on Sunday morning, while 15cm fell on both Lake Louise and Mt Norquay. Lake Louise opened for the first time this season on Saturday 7th November and they have three runs open along with some rails in the park open. Sunshine Village is expected to open on Wednesday 11th November, and the snow conditions are excellent.
Sun Peaks (48/65cm) and Mont Saint Anne are opening soon as well, both on Saturday 14th November. This is an earlier than scheduled opening for Sun Peaks thanks to the great pre-season snowfall this year.
European Weather Outlook
Heavy snow is expected across most of the Alps this week, especially in the west. It is expected to be quite warm though with the freezing level staying around 2300m, so this could bring rain to many resorts at base level. Snow will fall possibly to lower levels at night though. Above 2300m the snow cannons will be working and with the fresh natural snow the base depth will build up quickly.
Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland are expecting the most snow in Switzerland. 45cm should fall between now and the coming weekend. Most of this will fall above around 2000m but it will snow down to the resorts’ base level at night. The majority of this snow, 22cm, is expected next Saturday night from the current forecast.
In Austria to the east, it is expected to be a drier week. A maximum of 16cm of new snow is expected at Zurs in the Arlberg region. It should be a cool week but by the time the weekend arrives abnormally warm weather is expected, with the freezing level briefly rising to 3150m on Friday at Zurs.
North American Weather Outlook
Resorts in the state of Colorado in America are looking forward to the 20cm of snow that is forecast at the end of this week. It is expected to be very mild until Friday though then a storm will move through, bringing with it cold weather and around 20cm of snow. Breckenridge and Copper Mountain are expected to benefit from it the most, but all resorts will get some snow.
In the east of America a brief dip to cooler temperatures midweek will be surpassed by a return to warm weather again. No new snow is expected at Sunday River. It could be cold enough in the middle of the week for them to make some snow.
It does look like winter has finally started in the Pacific North West though as Timberline is expecting snow to fall all week. 46cm is expected by the weekend which is great news for their visitors.
Winter is well and truly established in Canada. Whistler is expecting by far the most snow this week of our reported Canadian resorts with 111cm expected to fall by the weekend. Around 30cm is expected each day this week and some of this should fall right down to base level too. Their opening date is only a few weeks away and it is shaping up to be a great start to their Olympic season. Elsewhere in Canada it should also be very snowy, particularly at Revelstoke and Kicking Horse who are expecting 60cm of new snow to fall by the weekend.
© 2009 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....things are looking good. |
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| #313 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 16/11/2009 @ 16:47 |
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Monday 16th November 2009.
Summary
More resorts in Europe and North America opened over the weekend.
Val Thorens in France opened on Saturday 14th November, a week earlier than planned. The resort reports a good snow base and five lifts are running, providing great early season skiing and boarding.
Saturday was the first day of the winter ski season for Obergurgl. They have managed to open 17 lifts, which is excellent for this early in the season. Lovely sunny weather is expected all week and this will provide great skiing conditions.
Davos in Switzerland has opened four lifts on the Jakobshorn with riding possible on one blue run and one black run. Winter walking trails are also available for non-skiers.
Whistler in Canada opened on Saturday 14th November with skiers and boarders able to enjoy excellent Sun Peaks also opened on Saturday with excellent snow conditions.
Lots of snow fell on resorts in Colorado over the weekend. Up to 25cm fell at Loveland and Arapahoe Basin over the course of the weekend giving some excellent skiing on the fresh snow.
Austria
Obergurgl (29/63cm) opened this weekend. There is good snow cover across the resort, which allowed the resort to open 17 lifts. They are expected to keep these lifts open during the week, so there is plenty of skiing available for this early in the season. It is possible to ski in both the Obergurgl and Hochgurgl areas.
Close to Obergurgl, Solden (0/77cm) has opened seven lifts within its winter ski area. Prior to this it was only possible to ski on the glacier, but impressive early season snowfall has allowed them to open. The best conditions are still on the glacier where it is highest but there is now a greater variety of terrain available.
There is 61km of skiing available on the Hintertux glacier (10/170cm) this week. Great snow coverage means you can ski down to the first station, a descent from 3200m to 2100m. The weather on Monday was milder than it has been recently but this isn't an issue at altitude. 16 of their 21 lifts are running and with predominantly sunny weather forecast all week you can enjoy some great skiing with good visibility.
France
Val Thorens (50/80cm) opened on Saturday 14th November, which was a week earlier than planned due to good snow coverage. Five lifts are expected to be open all week and it is possible to ski right down into the village at 2300m.
Our only other featured French resort to currently offer snowsports is Tignes (20/45cm). The skiing is mainly limited to the Grande Motte glacier at the moment but the Double M piste down to Val Claret is open. No new snow is forecast for the whole week and it should be sunny and warm.
Les Deux Alpes was open for the holiday period two weeks ago but they are currently closed until 28th November.
Switzerland
Davos (0/56cm) has opened for snowsports. Four lifts are running on Jakobshorn and two pistes are available to ski on, one blue and one black. All the other areas of Davos are currently closed but will open soon.
Unfortunately Verbier (5/52cm) only offers skiing at weekends during November. They plan to open daily from the end of the month. Over half a metre of snow on the upper slopes provides good cover but stick to the pistes as there will be a lot of rocks elsewhere.
3cm of snow fell at Saas Fee (19/37cm) on Friday. This dusting helped improve conditions on the open runs. Six lifts are open this week and cold temperatures provide generally good skiing. The snowpark is also open, but the quarterpipe and snowcross course aren't available yet.
Italy
The resort of Livigno (5/53cm) managed an early opening on Friday 13th November, providing 3km of alpine skiing and 3km of Nordic skiing. Only two lifts are open and it is only possible to downhill ski on the Polvere slope, but the skiing and riding is quite good. In celebration of this unexpected early opening, the resort is offering free skiing to all visitors and you do not need a lift pass to use the open lifts until 20th November.
At Val Senales (20/50cm) eight lifts were open on Monday and it should stay this way throughout the week. Light snow is possible at the start of this week, which could improve the snow conditions.
The Presena Glacier at Passo Tonale (20/130cm) is open for skiing. Only one lift and two red runs are open for snowsports but it shouldn't be too long until they open more of their winter terrain due to the good snow cover.
Scotland
All of the Scottish resorts we report on are yet to open for the season. 
Andorra
The Grandvalira ski area, which includes Soldeu (0/40cm) and Pas de la Casa (10/10cm), was open for the first time this season over the weekend. There were seven slopes available providing 15km of skiable terrain with access provided on four lifts. The slopes are closed for snowsports from Monday 16th to Friday 20th November, but then open again from 21st to 27th November. The whole area will then be open for the winter season from 28th November.
Norway/Sweden
Oppdal (0/25cm) opened for the winter season on Saturday 14th November although only one lift was open. This lift will only be open for riding at weekends at the moment, as unfortunately more snow is needed to open further terrain.
Lillehammer (5/35cm) opened on Saturday 14th November for the first time this winter season. The resort is only open at weekends until 28th November when daily operations are scheduled to commence.
It is possible to ski on weekdays at Geilo (30/45cm), Hemsedal (37/67cm) and Trysil (10/35cm). Geilo offers excellent riding following 14cm of new snow falling on Saturday, which freshened up the on and off piste snow cover. Hemsedal and Trysil may not have received fresh snow since last Thursday but the riding is still good on the packed snow cover.
In Sweden the only place we report on that is open for snowsports is the Tandådalen area at Sälen (5/10cm). This area opened on 12th November, operating three lifts. There were two black runs and one blue run open on Monday and the amount of open terrain will not dramatically change this week, given the current weather forecast.
Changeable weather this week could deliver more snow to the Scandinavian resorts, although this will only be a light dusting. The exceptions to this rule are Geilo and Hemsedal in Norway which each has 16cm of fresh snow forecast to land before Sunday.
Germany
The only resort in Germany that we feature which is currently open for snowsports is Garmisch (0/105cm). 5cm of fresh snow fell this weekend, which freshened up the slopes for visitors on Monday morning. The temperature about the glacier will remain around freezing during the day this week, which will help to preserve he snow cover. This is good news as there is no new expected this week. The weather will be predominantly sunny although some clouds are expected at times during the first half of the week.
Bulgaria
All of the Bulgarian resorts we report on are yet to open for the season.
Bansko was originally scheduled to open on Sunday 15th November but due to a lack of snow cover this was not possible. With predominantly sunny weather forecast for all or our featured Bulgarian resorts this week, it seems unlikely that Bansko will open anytime soon.
USA
The snowstorm that was forecast for resorts in Colorado arrived on Saturday and dropped plenty of snow on most our featured resorts there.
Arapahoe Basin (46cm) received 20cm of fresh snow on Saturday, which improved the riding conditions. Three lifts are open and they need a deeper snow base to be able to open any more. It is very cold though and should remain that way all week, so the snow that fell should stay in good condition.
Sunday River (15/30cm) is now open daily for skiing. A recent cold snap allowed them to get the snow cannons working once again and produce enough snow to ski on. Unfortunately a return to warm weather is expected this week.
Up in Oregon, lots of snow fell at Timberline (124cm). They received 43cm of powder over the weekend and subsequently have opened another lift, bringing their total to five out of a possible six. You can expect great skiing all over the mountain but particularly at the top where it is coldest.
Canada
Whistler (105cm) opened on Saturday 14th November and it was a brilliant opening weekend. The resort received a metre of fresh snow last week alone, so there was some excellent powder skiing on offer. The alpine base of 105cm is very good for this early in the season and it should get a lot deeper this week with even more snow forecast. Blackcomb Mountain is still closed however so there can be some queues on Whistler Mountain.
Another resort to open this weekend was Sun Peaks (65/76cm). This was one of the earliest openings they have had due to good re-season snowfall. Four lifts were in operation over the weekend and they are expected to remain open through the week as well. Early season hazards, such as rocks and tree stumps, do exist so take care when skiing.
15 lifts are now running in the Banff (55/78cm) area. Nine of the open lifts are at Sunshine Village. The other six are at Lake Louise. Mt Norquay is only open for weekend skiing at the moment but they should open daily from 4th December. As is expected, early season hazards are around so take care to avoid them when skiing.
European Weather Outlook
It is expected to be unseasonably warm across the whole of the Alps this week.
Tignes in France is expecting no snow over the course of the week but instead it is forecast to be sunny and mild. The freezing level isn't expected to drop below around 2700m at all which isn't good news for the snow making process on the lower slopes. It should be nice on the glaciers however, as they will remain below freezing and the clear skies will provide great visibility.
Switzerland and Italy are also expecting mild and sunny weather. The exception to this is Wednesday when up to 8cm of snow could fall on the upper slopes of some resorts. Zermatt is expecting snow on Wednesday night.
Over in Austria, mild and sunny weather will dominate this week too. No snow is expected at any of the Austrian resorts we report on but the clear weather should at least provide great visibility for skiing on the glaciers.
Geilo in Norway should receive 16cm of snow this week, falling mainly on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Warm weather is expected to follow shortly after the snow, which could unfortunately bring rain on Thursday and Friday. Light snow is expected throughout the week for Sälen and Åre in Sweden.
North American Weather Outlook
The US resorts are expecting a dry week, but with a few exceptions to this.
Following the snowstorm that hit resorts in Colorado over the weekend, clear and sunny weather dominates this week. The temperature isn't expected to rise much above freezing though which means the snow should stay in good condition. The high on Tuesday is only expected to be 1ºC and at nights it will be very cold. -24ºC can be expected on Wednesday night at Vail.
The Tahoe resorts on the border of California and Nevada are looking forward to a 30cm dump of snow forecast to land on Friday 20th November. A sharp drop in temperature should accompany this snowstorm. This wintry weather should give them a great boost in snow depth before the resorts open.
Over on the east coast mild weather is expected to dominate. Temperatures of 11ºC are expected at Sunday River in Maine on Wednesday and Thursday, followed by rain on Friday and Saturday. The resort needs more cold weather to be able to keep the snow cannons running.
Up in Canada it just keeps snowing. A massive 184cm of snow is expected on the upper slopes at Whistler this week with most of this falling during the first few days of the week. The resort has only just opened but incredible powder skiing can be expected all week.
Nearly 50cm of snow is expected at Revelstoke and Kicking Horse this week as well. Both resorts are yet to open.
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 report. |
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| #314 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 24/11/2009 @ 12:05 |
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Monday 23 November 2009
Summary
The number if resorts open for snowsports continues to increase on both sides of the Atlantic.
Engelberg in Switzerland opened for the winter season on Saturday 21st November. It is currently only possible to ski on the Titlis Glacier but the snow conditions up there are great.
Åre in Sweden has now reopened for snowsports. Some snow fell over the weekend boosting their conditions and one lift is running in the Duved area.
On the other side of the Atlantic in Canada the snow just keeps on falling at Whistler. The resort has received more than three metres of snow since the beginning of last week.
Vail in America opened for the season on Saturday. Cold weather allows them to run the snow cannons most of the time so there is good skiing available.
Austria
Nine of our featured Austrian resorts are open for snowsports this week. Most of these are glacier resorts that open for skiing over the summer but Obergurgl (26/43cm) and Obertauern (25/45cm), which do not open for skiing over the summer, are open too. Good skiing is offered at all of the open resorts but cover on the lower slopes is a little thin due to the recent mild weather.
17 lifts are running at Obergurgl which is excellent for the time of year. Only five are running at Obertauern but there is a good variety of terrain on offer.
62km of pistes are available at Hintertux (0/170cm) currently. A light dusting of snow at the end of last week helped keep conditions fresh and as a result the skiing is still very good. A temperature of -3°C on the glacier means the snow is in great condition. It is possible to ski down to 2100m so there is a good amount of skiing available.
France
Light snow fell at some of the higher French resorts this weekend. Tignes (15/50cm) and Val Thorens (35/65cm) received a few centimetres of snow on Sunday night, which helped to improve their open pistes. You can ski back down to Val Claret at Tignes using the Double M pistes. Tignes has nine lifts open while Val Thorens has only five lifts available.
Other French resorts that are scheduled to open next weekend include Val d’Isere, Les Deux Alpes and Serre Chevalier. Tignes should also be able to open more of its winter ski area this coming weekend too.
Switzerland
Following three weeks of maintenance on restaurants and cable cars, Engelberg (0/45cm) has now opened for the winter season. The skiing is limited to the Titlis Glacier at the moment and three lifts are running up there, four including the main cable car from the village.
It is also possible to ski in the Davos (0/46cm) area this week. Two lifts opened on the Parsenn Mountain over the weekend but they are closed during the week. This area will reopen for the winter season daily on 27th November. The lifts on the Jakobshorn are open every day.
Weekend operations at Verbier (0/30cm) still provide some fun skiing. Mild weather recently has reduced the snow cover but the snow cannons have been running overnight. Verbier should have its official season opening on Saturday 5th December.
Italy
Following the brief opening of one lift on the non-glacier ski area at Passo Tonale (0/130cm), that lift has now been closed. It is only possible to ski up on the Presena Glacier where two lifts are running this week. However, great sunny weather and good snow make for enjoyable skiing, even if the ski area is a little limited.
Another lift opened at Cervinia (0/60cm) over the weekend. The resort now has four lifts running on the Plateau Rosa glacier. It hasn’t snowed for a while so the pistes are quite hard at the moment.
The same can be said for Val Senales (20/50cm) where the 50cm of snow at the top is generally very hard packed. This could soften up in the afternoon however with sunshine and milder temperatures expected for most of this week. Eight lifts are running, giving access to a range of different pistes.
Andorra
The Grandvalira ski area, which includes Soldeu (0/20cm) and Pas de la Casa (0/30cm), was open over the weekend of 14th/15th November. The area was then scheduled to open daily from 21st November on a limited number of slopes and then the full winter area would open from 28th November. Mild weather recently has caused the snow depths to reduce considerably and it now looks unlikely that the area will open again before 28th November. If the temperature does not drop to allow snowmaking or if no natural snow falls it may not be possible to open the slopes until after this date.
Arcalis (0/40cm) and Pal/Arinsal (0/20cm) are also not scheduled to open for the winter season until 28th November but again this will be dependent on the snow conditions.
The good news for the Andorran resorts is that the temperature is forecast to drop to around freezing at 1500m by Friday, but there are no significant snowfalls expected. Fingers crossed that it does get cold and the resorts can make some snow.
Norway/Sweden
Hemsedal (61/78cm) reports the deepest snow base of our reported Norwegian resorts. They reported 13cm of fresh snow on the ground on Monday morning, which is great news for visitors this week and more snow is forecast.
Geilo (30/45cm) has the second deepest snow base, closely followed by Trysil (25/35cm) and Oppdal (25/35cm), although Oppdal is currently closed for snowsports during the week.
In Sweden it is now possible to ski at Åre (10cm). 10cm of new snow fell on Sunday, which has really improved the snow conditions, although more snow would be gratefully received. There is only one lift open at the start of this week providing access to two slopes in the Duved area.
At Sälen (3cm) it is possible to ski in the Lindvallen and Tandådalen areas this week. There are four lifts and three slopes open at Lindvallen and three lifts and two slopes available at Tandådalen.
The good news is that more snow is expected to fall at our featured Scandinavian resorts this week. The heaviest snowfalls are expected at Geilo, Hemsedal, Oppdal and Voss in Norway along with Åre in Sweden, where 10 to 20cm of new snow is forecast to fall by Sunday.
Germany
Garmisch (0/105cm) offers eight pistes on the Zugspitze glacier ski area, providing great riding thanks to the deep snow base and well groomed ski slopes. Changeable weather is forecast this week which could deliver a light dusting of fresh snow, but this will not be enough to dramatically change the conditions.
All of our other featured German resorts are currently closed for snowsports.
USA
Fresh snow has been falling in Colorado and the temperature has dropped considerably. Up to around 10cm of snow fell on some resorts over the weekend. Vail (46cm) has now opened for the winter season. Three lifts were opened on Friday giving access to three open runs. Light snow fell over the weekend which gave a nice fresh layer of snow to ski on the runs. It is cold at the moment however with daytime temperatures of around -10°C.
Park City (61cm) in Utah also opened this weekend. Two lifts were opened on Saturday with several runs accessible from each lift. As with everywhere at the moment it’s best to stick to the trails as snow cover away from the groomed runs is fairly thin.
Unfortunately it is still very warm on the east coast. The only resorts to have offered skiing so far this season are Killington (20cm) and Sunday River (15/30cm). There is currently not enough snow for them to be able to offer daily skiing, which is why they are limiting it to the weekend. As soon as the temperature drops the snow cannons will be fired up again and this should hopefully allow them to open runs during the week.
Canada
A lot of snow has fallen on almost all of our featured resorts in Western Canada recently. Pacific storms moved over bringing more than three metres of snow in a week.
The most snow fell on Whistler (235cm) where they have recorded the snowiest November in history. To date 523cm of snow has fallen since 1st November and with more snow forecast this total is likely to rise further. The snowstorm has slowed down now but it is still snowing and is expected to do so for most of the week.
Sun Peaks (73/98cm) has also been receiving lots of snow, but nothing like as much as Whistler. 56cm of snow has fallen since Monday of last week which has allowed the resort to open all but two lifts. 66 of 122 trails are open for skiing so there is plenty of variety.
European Weather Outlook
The French Alps are expecting a small snowstorm on Monday night which could bring between 10 and 15cm of snow to the slopes above 2000m. Unfortunately heights below that are likely to see rain fall. The good news is that it shouldn’t be as hot as it was last week. The freezing level should hover around 2200m for most of this week in France.
Light snow is also expected in most of Austria, although not as much snow will fall here as in France. Zurs is expecting the most snow in Austria, with 11cm expected to fall by next weekend. It should be generally colder that it has been recently but Wednesday will see a brief warm spell before getting cold again on Thursday. Friday should see 7cm of fresh snow even at low levels in the Arlberg area. The rest of Austria is expecting much the same weather, with slightly less snow.
20cm of snow is expected at Verbier in Switzerland this week. Around 10cm of this should fall on Monday night into Tuesday morning as far down as 2100m. Unfortunately heavy rain will fall in the village.
Up in Scandinavia snow is also expected. Geilo in Norway should receive around 21cm of snow this week on the upper slopes. Rain could fall on the lower slopes on Tuesday but then it should turn colder bringing more snow. Light snow is also expected all week in Åre, amounting to around 13cm by Saturday.
North American Weather Outlook
Generally dry weather is expected across the whole of the USA this week. Light snow could fall on most of our featured resorts in Colorado later in the week. It should stay cold through the week in Colorado, allowing resorts to make snow most of the time, especially overnight.
Up in Oregon it is expected to get hotter this week. Temperatures of 6°C at the bottom and 2°C at the top are likely during the day. It should still be below freezing at night though, which will allow the snow cannons to operate, helping to keep the snow in good condition. 10cm of snow and a sharp drop in temperature is then expected on Thursday night.
Warm weather is also expected for Alta and Snowbird in Utah. The middle of the week is when it will be the warmest but night time temperatures will still be cold, perhaps down to around -16°C at the beginning of the week. Light snowfall and cold weather should then return next weekend.
Unfortunately the mild weather looks set to stay for the whole of this week on the east coast. 10°C can be expected at base level at Attitash Bear Peak with rain on Friday and Saturday. Even at the summit 8°C is expected.
Western Canada should see some milder weather on Wednesday and Thursday with temperatures possibly creeping above freezing at base level. This isn’t really warm enough to cause much damage to the snow but might make it a bit soft around the villages. Despite the warm weather Whistler is still expecting a further 71cm of snow to fall at the top at an altitude of 2284m. The brief warm spell on Wednesday and Thursday could deliver rain to mid mountain level but the snow depth is excellent so it shouldn’t affect the snow cover too much.
© 2009 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
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| #315 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 27/11/2009 @ 16:42 |
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Thursday 26 November 2009
Summary
As many resorts open this weekend in both Europe and North America, many are also postponing their opening dates.
The Espace Killy area, including Val d’Isere and Tignes, in France opens for the winter season on Saturday 28th November. New snow fell on the area this week so there should be some great skiing available over the weekend.
Arosa in Switzerland is one of a few Swiss resorts to postpone its opening date. They were scheduled to open on Saturday 28th but a lack of snow has forced them to move their opening back to Saturday 5th December. Lots of snow is forecast for Sunday 29th and Monday 30th November so they should be able to make the new opening date.
St Anton, Lech and Zurs in Austria have also postponed their opening, which was supposed to be this weekend. Lech and Zurs have planned a new date for 5th December, while St Anton will open when the snow conditions permit.
Canada has excellent conditions at the moment prompting Fernie and Kicking Horse to announce early opening dates. Fernie will be open for skiing this weekend, 27th and 28th November while Kicking Horse will be open on 5th December. There is excellent snow at all of the open resorts on the west coast.
There is lots of snow and cold weather on the way to eastern American resorts next week. This could allow all of the resorts we feature there to open on 5th December, instead of this weekend as had been planned for most of the resorts.
Austria
Light snow fell in many areas of Austria this week, particularly on Monday and Tuesday.
Obergurgl (18/47cm) received around 5cm of snow on Tuesday night which improved the open runs. At lower altitudes the snow cover is fairly thin but above about 2100m there is plenty of good skiing available.
The deepest base depth in Austria at the moment is on the Hintertux glacier (0/170cm). 6cm of fresh snow fell on Tuesday and there is a good amount of terrain available to enjoy the fresh snow. You can ski from 3250m down to 2100m this week, but there is not enough snow to ski right down to the base of the ski area.
Lech, Zurs and St Anton were all scheduled to open this weekend but due to a lack of snow they have had to postpone this date. Lech and Zurs have set a revised opening date for Friday 4th December and St Anton plan to open when they have enough snow, but a date has not been set for their opening.
France
More snow fell on many of our featured French resorts on Monday night.
Around 20cm of fresh snow fell on the Espace Killy at Val d’Isere (20/70cm) and Tignes (20/60cm), which greatly boosted the snow conditions on the open slopes at Tignes. Val d’Isere isn’t yet open but they will open on Saturday 28th November.
Val Thorens (40/70cm) in the Three Valleys also received fresh snow. The area didn’t receive as much as the Espace Killy resorts with around 10cm falling. Seven lifts have been running this week and more could open over the weekend. The rest of the Three Valleys resorts are closed until 5th December.
Les Deux Alpes (0/50cm) is scheduled to open this weekend. The snow coverage in the town is minimal but on the upper slopes and the glacier it is good. Light snow at the beginning of this week helped to freshen up the pistes so there should be good skiing available for opening day.
Switzerland
As with resorts in some other European countries, a number of Swiss resorts have had to postpone their opening dates due to the current weather situation. Arosa is one of these. They had planned on opening on Saturday but unfortunately the lack of snow has prompted them to move this date back to Saturday 5th December. This date could change, but heavy snow is forecast for the beginning of this coming week which is good news for the resort.
Saas Fee (18/64cm) is currently open. Five lifts are running up on the Allalinhorn mountain. Fresh snow earlier in the week still provides some great ski conditions and with loads of snow forecast for Sunday and Monday, things could greatly improve.
Flims/Laax (0/90cm) is open for skiing this week. Six lifts are operating on the Crap Sogn Goin area of the mountain. 15cm of fresh snow on Tuesday provided nice powder skiing and as a result the slopes are in great condition for the weekend.
Italy
Alagna (0/10cm) was scheduled to open on Friday 27th November however they have had to push this back to Saturday 5th December due to the mild weather and lack of snow.
La Thuile (0/25cm) has also had to postpone its opening date, which was planned for Saturday 28th November.
There is still some good skiing available in Italy however. Cortina (0/35cm) is open, with four lifts to ski from. They haven’t received any fresh snow in a while but the snow they have is being well maintained and the resort is able to operate snow cannons too.
It is also possible to ski at Livigno (2/48cm). One lift is open on the upper slopes so the skiing is fairly limited. Like Cortina, the snow is being maintained by an excellent snow cannon system so you can expect good skiing conditions.
Scotland
Cairngorm may well open the Ciste and Ptarmigan tows this weekend if the winds are not too strong.
Andorra
The ski areas of Grandvalira and Vallnord that we report on in Andorra are still closed for snowsports. They were both scheduled to open for the winter season on 28th November but the recent mild weather has forced them to push the opening back to 5th December. The weather is expected to get colder and snow a good amount of snow is forecast to fall over the next week, so the conditions look as though they could be pretty good when the areas open for the full winter season.
Norway/Sweden
Fresh snow has fallen at all of our featured open Scandinavian resorts since last Saturday.
Hemsedal (65/97cm) in Norway reports the deepest snow base of these resorts, and 5cm of new snow was reported on Thursday morning which brought their total to 38cm of new snow since last week. The skiing is really good and cold temperatures this weekend will help to maintain the snow.
Geilo (30/45cm), also in Norway, has received 15cm of new snow over the last week with 5cm of this landing on Wednesday.
In Sweden, Åre (10cm) and Sälen (10cm) do not have the deep snow bases of the Norwegian resorts but it is still possible to ski and fresh snow has fallen this week. Sälen had 10cm of snow fall on Wednesday and Åre received 5cm on Monday.
Germany
Good skiing is available on the Zugspitze glacier ski area at Garmisch (0/105cm). The number of open pistes has increased by two since Monday, and ten slopes are available at the end of this week. The skiing is good due to the amount of open terrain and the quality of the snow.
Our other featured German resorts are yet to open for snowsports.
USA
Alta (61cm) in Utah opened for the winter season on Wednesday. The Sunnyside and Collins lifts are running this week and it is possible to ski on nine open trails. They don’t have the powder they are famed for at the moment but the piste skiing is good.
Jackson Hole (30/66cm) in Wyoming is scheduled to open this weekend. The resort plans to get its lifts running on Saturday. Snow cover is fairly sparse but the trails have good snow cover thanks to a great snow making system.
Light snow fell on all our featured resorts in Colorado this week. Breckenridge (53cm) now has 11 lifts open, five of which opened on Wednesday. Light snow on Tuesday topped up the runs with a nice layer of fresh snow and the pistes are in great condition as a result. It should be a good weekend.
It isn’t such a good story on the east coast. All our featured resorts have had to postpone their planned opening dates due to warm weather and a lack of snow. Attitash Bear Peak has set a date of Friday 4th December for its opening. Most of the other eastern resorts we feature have also moved their opening date to that weekend too. The good news is that colder weather is forecast for next week and a storm bringing heavy snow could hit the area.
Canada
The snow situation in Canada is split into two clear halves at the moment. There are excellent snow conditions in the west with many resorts opening early, but over on the east coast Tremblant and Mont Sainte Anne have postponed their opening to Saturday 5th December.
Kicking Horse in British Columbia recently announced that it would be opening early. They plan to open for the weekend of 4th to 6th December as a result of the excellent early season snowfall. They currently report a base depth at the summit of 160cm. Fernie also plan on opening soon, earlier than first planned. It should be possible to ski this coming weekend, 28th and 29th November. The conditions at both resorts should be excellent when they open, and more snow is forecast. Silver Star (74/101cm) is also opening this Saturday, 28th November.
Whistler (201cm) is currently experiencing some slightly warmer weather. This will help to consolidate their snowpack, following the recent record breaking snowfall. Blackcomb Mountain opened on the morning of Thursday 26th November, with eight lifts available including the famous Peak 2 Peak gondola. A total of 13 lifts will be running in the whole Whistler Blackcomb area at the end of this week.
European Weather Outlook
A big snowstorm is heading for the western Alps at the end of this weekend. France and Switzerland look set to receive the most snow.
Alpe d’Huez in France should see 68cm of snow fall by Tuesday 1st December. It will be heaviest on Sunday and Monday when 52cm is expected for those days alone. The snowfall will be followed with a sharp drop in the temperature as well. While the snow is falling the freezing level will be between 1800m and 2000m, allowing snow to fall down to around 1500m in most areas. Come Tuesday the freezing level will be way down at around 600m so it will be very cold in the mountains. Expect -23°C at the top of the glacier at Tignes, at an altitude of 3456m.
Switzerland is expecting the same snowstorm to hit. Zermatt should receive around 55cm of fresh snow on the upper slopes. Then the sharp drop in temperature is expected for Tuesday, when it could be -26°C at the highest point in Zermatt.
Western Austria will be the snowiest part of Austria this weekend and at the start of next week. Between 25cm and 30cm of snow should fall in the Arlberg region, which will be greatly welcomed by the locals as they have delayed their original opening dates due to a lack of snow. Colder weather should move in from Tuesday onwards, helping to keep the snow in great condition.
Colder weather should also move into Scandinavia. Until now it has been snowy but fairly mild, with rain falling at resort level for some places. However from Sunday onwards it should get a lot colder. The expected high at the base of Hemsedal in Norway on Sunday is -9°C. This will allow them to get the snow cannons running once again.
North American Weather Outlook
There is finally some good news for the east coast of Canada and America. The recent mild and wet weather has forced most resorts to postpone their opening dates due to the lack of snow. However a welcome start to winter is expected from Friday 27th onwards. 34cm of snow is expected at Smugglers’ Notch with the temperatures forecast to drop as low as -12°C before next Tuesday. All the other resorts in the east of America and Canada are expecting the same fortunes. This should allow them to achieve their revised opening dates.
Colorado should be cold and sunny for at least the next five days. Snow showers are expected at Vail on Saturday but this won’t amount to much. Cold weather should allow them to keep their snow cannons running however which will keep the pistes in good condition.
10cm of snow is expected to fall at Heavenly on the California/Nevada border on Friday night. This should provide some fun skiing on Saturday. From Sunday onwards it is expected to turn warmer, with the freezing level rising to around 3600m.
Western Canada is expecting colder weather next week. Daytime temperatures of around -15°C are expected at most resorts. It should also be consistently snowy over the weekend and into next week, keeping the snow in excellent condition. 40cm of snow should fall on the Skeena heli ski area in northern BC but they aren’t yet open for visitors. Big White is also expecting light snow every day, amounting to around 20cm by Tuesday and getting gradually colder.
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| #316 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 30/11/2009 @ 15:33 |
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Monday 30 November 2009
Summary
The Espace Killy area in France, which includes Val d’Isere and Tignes, opened for the winter season this weekend. They enjoyed great snow conditions and with more snow falling this week the area is off to a great start to the season.
A big snowstorm over the Alps at the moment has dropped up to 50cm of snow in some places. Cervinia in Italy, Arosa in Switzerland and Les Deux Alpes in France all received around half a metre of fresh snow over the weekend. Of these three resorts it is only possible to ski at Cervinia and Les Deux Alpes this week and it should be fantastic with the fresh powder.
10cm of fresh snow fell on Trysil in Norway over the weekend. Conditions in Scandinavia are generally good, although the best riding can be found in Norway at the moment. It also snowed in Finland, with both Levi and Ruka receiving fresh snow over the weekend, helping keep the slopes in good condition.
Canada has some excellent skiing available. Silver Star opened on Saturday and it was a great opening weekend. Fresh snow and cold weather mean the pistes across the whole of British Columbia and Alberta are excellent.
Snow fell on the east coast of America over the weekend. 20cm of new snow was reported at Sunday River, and they were able to open two lifts over the weekend. These should be able to stay open during the week, with snow cannons keeping the snow in good condition.
Austria
It was snowing in Austria over the weekend and this continued into Monday.
Resorts in the west of the country have received the most snow, particularly Solden (0/100cm) where 20cm of fresh snow fell on the Rettenbach glacier on Sunday and into Monday morning. This greatly helped to improve the pistes at Solden as they were quite hard and icy prior to this snowfall. Unfortunately high winds forced the closure of all lifts on Monday. If the lifts are able to open on Tuesday morning the riding should be superb as more snow is expected to land before then.
The Stubai Glacier at Neustift (10/110cm) was also closed on Monday due to high winds. Light snow was reportedly falling on Monday morning on the glacier but not as much as at Solden.
Hintertux (0/170cm) was also affected by strong winds on Monday morning. Only six lifts were able to run but things were made better by light snow falling, although this did reduce the visibility
France
Heavy snowfall was reported at most of our featured alpine French resorts on Monday morning. Many resorts received up to 20cm at resort level and more on the upper slopes.
It was a great opening weekend for the Espace Killy resorts of Tignes (20/70cm) and Val d’Isere (20/60cm). 36 lifts opened up in the whole area, although Tignes had the more lifts open that Val d’Isere. 15cm of fresh snow on Sunday made for some good skiing and more snowfall this week should ensure it remains that way. Visibility is poor due to the snowfall, so take care when out skiing.
Two more lifts opened at Val Thorens (40/70cm) over the weekend. Eight lifts were open on Monday morning in the immediate Val Thorens area but none of the links over to Meribel are open yet. Meribel and Courchevel are expected to open on Saturday 5th December, and it looks like the conditions will be great for the start of their season.
Another resort to open over the weekend was Les Deux Alpes (25/60cm). They received 20cm of fresh snow this weekend and more snow was falling on Monday morning. Only one lift as open in the area however, due to heavy snowfall and high winds affecting the region. When the weather clears it should be great.
Switzerland
As with the rest of the Alps, lots of snow was falling at many of our featured Swiss resorts on Monday morning. High winds accompanied the snow, forcing lift closures too.
Saas Fee (25/69cm) closed all its lifts on Monday due to the poor weather. The good news is that it was snowing heavily on Monday morning and 21cm of fresh snow was measured on the pistes. More snow is expected during the week so when the lifts reopen it should be excellent.
Crans Montana (20/80cm) opened on Saturday. One lift was opened on the glacier but this is closed during the week. They should start daily skiing with more lifts running on Saturday 5th December and then have the full area open by Saturday 19th December.
The most snow so far has fallen at Andermatt (40/130cm). Their base depth nearly doubled over the weekend due to more than 50cm of new snow landing. Unfortunately they were closed for snowsports on Monday due to further snowfall but when they reopen there should be some excellent skiing on offer.
Italy
Loads of fresh snow has fallen across most of Italy. Many resorts received over half a metre of snow on Sunday and most are expecting a lot more to fall during the first few days of this week.
40cm fell on the upper slopes at Cervinia (30/100cm). The accompanying high winds meant that only two lifts were able to run on Monday morning and it was only possible to ski using the Baby la Vieille drag lift, the other lift being the Breuil Plan Maison cable car to get you up to the glacier. A further 36cm of snow is expected to fall at the start of this week before a few days of sunshine. There should be excellent skiing once this storm has passed.
Passo Tonale (10/130cm) also received 40cm of fresh snow on Sunday. The Presena Glacier is where the most snow fell but there has been snow down to resort level as well. Only two lifts could operate on Monday due to the adverse weather but those who braved the snow were rewarded with some fantastic powder to ski.
Scotland
Cairngorm (10/15cm) opened for the first time this season on Saturday 28th November. Snow and cold weather last week allowed them to open two drag lifts over the weekend. These were the Ptarmigan Tow and the Ciste Tow. The fences to hold the snow in place did a great job and gave decent cover on the opened runs. It was a great first weekend for skiing in Scotland.
All other Scottish resorts are yet to open for the season.
Andorra
All our featured Andorran resorts are closed for snowsports this week. An opening for Arcalis (10/40cm) and Arinsal (10/25cm) was planned for Saturday 28th November but warm weather melted most of their snow so they had to postpone it to Saturday 5th December.
The good news is that 10cm of snow fell on Monday at all four resorts and it should snow more on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
Norway/Sweden
More snow has fallen over the weekend and into Monday at many of our featured Scandinavian resorts.
Trysil (30cm) reported the most snow falling in Norway on Monday morning, with 10cm covering the area. Lillehammer (5/37cm) is now open on weekdays, which is great news for skiers in Norway.
Sälen in Sweden (7/15cm) reported the greatest amount of fresh snow falling in Scandinavia on Monday. 15cm of new snow was measured at the Lindvallen area in the morning, which provided good riding from the seven open lifts and pistes across the Lindvallen and Tandådalen areas.
More wintry weather is expected at our featured Norwegian and Swedish resorts this week, with the greatest amount of snow expected in Norway.
Germany
The weather on Monday was not great at the German resort of Garmisch (0/110cm). Thick clouds brought rain to the area. The good news is that the precipitation fell as snow on the higher slopes up on the Zugspitze glacier ski area. The snow is forecast to continue falling into Tuesday then the skies should clear for Wednesday. The skiing should be great then with good visibility allowing visitors to take advantage of the fresh snow.
Our other featured German resorts are yet to open for snowsports.
Bulgaria
All of the Bulgarian resorts we report on are yet to open for the season.
USA
In contrast to the last four weeks, the most snow recently has fallen on the east coast of America. Sunday River (15/30cm) managed to open some lifts on Sunday due to the fresh snow. Two were running and the fresh snow provided some fun skiing. More snow and cold weather is expected this week so they might be able to get their season properly underway.
Timberline (163cm) also received fresh snow. 20cm of powder snow fell on Saturday, giving some great skiing. Their deep base depth for this time of year ensures that they should not have to close even if it does get milder, which it is forecast to this week.
It is currently quite cold in Colorado. This allows the resorts to run their snow cannons a lot to keep the snow in good condition. Vail (46cm) had six lifts running this weekend and it should stay that way over the week. It could be fairly cold at the end of the week, with -18°C expected at the top of the mountain on Saturday.
Canada
Silver Star (83/104cm) opened for the season on Friday 27th November. With an upper base depth of over a metre, there is plenty of great skiing to enjoy. Four lifts are running this week which are the Comet Express, Silver Woods Express, Alpine Meadows and Silver Queen Chair. Light snow is forecast for most of the week so the conditions should remain excellent.
More terrain opened up at Whistler (189cm) at the end of last week. Blackcomb Mountain opened for snowsports on 26th November and more lifts opened on Whistler Mountain over the weekend. 17 lifts are now running in the area and the upper slopes are all in fantastic condition. On Monday they had 5000 acres of skiable terrain, which is 61% of their total area.
Mont Sainte Anne and Tremblant on the east coast are yet to open. They have set an initial date of Friday 4th December to open based on current weather forecasts, which predict snow and cold weather later this week. This should allow them to start the snow cannons again and hopefully this combined with natural snow will be enough for them to open a few slopes.
European Weather Outlook
The snowstorm over Europe last weekend is expected to continue. Switzerland and Italy should receive the most snow, with over 80cm forecast at some resorts.
In the French Alps, Chamonix and Argentiere are expecting 68cm of new snow to fall by the coming weekend. Most of this expected to fall over Monday but Thursday and Friday are looking very snowy as well, with 38cm falling over these two days. It should also turn a lot colder by the end of the week, after a brief warm spell on Wednesday.
83cm of snow is forecast at St Moritz in Switzerland. As with the French Alps it is expected to be heaviest on Monday but more snow should fall on Thursday and Friday. It should be a great week of skiing across the whole of the country, with all the fresh snow.
Livigno in Italy should receive over 80cm of snow through this week. Colder weather should move into the area by the end of the week, hopefully making the powder even better. Heavy snow is expected across the whole of the Italian Alps this week.
Lots of snow is expected in Western Austria but over in the east it will be fairly dry unfortunately. The east will benefit from the colder weather later in the week but only 6cm of snow is expected at Obertauern this week. 60cm of snow is expected in the Arlberg regions, giving them a great boost for their planned opening this coming weekend.
North American Weather Outlook
In contrast to Europe, it should be a fairly dry week across the whole of America. The most snow expected in the country is at Big Sky in Montana, where 13cm should fall by Saturday.
Colorado should be dry, sunny and cold this week. The end of the week and weekend will be especially cold, with expected highs at resort level of -10°C at Vail. The cold weather means they can all run their snow cannons during the day and night, helping to keep the snow coverage in good condition.
The recent cold snap on the east coast should come to an end this week. A midweek rainstorm is expected at Smugglers’ Notch, potentially undoing all their hard work with the snow cannons. 11°C and heavy rain can be expected on Wednesday and Thursday. Fortunately some more cold weather is expected for next weekend.
Up in Canada it should be a generally snowy week. The temperature is also expected to drop considerably by the end of the week, bringing -22°C to most resorts at summit level the windchill making it feel nearer to -40°C. Jasper in Alberta is expecting the most snow in Canada, with 23cm expected by the end of this week. Whistler should receive a rather modest 6cm of snow this week, far less than the recent storms brought.
© 2009 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 snow report. |
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| #317 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 07/12/2009 @ 13:44 |
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Monday 7th December 2009.
Summary
The weekend just gone saw many resorts in both Europe and North America open their slopes for the season.
Many resorts in Switzerland offer great skiing this week and with some snow forecast later this week, it should get even better. Zermatt is wide open, with over three quarters of the lifts running.
Courchevel and Meribel in France both opened on Saturday 5th December. This means that all three main resorts in the Three Valleys are now open. Val Thorens has the most available terrain of the three but there is great skiing in all three of the resorts.
The Ski Welt region, including resorts like Soll, Ellmau and Westendorf, opened last weekend. Only a handful of lifts are open in the area however, giving access to some of the upper slopes. Fresh snow at Obergurgl on Friday 4th and Saturday 5th December continues to provide great skiing there.
Last weekend saw a winter storm move over the east coast of America, dropping snow on all of the resorts. Resorts including Stowe and Mount Snow managed to open for the first time this season. More wintry weather is coming this week, so winter has finally arrived in the east.
Revelstoke, Kicking Horse and Fernie in Canada all opened last weekend. Kicking Horse was only open for the weekend however and is closed this week, but commences daily operations Saturday 12 December. Temperatures as low as -40°C make for some very cold skiing, but those brave enough to venture out will be rewarded with excellent snow conditions.
Austria
Many more resorts opened their ski areas last weekend. One of the main areas to open in Austria was the Ski Welt region. 7 lifts in the area are open, which incorporates the likes of Soll (0/15cm), Ellmau (0/15cm) and Westendorf (0/15cm). It is not possible to ski down to resort level because of the low altitude but there is some good early season skiing to be enjoyed on the upper slopes in the area.
31 lifts are now open at St Anton (15/55cm), where light snow last weekend has added to the excellent conditions on the higher slopes. The off piste cover is still quite thin, especially at the bottom so it is advisable to remain on the open pistes for the time being.
All but three lifts are now open at Obergurgl (45/92cm). There is plenty of terrain available and the snow is generally in excellent condition. It is forecast to snow all of Monday 7th December so this should give another great boost to the skiing conditions.
France
Avoriaz (60/100cm) in the Portes du Soleil area opened last weekend. The resort had excellent pre-season snowfall which now provides some great skiing, especially on the higher slopes of the resort. Six lifts are running at Avoriaz, mainly up high. It is expected to be a fairly warm week unfortunately, but the snow up high should escape the milder weather and possible rain on Thursday 10th December.
Saturday 5th December was also the first day of the season for Meribel (20/45cm) and Courchevel (10/40cm). This now means that all three resorts in the Three Valleys are open for skiing, although the links between the three are still closed. You can expect some good skiing conditions, particularly up high but the open runs lower down are also fairly good.
Fresh snow at Les Arcs (30/40cm) last Friday 4th December made for a fun opening weekend’s skiing. The upper pistes are in very good condition, maintained by temperatures below freezing and the use of snow cannons. Les Arc’s neighbouring resort of La Plagne is closed on Monday 7th December but plans to open its slopes for skiing this coming weekend.
Switzerland
Several big Swiss resorts opened for skiing over the weekend just gone. The Jungfrau resorts of Wengen (35/60cm), Grindelwald (30/74cm) and Murren (60/65cm) are all now open. It is possible to ski down to resort level at all three resorts this week and many more slopes are available on the upper sections of the mountain. Low down the snow could be fairly soft as mild temperatures are reported beneath about 1500m.
38 lifts are now running at Zermatt (48/100cm), which is the most of the Swiss resorts we report on. There is plenty of variety in the terrain available. Runs ranging from green to black in difficulty are open, with the snow in excellent condition on the upper slopes. Fresh snow last week greatly improved the skiing and as it is cold, especially up top, there is still some untracked snow around.
The deepest base of the Swiss resorts we feature is at Andermatt (90/190cm). The resort received amazing amounts of snow at the end of November. Their base depth is excellent for this time of year, partly due to the resort’s high altitude. Four of the ten lifts at Andermatt are running.
Italy
More Italian resorts opened over the weekend. Gressoney la Trinite (55/70cm), Alagna (30/70cm) and Champoluc (30/70cm) all opened their slopes, revealing the great snow conditions in the area at the moment. All three resorts received loads of fresh snow last week which meant their opening weekend was a good one.
Madonna di Campiglio (30/98cm) is now almost fully open. 19 of the resort’s 23 lifts are running this week so there is plenty of skiing available. Although there is nearly a metre of snow at the top, cover off piste is still fairly marginal due to the rocky slopes so stick to the groomed runs.
Another resort to have greatly increased its skiable area over the weekend was Passo Tonale (20/310cm). They have an excellent base depth on the upper slopes and glacier. 27 lifts are now open in the area, as last weekend was the official opening for the resort’s winter ski area; the Presena Glacier was already open.
Scotland
Cairngorm (5/20cm) is flying the flag for Scotland at the moment. The resort was open for skiing over last weekend and should be for some of this week too. They were closed on Monday 7th December for the annual staff training day. Fresh snow over the weekend means conditions on the open runs are generally good but it could be quite icy in places.
None of our other featured Scottish resorts are open yet.
Andorra
All of our featured Andorran resorts are open for skiing this week. Saturday 5th December was the first official day of the season for them and the fresh snow last week made for some exciting skiing.
The most skiing at the moment is at Pal/Arinsal (20/50cm) where 32 lifts out of 46 are running. The open pistes are generally in good condition and there is a good variety of terrain available. The snow cover off piste is a little thin so stick to the groomed runs for the best skiing.
Norway/Sweden
There is some great skiing on offer in Norway at the moment. Many resorts received fresh snow of up to 10cm last weekend. Hemsedal (80/105cm) has an excellent base depth at the moment, currently around double what it normally is at this time of year. Around half of the lifts are open at Hemsedal this week.
Ten lifts are running at Geilo (35/45cm) which has also received fresh snow recently. It was snowing on Monday 7th December and around 5cm of snow fell across the resort. Piste conditions are excellent due to the cold weather and fresh snowfall, so expect some great skiing if you are heading to Norway for Christmas this year.
Snow was also falling over the weekend in Sweden. Both Åre (15/30cm) and Sälen (23/25cm) received between 5cm and 10cm of snow on Saturday 5th December and Sunday 6th December. Sälen now has the deepest base depth of the two resorts and also has the most skiing available. Åre is still awaiting more snow to open more terrain, so there is fairly limited skiing there at the moment.
Germany
Garmisch (0/125cm) is flying the flag for Germany this week. They are the only resort we feature to be open in the country. 6cm of fresh snow on Sunday 6th December has added a nice soft layer on top of the open runs. Six lifts are running up on the Zugspitze. The rest of the resorts winter ski area isn’t yet open.
All our other featured German reports are yet to open for the season.
Bulgaria
All of the Bulgarian resorts we report on are yet to open for the season.
USA
Many east coast resorts received a much welcomed dump of snow over the weekend. Mount Snow (25/30cm) managed to open for the first time this season, and they should now be open daily for the rest of the season. Four lifts were opened and should remain open throughout the week. 13cm of fresh snow fell on Saturday 5th December, which combined with the snow cannons, has given them some great snow cover on the pistes.
Up in Oregon, a snowstorm is battering the area, with Timberline (145cm) bearing the brunt of it. The storm has brought with it some very high winds, which forced the resort to close its lifts on Sunday 6th December and potentially Monday 7th December. 13cm of fresh snow has fallen as well however, so when the weather clears and they reopen, there should be some excellent skiing available.
Colorado is also expecting a snowstorm. Resorts like Vail (46cm) are bracing themselves for over 30cm of snow and low temperatures down to -20°C. This should give them a welcome boost to the snow conditions, as so far this season it has been fairly dry. Eight lifts are running at Vail but this is likely to increase once the snowstorm has passed and dropped its snow.
Canada
Kicking Horse (50/125cm), Fernie (100cm) and Revelstoke (121cm) all opened over the weekend. Fernie and Revelstoke will be open all this week but Kicking Horse will be closed until Saturday 12th December, when they will commence daily operations. All three resorts offer great ski conditions but it is extremely cold, with temperatures below -35°C on the upper slopes. Seven out of ten lifts are open at Fernie and two lifts are running at Revelstoke.
Lift operations at Big White could be reduced early this week due to the extreme cold. Temperatures down to -41°C at night and no higher than -20°C during the day can be expected. Be sure to cover all exposed skin and wear plenty of layers. If you can bare the cold, the skiing is great and around half the ski area is open.
European Weather Outlook
Austria should receive lots of snow this week, particularly on the upper slopes where it will be the coldest. Around 50cm of fresh snow is expected for the Arlberg resorts of St Anton, Lech and Zurs. The end of the week is when it is likely to be the heaviest, with around 30cm falling on Thursday 10th December and Friday 11th December. It should also remain fairly cold, allowing snow to fall down to the villages in the region. Lower resorts are likely to receive rain however, but the upper slopes of all resorts in the country are expecting snow.
The French Alps are likely to be fairly sunny this week, and at times unseasonably mild. Rain could fall below 1900m at Avoriaz with the temperature hovering between 0°C and 3°C for most of the week at resort level, 1700m in Avoriaz’s case.
Resorts in eastern Switzerland will receive the same heavy snowfall that is expected in western Austria. Davos and Klosters are expecting around half a metre, as is Arosa in the Graubunden region. Thursday 10th December could be quite mild for most of the country, with the freezing level ranging between 1800m and 2200m.
Scandinavia is expecting snow for the first half of the week and then colder, sunnier weather towards the weekend. Geilo should see the most snowfall, with around 8cm expected to fall by Wednesday 9th December. After then, the sun will come out and the temperature will drop to around -15°C by Saturday 12th December.
North American Weather Outlook
Colorado is the place to be for fresh snow in America this week. Resorts like Crested Butte, Durango and Telluride are expecting around half a metre of snow to fall, predominantly on Monday 7th December to Wednesday 9th December. Temperatures of around -15°C during the snowfall and then dropping to -34°C at the end of the week mean the snow should be fantastic. Wrap up very warm if you are skiing in Colorado this week to avoid frostbite.
Over on the other side of the country, winter has finally arrived. It should be cold and snowy all week, with temperatures down to around -14°C at Smugglers’ Notch by Saturday 12th December. This is excellent news for resorts in the area, who have been recently struggling with mild weather preventing them from opening.
Up in Canada it is extremely cold, particularly in the west. Many resorts are experiencing temperatures of no warmer than -20°C during the day and dropping to below -40°C at night. The temperature at Big White at base level will remain below -10°C for at least the whole of this week. If you are skiing in Canada at the moment, be sure to cover up and exposed skin to avoid frost bite and layer up.
© 2009 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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| #318 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 15/12/2009 @ 21:26 |
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Monday 14 December 2009
Summary
Very cold weather has moved over the Alps this week, which is great news as this will help to maintain the snow conditions and provide great skiing.
Lots of fresh snow fell over the weekend in the Arlberg region in Austria. This allowed St Anton, Lech and Zurs to open many more lifts and increase the size of the open ski area.
The cold weather provides excellent skiing in France at the moment. Resorts like Val d’Isere and Tignes, where there is now a Ski Club rep in each resort, have great piste conditions and there is some nice powder to be found in some places away from the pistes.
Zinal in Switzerland is now open for daily skiing. Great snow conditions can be found there, and this is partly due to the fact that the resort has been closed during the week up until now. Many other Swiss resorts received fresh snow over the weekend too, and the cold weather means the pistes are in very good condition.
Loads of snow fell in America over the weekend. The Tahoe region and Utah received the most snow, with nearly a metre falling over Sunday and Monday at Alta and Snowbird in Utah.
Kimberley and Panorama in Canada opened over the weekend. It is currently very cold there but the cold snap is expected to come to an end on Tuesday. Panorama is fully open but Kimberley is only running a limited number of lifts.
Austria
Many resorts in Austria received some fresh snow over the weekend. The temperature also dropped considerably which means excellent skiing can be found at most resorts.
52 lifts are now open at St Anton (20/100cm) out of a possible 85. Fresh snow fell over the weekend which gave some fun powder skiing. Off piste the snow cover is still fairly thin, especially at the bottom, so it isn’t advisable to venture far away from the marked runs.
Light snow also fell at Obergurgl (61/127cm) on Sunday. Around 5cm fell which was enough to give a nice fresh layer on top of the groomed snow. The current cold weather means the runs are generally in great condition and they should remain this way with further cold weather forecast throughout this week.
47 out of 53 lifts are reported to be running at Mayrhofen (5/60cm) this week. As with most places in Austria, Mayrhofen received fresh snow over the weekend so the piste conditions are very good. Sunny and cold weather is expected all this week which should keep the pistes in great condition.
France
Light snow fell at virtually all of our featured resorts in the French Alps over the weekend. At most of the resorts between 5cm and 10cm fell and this freshened up the open runs nicely.
The weekend just gone was the start of the Ski Club’s Rep season at Val d’Isere (43/83cm) and Tignes (43/80cm). On Sunday, the reps reported great skiing at both resorts with little bits of fresh powder off piste. A large amount of the Espace Killy is now open and the link between the two resorts is also open. The recent cold weather is expected to continue so the snow cannons will be running non-stop, helping to further improve the snow base on the runs.
It is now possible to ski at Morzine (5/60cm), which opened on Saturday 12th December. 18 lifts are running in the immediate Morzine ski area but you can’t ski down into Morzine town just yet. The neighbouring resort of Avoriaz, situated further up the valley, offers some good skiing this week too. Its higher elevation means the snow cover is better and around half of their lifts were running on Monday. It is very cold however so make sure you wear appropriate clothing.
Switzerland
It snowed across most of the Swiss Alps over the weekend. Many resorts received between 5cm and 15cm of snow over the course of Saturday and Sunday.
Saas Fee (58/104cm) was one of the unlucky resorts that didn’t report any fresh snow over the weekend but there is still plenty of great skiing available. It last snowed at Saas Fee on Tuesday 8th December but a great snow making system and the high altitude means the pistes are in great condition. The whole snow park is now open too, including the rails, kickers and superpipe. 15 lifts in the Saas Fee area were running on Monday.
Zinal (40/70cm) is now open for daily skiing. Eight of the resort’s nine lifts were running on Monday and because the resort was previously only open at weekends the snow is in great condition. Heavy snowfall at the beginning of December, when 60cm fell, still provides great skiing even two weeks later.
Over half of the Jungfrau ski area is now open. All of the lifts were running at Murren (50/72cm) on Monday as were some of the lifts at Grindelwald (25/80cm) and Wengen (20/55cm), offering great riding. Warmer weather last week meant the snow low down became quite soft and slushy but now it has gone cold things have improved.
Italy
Parts of Italy received some great snowfall over the weekend, particularly in the west of the country. The most snow fell in the Milky Way, where Sauze d’Oulx (40/60cm) received 30cm of snow on Sunday. Sestriere (40/60cm) and Bardonecchia (20/35cm) also benefited from the fresh snow, receiving 30cm and 10cm respectively. Only seven lifts are running in the Milky Way area however so skiing on Monday was fairly limited. More lifts should open during the week.
30 out of 32 lifts are running at Livigno (64/128cm) this week, meaning virtually the whole of the ski area is open. Fresh snow last week and cold weather continues to provide excellent snow to ski on. 115kms of slopes are available to ski on.
Some of the best skiing in Italy at the moment can be found at Passo Tonale (20/310cm). The deep snow base up on the Presena Glacier means great skiing both on and off piste. Lower down, the snow is thinner but cold weather means all the open runs are in excellent condition. Snow cannons are running all of the time, so it should stay in great condition all week.
Scotland
The only area to ski in Scotland this week is Cairngorm (3/15cm). Four lifts were running on Thursday, which were the Funicular, Ciste, Ptarmigan and the M1 tow. The temperature has risen since last week which means rain is possible. The open ski runs are in OK condition, but more snow is needed to improve things.
All our other Scottish resorts are yet to open.
Andorra
All four of our featured Andorran resorts are open this week. No new snow has fallen since Friday 4th December so some of the pistes at Soldeu (5/30cm) are very hard and a few are patchy at lower levels. It is therefore best to stick to the upper runs, where the snow is deepest and in the best condition.
The deepest snow base of the Andorran resorts we report on is at Arcalis (30/50cm) where there is good cover on both the upper and lower slopes. Arcalis also hasn’t received snow since 4th December but they have been making good use of the snow cannons where possible.
Norway/Sweden
It is snowing lightly at Lillehammer (7/50cm) on Monday which is helping to freshen up their pistes. Eight lifts are expected to be running this week so there is a fair bit of variety in terrain to ski. Away from the open runs there isn’t much snow so off-piste skiing isn’t really possible.
The deepest base is at Hemsedal (80/107cm) which is nearly double what they’d usually expect at this time of year. It hasn’t snowed for nearly a week but cold weather means the pistes are in great condition.
Sälen (20/25cm) in Sweden received 4cm of fresh snow on Monday which gave their pistes a much needed snow boost. 20 lifts are now running at Sälen which is more than last week and the fresh snow provides good skiing.
Germany
Our two featured open German resorts at the moment are Feldberg (15/20cm) and Garmisch (15/175cm). Garmisch has the most terrain open and the deepest snow base. Fresh snow fell at both resorts over the weekend which did a lot to improve the pistes, especially at Feldberg where their snow isn’t very deep.
All our other German resorts are yet to open for the winter season.
Bulgaria
Bansko (40/70cm) opened for snowsports last Friday. A snowstorm bought around 60cm of fresh snow to the resort last week which gave them the much needed boost in order to get their lifts running. All but three of the resorts lifts are running so there is plenty of skiing available. More snow is forecast this week so it should further improve.
The rest of our featured Bulgarian resorts are yet to open for the winter season.
USA
Loads of fresh snow fell in parts of America over the weekend. The areas that received the most snow were Utah and the Tahoe region.
Alta (155cm) and Snowbird (135cm) both received around 80cm of fresh snow on Saturday night, which gave an awesome powder day on Sunday. More snow is forecasted for the first half of the week so it will probably get even deeper. With all the new snow take care off piste as the avalanche danger has risen.
85cm of fresh snow fell at Heavenly (71/112cm) on Saturday night. Cold weather means the fresh snow was light, dry powder and it is very deep too. Loads more lifts opened with the fresh snow, bringing the total 18 in the Heavenly area.
The colder weather in the east of America is fortunately continuing. Between 10cm and 20cm of snow fell at most resorts on Sunday which gave some great skiing. Seven lifts are now running at Sunday River (38/51cm) and there is even powder to be found off piste.
Canada
The cold weather in Canada continues. An expected high of -23°C on Sunday at Jasper meant the resort could only open two of its lifts. Slightly warmer weather is expected however so they should be back to full lift operations soon. The snow is in great condition over the whole mountain.
Revelstoke (128cm) now has all four of its lifts running. Most of their terrain is also open now, including the powder bowls at the top of the mountain. The snow is excellent for the time of year, especially on the upper sections of the mountain where the greatest amount of fresh snow fell.
Blue Mountain (30cm), over on the east coast near Toronto, opened over the weekend due to recent cold weather and fresh snow. They have been using the snow cannons a lot recently which has given them a 30cm snow base and allowed them to open two lifts. The skiing is fairly limited but it is good that they have finally opened for the season, after having to postpone their opening date last month.
European Weather Outlook
Cold, dry and sunny weather is expected to be dominant in Europe this week. Most resorts aren’t expecting any more than a few centimetres of snow, right across the Alps.
In France, Val d’Isere should receive 3cm of snow this week but with temperatures below -10°C at all times the snow cannons will be working hard. Daytime temperatures of -10°C at base level, 1800m, can be expected, particularly for the second half of the week.
Bad Kleinkirchheim should be the snowiest part of Austria this week, but isn’t expecting more than 10cm of snow. Most of the snow will fall at the start of the week but then it will get progressively colder, with the freezing level way below resort level. The rest of the country will remain cold and dry for the duration of the week.
Switzerland and Italy are expecting much the same. If anything, Switzerland should be the driest part of Europe, with most resorts expecting sunshine all week. The cold weather trend will be present in the Swiss Alps though, and it will feel extremely cold at altitude.
Up in Scandinavia it should also be cold but snowier than mainland Europe. Snow is expected at Voss in Norway at the end of the week, possibly amounting to around 25cm.
North American Weather Outlook
The cold weather that has sat over America for the last two weeks is finally disappearing, giving way to warmer but snowier weather.
Jackson Hole should see the warmer weather from Tuesday onwards, bringing with it around 25cm of fresh snow by Saturday 19th December. This will come as a welcome boost to the resort as they have had a fairly dry start to their winter season so far.
Following quite a snowy week in Colorado, dry weather should dominate this week. Milder temperatures will also make for some pleasant skiing at Vail, with the freezing level staying between 1800m and 2200m for the duration of the week. Vail isn’t expecting any big snow accumulations, but there is the possibility of snow showers on Tuesday.
Over on the east coast it should be increasingly cold but dry. Smugglers’ Notch should see temperatures as low as -20°C from Wednesday onwards which will allow them to keep the snow cannons working. Piste conditions should be excellent as a result.
93cm of snow should land on Whistler this week. Following a cold and dry spell recently, more snow will be welcomed by skiers and boarders there wishing for a return to powder conditions. The cold snap is also over meaning it shouldn’t be colder than -6°C at Whistler this week. Elsewhere in Canada, much the same weather is expected but with snowfall totals ranging from 10cm to 40cm by Saturday.
© 2009 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 the latest report. |
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| #319 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 22/12/2009 @ 00:19 |
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Monday 21st December 2009
Summary
The bitterly cold weather is coming to an end in the Alps this week and this is good news is made even better by the fact that that heavy snow showers are forecast for most places.
The Ski Welt area in Austria now offers much more skiing. The weekend just gone was when many lifts were opened and as the pistes are in good condition there is fun skiing to be had there.
20cm of snow fell on a handful of French resorts over the weekend. Flaine and Samoens both received a good dump of fresh snow over the weekend and lots of the Grand Massif ski area is open now. It should be a great Christmas week for the area as well as the rest of the French resorts.
Switzerland is where the greatest amount of fresh snow fell in Europe over the weekend. Lots of resorts received between 20cm and 30cm of powder across Saturday and Sunday. The best of the fresh snow is at resorts like Adelboden, Anzere and Gstaad.
There is lots of great skiing to be enjoyed at all of our featured American resorts. Snow has been falling at Jackson Hole in Wyoming and it’s expected to be a snowy Christmas week, so the possibility of riding powder on Christmas Day is high.
Banff in Canada is now fully open, with all of its lifts running. Conditions are excellent due to prolonged cold weather and good snowfalls. Another cold snap is heading for British Columbia and Alberta around Christmas Day. It could dip down to -37°C in Alberta so take plenty of layers if you are heading there for Christmas.
Austria
The weekend just gone was a great one for Austria. Many resorts opened a lot more of their terrain, including the Ski Welt area which now has over two thirds of its lifts running.
The resort of Soll (5/45cm) has eight of its ten lifts turning and it should stay this way all week. Although the low snow depths might suggest the skiing isn’t great, the runs are mostly on grassy meadows so 45cm of snow is more than enough for complete coverage. Some more light snow is forecast on the upper slopes this week.
Three lifts were opened on Saturday at St Wolfgang (50/70cm). The resort has a very impressive snow depth considering its low altitude of around 700m. Although the ski area is fairly small, there is still some fun skiing to be had and the slopes are likely to be quite quiet for at least the first few days of this week.
France
Most of the French resorts we report on are now open. Many that were already open have now opened up more terrain and lifts.
This is the case at Meribel (20/80cm) where 40 of their 43 lifts are now running. The links over to Val Thorens (85/105cm) and Courchevel (46/110cm) are also open so there is loads of skiing on offer. Fresh snow fell in the Three Valleys on Sunday 20th December and more should fall this week. The cold weather has also disappeared, so skiers are blessed with more comfortable temperatures this week. The best snow is on the upper slopes, so head high for the best skiing.
The Ski Club rep in Les Arcs (30/70cm) reports good snow on the upper slopes but the lower slopes are hard and icy. The recent cold weather and lack of fresh snow has created some rock hard areas, but the snow cannons are doing their best to make the conditions better. The good news is that fresh snow is forecast for most French resorts this week so conditions should improve in time for Christmas.
Switzerland
It’s been snowing at virtually all of our featured Swiss resorts recently. Many have received up to 30cm of fresh snow, so Monday was a powder day for many resorts.
20cm of powder fell at Adelboden (35/65cm) on Monday, giving a great boost to the snow conditions in their ski area. You can now find powder over virtually all of the resort, the best of it being in the highest areas. 43 lifts are running so there is plenty of access to the fresh snow. It puts the resort in a good position ahead of Christmas.
There wasn’t as much fresh snow at Saas Fee (65/110cm) but around 7cm fell on Monday, topping up their pistes nicely. Virtually the whole area is now open as it is the Christmas holiday period. As you might expect, it is fairly busy but as nearly all of the lifts are running the queue times should be minimal. More features have been opened in the terrain park, so head over there for a bit of fun on the kickers and rails.
Italy
Snow has been falling in parts of the Italian Alps recently, particularly the resorts near the French border in the west. It was snowing lightly at Sauze d’Oulx (40/60cm) on Sunday and this continued into Monday morning. Lots more lifts were opened over the weekend just gone. 32 of the 55 lifts in the Milky Way area are now running, mostly in Sauze d’Oulx and Sestriere (40/60cm).
Passo Tonale (30/310cm) is now fully open. All 40 of their lifts are running and recent fresh snow makes it an excellent place to be skiing this week. Passo Tonale has the deepest base depth of all the resorts we report on at the moment. This is depth is up on the Presena Glacier, at an altitude of 3100m. The best skiing, and the best off-piste skiing, can be found towards the top of the area but all the pistes are in great condition, even the ones down into resort.
Fresh snow fell at Courmayeur (30/50cm) on Monday. It is now the holiday season in the Alps so the slopes are busier than they have been, but most lifts are open at Courmayeur this week so it shouldn’t feel too busy. Snow is expected to fall lightly all week, keeping the pistes in very good condition.
Scotland
Three of our reported Scottish resorts were open for skiing on Monday. The current cold and snowy weather all over the UK has blessed the Scottish mountains with a good fall of snow. Cairngorm (20/35cm), Nevis Range (25/35cm) and The Lecht (15/25cm) are all open for skiing and snowboarding. Cairngorm has the most terrain open, due to good snowfall last week. Four lifts are running there and with the conditions have improved following the snow that fell on Monday.
At the Nevis Range only two lifts are running, the Gondola and the Alpha Button. Rabbit Run and Yockies are open but they recommend it for advanced skiers only. Below 900m the snow cover is a little thin but above that level there is some good skiing to be found.
Andorra
Fresh snow has fallen at all of our featured Andorran resorts.
The Vallnord resorts, Arcalis (40/70cm) and Pal/Arinsal (20/50cm), received the most snow on Sunday night allowing them to report 20cm of new snow on Monday morning. Arcalis reports the deepest snow base of our Andorran resorts, and the riding is great as a result.
Norway/Sweden
Lots of snow fell in Norway on Sunday, especially at Voss (40/60cm) and Lillehammer (17/60cm). 20cm of powder fell on both resorts on Sunday 20th, giving them a much needed boost to the snow levels. Unfortunately Voss was closed on Monday due to bad weather but they should be able to reopen later in the week in time for Christmas.
It’s also been snowing at both of our reported Swedish resorts. Åre (30/32cm) reports 4cm of fresh snow on Monday and many more of their lifts were opened over the weekend. 26 are now running, out of a possible 41. More are expected to open during the week, and should be available in time for Christmas.
Germany
Berchtesgaden (15/35cm), near the Austrian border, opened for skiing and snowboarding on Saturday 19th December. The resort received fresh snow on Sunday and it was snowing lightly on Monday too. Ten lifts are spinning in the area. Pockets of fresh powder can be found off piste but there isn’t enough snow to venture too far from the runs.
Spitzingsee (35/55cm) was another resort to open over the weekend just gone. Cold weather and good snowfall last week has provided them with a decent base. Half of the resort’s 16 lifts were running on Monday and more are expected to open over the week.
Bulgaria
The skiing scene has expanded in Bulgaria over the weekend with Borovets and Pamporovo both opening for the first time this season.
Borovets (35/45cm) reports the deepest snow base of the two resorts, and a greater amount of terrain is available here than at Pamporovo (10/30cm). Pamporovo still needs more snow before they can open the whole area, as there is with patchy snow cover in places.
Bansko (60/90cm) has the deepest snow base of our featured Bulgarian resorts, with almost a metre of snow on the upper slopes.
USA
Many of the resorts on the east coast managed to open lots more lifts over the weekend just gone. The big snowstorm that hit much of the eastern areas of America gave some of the resorts a good dump of snow too providing some excellent skiing. Stowe (30/101cm) is now almost fully open, with only two lifts closed. It is nice and cold as well meaning the snow cannons are working all the time. Off piste, the snow is a little thin for decent skiing yet but it should improve with some more snow.
Down in California and Nevada, the snowstorm last week which dumped over a metre of fresh snow is still providing great skiing. Squaw Valley (127/178cm) has a great base depth, meaning excellent skiing both on and off piste. Most of the area is open, including a lot of the steeper terrain which is great for this time of year.
Snow was falling at in Jackson Hole on Monday. Nine lifts are running this week and the fresh snow should make for an excellent Christmas week. Most of the steep terrain that Jackson is famous for is still closed as they need more snow for it to open, but the available runs are all good.
Canada
There is now a Ski Club rep in Whistler (229cm). On Sunday the rep reported excellent skiing, particularly on the upper slopes where it is coldest. Low down the resort runs are a bit hard packed due to the warmer weather. Off piste there is also some lovely snow at higher elevations, with a mixture of powder and tracked snow. Lower down it is heavier but still fun to ski. 21cm of fresh snow fell on Sunday and more is forecast for the week ahead.
15 out of 16 lifts are running at Big White (120cm) now. The only chair closed is the Falcon Chair, which needs a deeper snow base to be able to open due to the rocky terrain that it serves. 5cm of fresh snow on Sunday helped top up the pistes and there is great skiing to be enjoyed all over the mountain. The powder bowls at the Cliff area opened for the season on Monday 21st December and all the double black diamond runs will be open to ski and board.
Further east, Tremblant (40/50cm) is almost fully open. Only four lifts were closed on Monday and more could possible open this week. A temperature of -13°C at the base is quite cold so wrap up warm if you are skiing in Tremblant this Christmas. The cold weather is expected to continue all week, which is excellent news.
European Weather Outlook
It should be a snowy Christmas week for most of the Alps, with many resorts expecting up to 75cm of fresh snow by Boxing Day.
Saas Fee in Switzerland should receive of snow each day this week, with 28cm expected to fall on Christmas Eve. It could be a Christmas Day powder day at Saas Fee. The colder weather of late should also disappear too, giving way to warmer but snowier weather. Due to Saas Fee’s altitude however, snow should fall at all levels.
Up to 81cm should fall at Passo Tonale, especially on the Presena Glacier. The busy holiday period needs great snow conditions so this heavy snowfall will be warmly welcomed. The heaviest of the snow in Passo Tonale and also across most of the Italian Alps should be on Christmas Eve, when anywhere between 20cm and 35cm could fall.
It should be snowy in Austria too, but not as much as in Switzerland, Italy or France. The Ski Welt area could see mild temperatures too, which may bring rain to anywhere below mid-mountain. Snow should fall at the top however, improving conditions in the area.
Up in Scandinavia, the cold and dry weather is set to continue. Hemsedal in Norway will remain below -15°C at all times, dropping to around -25°C at night. No snow is forecast in either Norway or Sweden but the snow cannons will be running all the time.
North American Weather Outlook
Most resorts in America should see light snow over the coming week, which is excellent news for the Christmas period.
Winter Park in Colorado should receive around 18cm of fresh snow by Boxing Day with temperatures getting progressively lower as the week goes on. By Friday, it is expected to be -20°C during the day at mid mountain, bringing a frost nip risk with it.
Mammoth, Heavenly and Squaw Valley in California and Nevada should be dry this week. Only a light dusting of snow is expected at all three resorts which will give great weather for the Christmas period. Tuesday is when the light dusting of snow is expected at Mammoth and the temperature will drop sharply for Tuesday. After Wednesday it should recover to around -1°C however.
Warmer weather is heading for the east coast of America by Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Before then it should be cold but dry, at least allowing the resorts to have the snow cannons running full time. Winds of 56mph on Boxing Day with a mixture of rain and snow could make for a miserable days skiing, but the snow base should stay intact due to the recent cold weather.
Up in Canada there is another cold snap heading for the western areas. Jasper in Alberta should see temperatures down to -37°C but it will feel even colder with a strong wind blowing. This is expected to be the coldest of the resorts there but all other resorts will dip below -20°C during the day on Thursday and Friday.
© 2009 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 snowy report. |
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