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Twice weekly reports from SCGB. (Thread Locked) |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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 #320 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 06/01/2010 @ 01:30 |
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Monday 4th January 2010
Summary
Winter is firmly back in the Alps this week, with low temperatures and lots of snow forecast.
On Monday it snowed heavily in parts of France, and resorts like Tignes and Val d'Isere received around 20cm of snow on Sunday night. The Espace Killy is in very good shape at the moment and it should further improver with all this new snow.
Snow is also falling in Switzerland, after a snowy weekend too. Engelberg has some good fresh powder to ski on this week, following around 20cm of snow over the weekend. The good news is that lots more is forecast this week so it should get even better.
Skiing is excellent in Italy at the moment. Resorts like Passo Tonale have massive upper base depths and decent lower ones too. All lifts are open at Passo Tonale and fresh snow means the skiing is excellent. A big snowstorm is heading for Italy later this week so it could be about to get a whole lot better.
Åre in Sweden is the coldest of all our featured resorts at the moment. Wrap up very warm if you are heading there as temperatures of -23C could cause frost bite if you don't protect the skin. This, however, means the snow is great.
Killington in eastern America received a whopping 50cm of fresh snow on Sunday which is their biggest dump of the season so far. There is plenty of powder, both on and off piste, so it is definitely a week for powder lovers.
In Canada, Whistler is in full preparation for the Olympic Games next month. All 8171 acres of terrain at Whistler remain open through the preparation period and the Ski Club rep in Whistler reports some fantastic skiing in the upper powder bowls.
Austria
The turn of the year brought with it new snow and much colder weather for the Austrian Alps. Between 10cm and 20cm of new snow fell on most areas, which gave a fantastic boost to the piste conditions which had become very hard in some places.
Ellmau (25/65cm), in the Ski Welt area, received around 15cm of fresh snow on Saturday 2nd January. The base depth on the upper and lower slopes is now considerably deeper and the colder weather means they have been able to have the snow cannons running all the time. The skiing is generally excellent from top to bottom and all but two of the lifts are open at Ellmau. The links over in to other resorts are also open.
There is also great skiing to be enjoyed up on the Pitztal Glacier (120/200cm). Around 20cm of fresh snow fell, also on Saturday 2nd January. An impressive base depth on the upper slopes means both on and off-piste skiing is very good. The fresh snow has improved the pistes a lot. It is windy and cold at the top however so wrap up warm.
France
It's been snowing in most of France over the New Year weekend. Monday was also a day with heavy snowfall in many resorts, providing great powder in lots of places.
Val d'Isere (100/155cm) and Tignes (100/155cm) both received around 20cm of fresh powder on Sunday night and it continued to snow on Monday. On Sunday, the Ski Club reps at each resort reported great skiing conditions, which will be even better now after the new snow. All but three lifts at Val d'Isere were open on Monday and most of Tignes was open too, including the link between the two resorts.
It has also snowed at La Plagne (93/175cm). The resort now has an excellent upper base depth meaning off-piste riding is brilliant. The new snow on Sunday night should have made it even better, but on Sunday the Ski Club rep said the skiing was great, particularly higher up. There was powder to be found off piste and with around 20cm added to that on Sunday night there should be some awesome skiing this week.
Another excellent base depth is reported at La Clusaz (20/250cm). Two and a half metres on the upper slopes is amazing for this time of year and means wherever you ski it should be awesome. 20cm of fresh snow fell on Monday morning and more is expected during the start of this week, providing really good conditions. It is a very welcome relief following the exceptionally mild weather between Christmas and New Year.
Switzerland
Saas Fee (73/190cm) enjoyed some fresh snow over the weekend. This helped improve the piste conditions and also the off piste, but it wasn't substantial enough to give powder conditions. High winds at altitude mean the upper off-piste slopes are quite windblown and scraped in places but lee slopes should have some nice windblown powder on them. The Ski Club rep in Saas Fee reports excellent piste conditions all over. 20 of the resorts 22 lifts were running on Monday 4th January.
15cm of fresh snow fell at Engelberg (35/170cm). The resort is well known for its freeride terrain and with the decent base depth and new snow it shouldn't disappoint this week. All 25 lifts are running, including those up on the Titlis Glacier and the 2000m descent from the top to the bottom can be skied in full.
Verbier (30/160cm) also has some great snow conditions. There is a Ski Club rep in Verbier who says that the pistes are all great, especially at the top. Lower down, the resort runs are hard in places but still a lot of fun to ski. A few centimetres of fresh snow fell on Sunday 3rd January but the off-piste areas are tracked out.
Italy
It was snowing on Monday 4th January at resorts like Alagna (40/130cm), Champoluc (55/130cm) and Gressoney la Trinite (55/130cm). All three resorts received around 10cm of fresh snow over the New Year weekend. As Alagna is known for its off-piste skiing, the fresh snow will be very welcome. It is best to stay high if you are skiing off piste as low down there are some quite rocky areas. The pistes at all three resorts are generally in excellent condition due to the new snowfall.
13 out of 17 lifts were running at Cervinia (70/150cm) on Monday. The last fresh snow at Cervinia fell on 28th December so some of the lower pistes are getting hard in places. However the cold weather means the snow cannons are being used and they are doing their best to keep the pistes in good condition. There will be a Ski Club rep in Cervinia from 25th January.
Courmayeur (140/200cm) now has an impressive base depth on both the upper and lower slopes. The Christmas and New Year period was fairly snowy for the resort and this gave them significant boosts to the conditions. Two metres of snow on the upper slopes is excellent for this time of year and ensures great skiing both on and off the pistes. 19 of the resort's 21 lifts were running on Monday.
Scotland 
More snow has fallen on the Scottish resorts over the New Year’s weekend providing excellent riding at the start of this week.
Of the Scottish resorts, Cairngorm Mountain Resort (65/120cm) reports arguably the best conditions. They have over a metre of snow on the deeper slopes and even the riding down at the car park level is superb.
All of the resorts were open for skiing on Monday and this looks as though it will be the case all week. Do take care if you are planning on heading away from the groomed runs at any of the resorts as there are unmarked obstacles as well as an increased avalanche risk following the recent snowfall.
Changeable weather could bring more snow to the Scottish resorts this week although this is not expected to be more than a light dusting.
Andorra
Fresh snow has fallen at our featured Andorran resorts, improving the riding conditions at all of the resorts.
The greatest increase in snow depth since last Thursday, 31st December, is reported at Pal/Arinsal (45/95cm) in the Vallnord area. Here the base has increased by 25cm on the lower slopes and 35cm on the upper slopes. Arcalis (70/100cm), also a Vallnord resort, has the deepest snow base of our featured Andorran resorts, with one metre of snow on the upper pistes.
Changeable weather is forecast this week with a mixture of sun, cloud and snow showers although there is not expected to be more than a moderate dusting fall at any of the Andorran resorts. Pas de la Case (40/60cm) in the Grandvalira area is expecting the most snow, although this only adds up to 9cm of new snow by Saturday 9th January.
Norway/Sweden
It's still extremely cold in Norway this week and if anything it should get even colder as the week progresses. This does mean the pistes remain in excellent condition however and the prolonged cold means the snow cannons are being put to full use. It was snowing lightly at Voss (50cm) on Monday. Only five of the lifts are running and it isn't busy at all, so enjoy the empty slopes if you can.
Åre (35/43cm) is extremely cold on Monday, with a current temperature of -23C. As with many of the Norwegian resorts, the snow cannons are running and maintaining the snow quality. 33 lifts are running at Åre so there is plenty of skiing available, but with an extremely cold week to come it is advisable to wrap up very warm and cover exposed skin if you are heading there.
Germany
Fresh snow has also been reported at our featured German resorts over the New Year’s weekend. This provided some lovely fresh snow to ski through on Monday and the good news does not stop with more snow is expected to fall this week. Berchtesgaden (5/40cm), Feldberg (30/50cm), Oberstdorf (10/95cm) and Reit im Winkl (15/80cm) are all scheduled to receive at least 30cm of fresh snow by Saturday 9th January.
As you might expect Garmisch (70/180cm) has the deepest reported base of our German resorts, with almost two metres of snow on the Zugspitze glacier slopes.
The base depth measurement has been recalculated at Reit im Winkl hence the large jump in the measurement on the upper slopes.
Bulgaria
Borovets (10/40cm) is the only one of our featured Bulgarian resorts to report any fresh snow fall over the weekend, and the conditions have improved as a result of the new snow. They have also been running the snow cannons over the weekend, following the drop in temperature, which is helping to further improve the skiing conditions.
The good news is that fresh snow is expected to fall at all of our reported Bulgarian resorts this week. Bansko (40/70cm) is forecast the most snow, with 16cm expected to land by Saturday 9th January. Borovets is forecast 14cm in the same time while Pamporovo may only receive a light dusting.
USA
Loads of snow fell on the east coast resorts in America over the weekend. Up to half a metre of new snow blankets some resorts. 48cm fell at Killington (81/102cm) overnight on Sunday giving them some of their best powder skiing of the season so far. The snow on the runs has now been packed down by the groomers but the skiing is amazing. Off piste there is waist deep powder in places and knee deep pretty much everywhere. There were 16 lifts to ski from on Monday so the access to all the new snow was plentiful. A great week lies ahead for Killington.
In Colorado it has also been snowing, although not as much as in the east. Steamboat (107cm) received 18cm of fresh snow on Sunday. Despite most of Colorado having a drier than average start to the season, it has been great in Steamboat. So far this season nearly three metres of snow has fallen on Steamboat, meaning conditions are generally superb. All but two lifts are running and with the fresh snow there is lots of great skiing to be enjoyed.
It also snowed around the border between California and Nevada, where Squaw Valley (102/178cm) and Heavenly (71/122cm) are. The most recent snow fell at Heavenly, which was a dusting of snow on Sunday morning. The last snow at Squaw Valley was a 20cm dump on New Year's Eve. Their base depth continues to grow and is good for this time of year. Tree skiing is excellent with the powder and all the pistes are nicely groomed.
Canada
The New Year brought new snow to many Canadian resorts, both in the west and east.
15cm of fresh snow fell at Big White (154cm) on Saturday night, on top of snow the previous week. As a result there is some good powder available, especially in the trees where it is deepest. All lifts are running at Big White and virtually all the runs are open too. More fresh snow is forecast this week.
More snow fell at Whistler (239cm) as well. The Ski Club rep in Whistler said there was powder all over the mountain on Sunday 3rd January and it was an excellent day for skiing. Preparations for the Olympics in February are fully underway but all the terrain is still open, all 8171 acres of it. When skiing in the upper bowls or backcountry area take care due to a considerable avalanche risk.
Over on the east coast snow fell at Tremblant (40/50cm) on Sunday 3rd January. 6cm of fresh snow was reported, transforming the pistes. There is now a lot of great skiing as a result of the fresh snow and with more in the forecast it should continue to improve.
European Weather Outlook
The weather in Europe this week should stay very wintry, with low temperatures and heavy snowfall forecast for the end of the week, particularly in Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
Bad Kleinkirchheim in Austria is expecting 53cm of snow to fall by Saturday, with the heaviest being on Thursday and Friday. 35cm is expected on these two days alone. Elsewhere in Austria it should be snowy too, with slightly smaller amounts but still great. It should get no warmer than -7C in Obertauern this week, with the freezing level hovering around 500m.
France isn't expecting quite as much snow as Austria, but still plenty. 24cm should fall at Tignes, with most landing on Friday. Like Austria it should stay cold all week which will keep the snow in excellent condition. The first half of January in the western Alps is expected to be colder than average, which is good news for the area.
Thursday and Friday should be exceptionally snowy in Italy. Chiesa is expecting an awesome 70cm of snow to fall over the two days. This is quite typical of many Italian areas which can go for a while without snow then get a big dump. It should make for an excellent weekend next weekend. Livigno, Madonna di Campiglio and Cortina are all expecting upwards of 60cm of snow by Saturday 9th January.
Up in Scandinavia the cold is showing no signs of disappearing and if anything it should get even colder. -26C is the expected high at Oppdal in Norway on Thursday 7th January but it should at least be sunny. Before then it should be slightly warmer, around -14C, with light snow expected on Wednesday. Åre in Sweden will be similarly cold, with temperatures expected to drop below -30C at times. Wrap up very warm and cover exposed skin if you are skiing in Scandinavia this week.
North American Weather Outlook
It should be a generally dry, cold and sunny week in most areas of the USA. Two exceptions are Smugglers' Notch and Timberline. Timberline is expecting a warm week with rain to mid level at times. The resort has quite a deep snow base so shouldn't need to worry about too much melting. Snow will fall up high however, giving some of the powder the resort is famous for. A temperature of around 3C can be expected at base level.
In Colorado, dry weather is expected. It should be fairly cold however, with a daytime high of -12C expected at Vail on Thursday and Friday. The cold weather should at least allow them to have the snow cannons running all the time, so the snow will remain in excellent condition in most places.
Cold and dry weather is also expected in western Canada. Nowhere is expecting much snow, the most of which being at Skeena heli ski area in northern British Columbia. Here, 22cm of snow should fall by the end of the week with a sign of warmer weather for next weekend.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Thanks to the SCGB for the first report of 2010. |
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| #321 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 11/01/2010 @ 23:53 |
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Monday 11th January 2010.
Summary
After a snowy weekend on the Alps, especially the Southern Alps, the sun is now shining and the skiing is great.
Most of Austria received good snowfall over the weekend. The Ski Club rep at Obergurgl reported 20cm of fresh snow on Saturday afternoon and subsequent powder skiing on Sunday.
It snowed a lot at most of our featured French resort, particularly the resorts in the southern Alps. Puy St Vincent reported over a metre of fresh snow over the weekend which has more than doubled their piste depths. The sun was shining on Monday and it should do for most of the week so it should be amazing out there.
Over two metres of snow on the upper slopes at Courmayeur in Italy ensures lots of nice skiing. The resort is almost fully open and deserted so it’s an excellent time to be skiing there.
It was snowy in Colorado over last week and the weekend. Loveland reported some awesome powder skiing on Friday and Saturday but the snow has now cleared. Great conditions can still be found all over.
Revelstoke in Canada recently hosted a free ski tournament and its legendary powder made for a great event. Snow fell at most other resorts in Canada too, especially in southern British Columbia. Fernie has all its lifts running and two metres of snow ensures great skiing all over.
Austria
Snow has been falling in Austria over the weekend. Lots of resorts received between 10cm and 15cm with some receiving more than 20cm. It had been a fairly dry start to the New Year before this snow so it is very welcome.
The Ski Club rep at Obergurgl (55/129cm) reported 20cm of fresh powder on Saturday afternoon and night. Subsequently conditions on Sunday were excellent, with plenty of powder to be found all over the mountain. All 24 lifts were running on Monday and it should remain this way for the whole week. The good news is that more light snow is forecast throughout the week.
Bad Kleinkirchheim (30/80cm) in the southern Austrian region of Carinthia also has some great skiing to offer. Fresh snow last week gave powder on the pistes as well as off them. The best snow cover is higher up as before the recent snowfall some of the low valley was green. All 25 lifts are running this week so there is plenty of variety of runs available.
France
The southern French Alps received huge snowfall over the weekend. This gave waist deep powder over the whole mountain and made for some phenomenal skiing.
Over a metre of fresh snow fell on Puy St Vincent (180/230cm). Their base depth has increased hugely as a result of this fresh snow and there is brilliant coverage off piste even low down now. 11 of the resort’s 12 lifts were running on Monday which is great considering how much snow fell recently. Piste conditions couldn’t really be any better at the moment.
Further north it also snowed, but not as much as down south. Between 10cm and 20cm fell at Morzine (40/170cm) on Saturday and there is now plenty of snow even down at valley level. The best snow is higher up where there is most of it. Nearly all the lifts in the Morzine area are open, as is the lift link up to Avoriaz (125/170cm).
Monday was a lovely sunny morning in Val d’Isere (98/148cm). Cold and sunny weather now dominates after the recent snowfall. The Ski Club reps in resort report amazing snow conditions. All the fresh powder that fell last week gives awesome off-piste skiing and on-piste conditions are excellent everywhere.
Switzerland
Many resorts in Switzerland received good snowfall over the weekend and as a result most of them offer really good skiing this week. Ski Club reps in resorts across the country say that it’s great both on and off piste.
Verbier (25/150cm) has lots of great skiing available. There is plenty to choose from off piste, with good snow coverage providing lots of options. All of the resort’s 35 lifts were running on Monday and links over to other resorts in the 4 Valleys are all open. The area is also quiet at the moment as it is the low season, so it’s a perfect time to be skiing there.
20cm of fresh snow was reported at Saas Fee (78/211cm) on Sunday. Lovely sunshine prevails on Monday morning and it is very cold so the snow is in amazing condition. The Ski Club rep in resort skied most areas of the resort on Sunday and said it was awesome everywhere. The new snow made for some great powder skiing away from the pistes, and even on the piste there was some powder to be found.
Italy
40cm of fresh snow fell at Macugnaga (70/125cm) last Friday, 8th January, which provided an excellent boost to their snow conditions. There is now plenty of powder all over the mountain but on piste the conditions are groomed. This ensures excellent conditions however and the mountain is very quiet at the moment, as it is the low season.
It also snowed at Passo Tonale (70/430cm). 20cm fell at the resort on Saturday 10th January, increasing their already huge snow base. The sun was shining on Monday, revealing lots of fresh powder. All 40 lifts are running so there is plenty of access to the new snow and it couldn’t be better time to be skiing at Passo Tonale.
The Milky Way resort of Bardonecchia (100/200cm) received 20cm of fresh snow on Friday last week. The weekend was an excellent one due to this snow and conditions remained excellent on Monday 11th January. Most of the lifts in the Milky Way are open and all Bardonecchia’s neighbouring resorts have similarly great conditions.
Scotland
It has been bitterly cold at the Scottish resorts over the weekend. The riding conditions are good thanks to the recent wintry weather, so it is a good time to head to the Scottish slopes but don’t forget to wrap up nice and warm.
The riding at Glenshee (30/60cm) is really good thanks to the established base and the fact that the winds have helped to blow snow against the fences, maintaining the piste conditions. Some of the north facing slopes can become quite scraped revealing a hard base. There were 14 lifts open on Monday.
The Lecht (30/60cm) was also open on Monday 11th January with good coverage on the runs. All of the main runs had been groomed too.
Cairngorm (90/185cm) was unfortunately closed for snowsports on Monday 11th January due to strong winds in the area. When the road opens again the riding should be excellent thanks to the deep snow base. It is worth noting that it may not be possible to ski on the West Wall, East Wall or Ciste Gully due to an increased avalanche risk.
At Glencoe (25/50cm) there is good snow cover on most of the runs but some of the higher traffic areas are becoming scraped now. The resort does advise visitors that they do not currently have card machines so please take cash to pay for your lift passes, or buy them online before you go.
Strong winds also affected operations at Nevis Range (20/50cm) on Monday. The Gondola was open but none of the ski lifts could run. The snow cover is still good though thanks to the recent snowfall and cold weather.
Andorra
Loads of snow fell across Andorra at the end of last week and over the weekend.
The Ski Club rep at Soldeu (50/90cm) reported some amazing powder over the weekend. The new snow has now packed down on piste and this means excellent skiing. Powder can be found off piste but you have to look for it as near the pistes it is quite tracked.
The deepest base depth in Andorra is at Arcalis (80/120cm) where the recent snowstorm has left them with over a metre of snow on the upper slopes. The new snow has covered up and icy patches there were and cold weather is maintaining the snow nicely.
Norway/Sweden
The cold weather that has been present at our featured Scandinavian resorts recently has finally disappeared. Both Norway and Sweden have much higher temperatures now, but they are still well below freezing. Hemsedal (85/135cm) reports the deepest base depth of all resorts in Norway. There hasn’t been any fresh snow since New Years day but the cold weather recently maintained the snow conditions very well.
Light dustings of fresh snow in Sweden last week improved the skiing at Åre (40/42cm). More of the lifts in the area are now open thanks to the milder temperatures. 35 were running on Monday and this could increase further during the week. The milder weather should continue this week, although no warmer than -4C.
Germany
Most German resorts have received fresh snow recently, in the range of 5-15cm. This will help the piste conditions over the coming week as recent warm weather had turned them a little slushy.
5cm of new snow was reported at Spitzingsee (20/30cm) on the morning of Monday 11th January and the snow continued to gall into the day. The base depth may appear really low but as the terrain is largely grassy meadows this is more than enough to give top to bottom coverage. Nine of 16 lifts are running but this could increase with the new snow.
Bulgaria
The recent mild weather has taken its toll in Bulgaria, especially at Borovets (5/50cm) and Pamporovo (5/15cm). The snow cover is still patchy across most of Pamporovo while the situation has improved at Borovets. A light dusting of snow fell on Sunday and while not enough to really alter the conditions this was a sign that it has got colder. The resort has fortunately been able to get the snow cannons operating and this has really helped to improve the overall conditions. There are however some hard packed patches in places so do take care.
The conditions are better at Bansko (70/105cm) thanks to a much deeper snow base. All of the runs were open on Monday along with most of the lifts so there is plenty of terrain available there.
USA
Fresh snow has fallen at Mammoth (123/243cm) in California. This is their first snow of 2010. So far around 8cm has fallen but more is forecast. The snow cycle at Mammoth normally brings several big dumps a month and sunshine all the time in between, so maybe another big dump is on its way. All the lifts are running bar one.
It also snowed in Colorado but the weather has cleared now and revealed some excellent skiing at all the resorts. 10cm fell at Copper Mountain (97/112cm) at the end of last week. The resort has one of the deeper bases in Colorado so skiing off piste is fairly good. The trees are the best place to be as the powder in there lasts longer, it is more sheltered.
It is still good on the east coast too. Generally cold weather and recent fresh snow means fun skiing can be found at most resorts. Attitash Bear Peak (30/60cm) hasn’t received fresh snow for a while but a good snow making system and good snow maintenance ensures it is in good condition. Only 7 of their 12 lifts are running as it is very quiet there at the moment.
Canada
Most resorts in both eastern and western Canada received new snow over the weekend. Both of our featured heli ski areas are also running now.
The Skeena heli area (200cm) was closed on Saturday 9th January as heavy snowfall prevented them from flying. They reckon around 30cm fell down at the lodge but more further up the mountain. They will commence operations when the weather clears and it should be amazing when it does.
Light snow also fell at Fernie (199cm), which has a great snow base. Loads of snow fell over the New Year period which gives them great cover both on and off piste. All nine lifts were running on Sunday and they are open all the time. It’s also the quietest time of year so the slopes are likely to be deserted, a great time to ski Fernie.
Over in the east at Mont Sainte Anne (80cm), a light dusting of snow fell last week. Most of the lifts are running; all but two. Lots of snow fell around New Year and this still provides excellent skiing as it has been well maintained.
European Weather Outlook
Light snow is forecast for most of this week in Austria. Once again bad Kleinkirchheim is expecting the most snow, with around 25cm expected to have fallen by Saturday 16th January. Most other resorts are expecting between 10cm and 20cm of snow. The freezing level should hover between 400m and 600m at Obertauern, well below the resort base level.
Similar weather is expected in the French Alps, if a little sunnier. Alpe d’Huez is expecting a cold and sunny week with the exception of Wednesday. On Wednesday 21cm of snow is expected to fall which should give a great powdery end to the week. The freezing level should be between 800m and 1000m all week.
Switzerland and Italy should have a snowy Wednesday and Thursday. Between 5cm and 20cm is forecast at all our featured resorts in Switzerland over these two days, but before and after then it should be sunny. A freezing level between 600m and 900m can be expected all week at Zermatt, giving low temperatures all week.
Up in Scandinavia the cold weather has finally shifted and milder weather has moved in to take its place. Despite it being warmer, it shouldn’t rise above -5C at Lillehammer in Norway. This will make the skiing much more pleasurable but also keep the snow in great condition.
North American Weather Outlook
Dry and sunny weather is expected for America this week, right from the east to the west.
Aspen in Colorado should be cold and sunny largely with light snow forecast for Wednesday night. This should total around 4cm but will help improve the piste conditions. The rest of the resorts in Colorado are expecting the same generally sunny and cold weather.
California and Nevada, where the Tahoe resorts lie, should be fairly sunny and mild. A freezing level of up to 3300m at Heavenly could make the skiing feel quite spring like. The milder weather shouldn’t have much of an impact on the snow base however as it is fairly deep there anyway.
The greatest snowfall in America is expected at Timberline in Oregon. The temperature will fluctuate a bit but the upper slopes should see around 20cm of snow fall by the end of this week. Lower slopes could see rain at the beginning and end of the week Wednesday and Thursday should be colder.
As usual, Whistler is expecting a lot of snow. Nearly 90cm is forecast to land on the upper slopes. This will please locals of Whistler, who are hosting the Winter Olympics next month. It should be fairly cold too with heavy snow falling right down to village level most of the time. Revelstoke and Kicking Horse are also expecting good amounts, with the rest receiving light snow every day this week.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Many thanks to the SCGB for providing todays report. |
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Kirkcudbrightshire |
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| #322 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 19/01/2010 @ 11:26 |
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Monday 18th January 2010.
Summary
It was a predominantly dry weekend in Austria but St Wolfgang is in great shape at the start of this week following 20cm of new snow arriving on Sunday.
The greatest snowfall was received in France over the weekend although Switzerland and Italy did not completely miss out on the new snow. The resorts in the northern French Alps have some excellent conditions at the start of this week due to the amount of snow that fell.
All five Scottish resorts were open on Monday and although the resorts in the east have the best conditions. The snow cover at Glencoe in the west is wet on the lower slopes while at Nevis Range the lower slopes are now getting thin.
Fresh snow has also fallen in America. All of our featured eastern reported fresh snow this weekend along with a scattering of resorts in Colorado. The heaviest snowfalls this week are forecast in the west.
Excellent conditions are reported in Canada due to fresh snow falling last week and over the weekend. Red Mountain and Silver Star are two resorts to consider if you have not been before as the riding is excellent at the moment.
Austria
Last weekend was predominantly dry at the Austrian resorts. However a handful of resorts did receive dustings of snow.
St Wolfgang (50/60cm) near Salzburg was on of the exceptions in that it received a dump of 20cm on Sunday 17th January. The resort was in need of some snow and on Monday 18th January there were powder conditions from top to bottom.
The Arlberg resorts of Lech (50/160cm), Zurs (50/160cm) and St Anton (40/160cm) continue to have great on-piste conditions. A dusting of snow fell on the upper pistes on Sunday 17th January. More snow is expected to fall later this week so the excellent conditions will continue.
On Sunday 17th January new snow fell at Ischgl (25/80cm). The new snow was much needed and has improved conditions on the upper area which is where the best conditions will be found this week.
France
Heavy snow fell across the northern areas of the French Alps on Sunday 18th January. The new snow dramatically transformed conditions providing powder conditions for Monday morning. On Monday it was a blue bird ski day providing the perfect environment for skiers to enjoy all of the new snow.
Le Corbier (60/105cm) received 20cm of snow on Sunday which produced powder skiing for Monday 18th January. The resort is located in the Maurienne valley along with the resorts of La Toussuire (99/129cm), Valloire (25/120cm) and Val Cenis (35/160cm) which also benefitted from new snow.
The Three Valleys also benefited from heavy snow on Sunday. 30cm was reported at Courchevel (85/124cm) and even lower down in the area at La Tania (70/126cm) 15cm was received. As with most of the French Alps it was sunny on Monday providing the perfect setting for exploring the new snow.
Snow fell as far south as Alpe d’Huez (112/215cm) which received a light dusting along with Chamrousse (75/100cm). At Chamrousse powder was still to be found on Monday 18th January due to an accumulation of snow over the past week. A light dusting of snow is forecast for Wednesday across the southern areas which will refresh the ski resorts.
Switzerland
Fresh snow has fallen at most of our reported Swiss resorts over the weekend. This may only have been a dusting at some but others were lucky enough to receive greater amounts of new snow, providing fresh tracks on Sunday. The Ski Club rep’s in Switzerland reported fantastic snow conditions over the weekend as a result of the new snow.
Verbier (15/150cm) is in superb shape following 30cm of new snow arriving on Sunday. Nendaz (15/150cm), also in the Four Valleys ski area, is in equally great shape thanks to this new snow.
Anzere (30/180cm), Champery (30/80cm), Grindelwald (25/92cm), Pontresina (80/200cm), Saas Fee (77/210cm), Wengen (15/80cm) and Villars (30/95cm) all reported 10cm of snow falling on Sunday 17th January. Les Mosses (60/90cm) and Leysin (60/90cm) may have received their snow the day before this, but they did report a greater depth of new snow. The base depth at both resorts has increased by 30cm on the lower slopes and 20cm on the upper slopes since Friday’s snow report.
Changeable weather is expected this week across Switzerland with a sunny start followed by clouds building on Wednesday 20th, with a chance of further snowfall although this will only be a dusting.
Italy
The weather is predominantly sunny in Italy at the start of this week providing excellent visibility to take advantage of the great snow cover.
Cavalese (2/85m), Cervinia (80/170cm) and Courmayeur (175/250cm) are the only Italian resorts we report on that have received any new snow over the weekend. Courmayeur reported the most significant amount of snow with 15cm landing on Sunday. Only a light dusting was reported at the other two resorts but this did freshen up the piste cover.
Passo Tonale (70/430cm) still reports the deepest snow base in Italy but this is up on the Presena glacier. Lower down the base depth is similar to many of the other resorts.
Cloudy skies are expected mid-week with a chance of light snowfall. Sunny spells are then forecast for the end of the week before further cloudy and possibly snowy weather next weekend.
Scotland
At Cairngorm (60/170cm) the Car Park, Fiacaill Ridge, Shieling Platter and Coire Cas lifts were operating on Monday morning. The resort hopes to have dug out the last part of the funicular rails by Tuesday so that operation can resume. The riding is excellent on the open terrain due to the amount of snow that has fallen recently.
Glenshee (30/60cm) is in excellent condition and most of the runs have a complete cover of groomed and packed snow. Stick to west facing slopes for the best conditions.
It is a similar story at The Lecht (30/60cm) with complete cover on all of the runs.
The riding at Glencoe (25/50cm) is good but the snow is wet lower down so head to the higher areas for the best skiing.
The riding is best of the upper slopes at Nevis Range (15/45cm) as the cover on the lower slopes is becoming thin. The snow cover off the groomed runs is variable with bare patches coming through.
Changeable weather is expected at the start of this week with clouds thickening by Wednesday. Further snow showers could then fall before the end of the week at all five resorts.
Andorra
On Monday 18th January excellent conditions were to be found at all of the resorts in Andorra that the Ski Club reports on. At least 10cm of snow fell on Friday 15th January which provided powder conditions for the weekend.
The most snow was reported at Soldeu (60/100cm) where 20cm of fresh snow fell on Friday. As with all of the resorts it was best to stick to the groomed runs on Monday. Conditions on pistes were excellent but the off piste has become tracked out.
Further snow is forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday which will top up the great on piste conditions and fill in the off piste.
Norway/Sweden
A few of our featured Scandinavian resorts received fresh snow over the weekend and into Monday, although the snowfall was not particularly heavy.
Geilo (60/105cm) reported a light 5cm dusting of new snow on Sunday 17th January. Lillehammer (43/80cm) in Norway and Sälen (47/48cm) in Sweden both received 7cm of snow in time for the lifts opening on Monday morning.
Predominantly cloudy weather is forecast all week in Norway and Sweden and light snow showers are expected at all of the resorts we report on there.
Germany
Cloudy skies on Monday delivered fresh snow to a number of reported German resorts on Monday.
Berchtesgaden (10/45cm) reports a dusting of new snow while Spitzingsee (20/30cm) received a little more with 10cm landing while Garmisch (25/175cm) had even more arrive with 15cm of fresh snow reported in time for the lifts opening.
The increase of the snow base depth on the slopes at Oberstdorf (40/170cm) is due to an updated measurement rather than any significant amounts of new snow.
All of our featured German resorts are expecting fresh snow this week, although the snowfall is not forecast to be particularly heavy. The greatest amount of snow is forecast for Feldberg that could receive around 20cm of new snow by Tuesday 26th January.
Bulgaria
Conditions improved across the Bulgarian resorts over last weekend. On Monday 18th January snow fell at all three resorts that the Ski Club reports on.
Bansko (80/105cm), Pamporovo (20/40cm) and Borovets (15/70cm) will have fresh conditions on the upper pistes this week. More snow is needed at Pamporovo and Borovets before fresh tracks can be made in the off piste as the cover will be limited.
Snowy weather is forecast to fall until Wednesday so conditions will continue to improve.
USA
Fresh snow has fallen on resorts in the eastern and western stated of America this weekend.
All of our reported eastern resorts including Attitash Bear Peak (46/76cm) in New Hampshire, Killington (81/112cm), Mount Snow (51/71cm), Stowe (46/122cm) and Sugarbush (51/94cm) in Vermont along with Sunday River (56/67cm) in Maine received up to 10cm of new snow on Sunday and the riding at the start of this week is great as a result of the new snow.
Snow has also fallen at a handful of resorts in Colorado. These include Breckenridge (117cm), Keystone (66cm) and Loveland (91cm) although the new snow has only been a dusting so far, but this has freshened up the cover on the trails.
Changeable weather is forecast this week on both sides of America, bringing with it the chance of further snow showers. The heaviest snowfall should land on the Tahoe area at Heavenly (33/49cm) and Squaw Valley (102/178cm) which could receive up to 70cm of new snow by Tuesday 26th January.
Canada
Last week’s constant snowfall continued into the weekend across Canada. Snow fell on both the east and west coasts of the country and on Monday 18th January great conditions were found at all resorts.
Red Mountain (177cm) in British Columbia had powder skiing from top to bottom on Monday morning. Further snow was expected towards the end of the day meaning that it is going to be a great week for the resort. All of the lifts were also open on Monday providing access to the whole of the area. 
Silver Star (134/165cm) was also boasting excellent conditions on Monday. 4cm of snow fell on Saturday 16th January which topped up the powder levels off piste and produced excellent on-piste conditions. Snow is forecast for most of this week at the resort so the levels will be continually topped up.
European Weather Outlook
It is forecast to be a snowy week in Austria. On Wednesday it is forecast to be sunny across the country with the odd cloudy spell but on Thursday it will return to being cloudy and snowy.
France is expecting a sunny start to the week. On Wednesday snow is forecast to fall across the country with areas such as the Portes du Soleil and Grand Massif expecting snow to fall from then on until the end of the weekend. The rest of the country will experience sunny weather with the odd cloudy spell.
Changeable weather is expected this week across Switzerland with a sunny start followed by clouds building on Wednesday 20th, with a chance of further snowfall although this will only be a dusting.
In Italy cloudy skies are expected mid-week with a chance of light snowfall. Sunny spells are then forecast for the end of the week before further cloudy and possibly snowy weather next weekend.
In Scotland changeable weather is expected at the start of this week with clouds thickening by Wednesday. Further snow showers could then fall before the end of the week at all five resorts.
North American Weather Outlook
Changeable weather is forecast this week on both sides of America, bringing with it the chance of further snow showers. The heaviest snowfall should land at the Tahoe resorts which expect up to 70cm of new snow by Tuesday 26th January.
Snow is forecast to continue to fall throughout this week in Canada. Light dustings are forecast for all resorts on a daily basis. Heavy snow is forecast for the upper area of Whistler during Monday and Tuesday.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001
Thanks again to the SCGB for the latest report. |
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| #323 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 26/01/2010 @ 18:44 |
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Monday 25th January 2010
Summary
This weekend saw fresh snow fall on western resorts in Europe especially in France and Switzerland. The heaviest snowfall this week is forecast in the eastern resorts of Austria, Switzerland and Italy. Up to a metre of new snow is forecast in Austria and Switzerland, so this gives you an idea of how much the snow conditions could improve.
All five Scottish resorts were open on Monday providing good riding in the west and excellent conditions in the east. Further snow showers are expected this week and these should follow this pattern. A light dusting could fall on the western resorts while slightly more should fall in the east.
There is some fantastic skiing in America at the moment, with resorts in Utah and California recently receiving over two metres of fresh snow. Unfortunately it is warm and wet on the east coast, which has turned much of the snow to slush.
Loads more snow fell at Whistler, taking their snowfall total for the year so far to nearly ten metres. There is lots of powder on the upper slopes. Elsewhere in Canada it is colder, with fantastic snow conditions from top to bottom.
Austria
The fresh snow that fell in Austria last week gave some great powder skiing in many places over the weekend. The snow has now packed down giving excellent on-piste skiing.
The Ski Club rep in Mayrhofen (5/70cm) reports very good on piste conditions, especially on the higher slopes. The base depth isn’t deep but is enough to ensure the grassy runs are completely covered in snow. All the lifts in the Mayrhofen area are running.
There is over a metre and a half of snow on the upper slopes at St Anton (40/170cm). Skiing is very good both on and off the pistes following fresh snowfall at the end of last week. As with Mayrhofen, last week’s fresh snow has now packed down giving generally excellent on-piste conditions.
France
Many French resorts received snow on Monday 25th January. Generally between 5cm and 10cm was reported on Monday morning and the snow was expected to keep falling through the day.
5cm of new snow was reported at Les Gets (55/130cm), giving a nice layer of powder on the groomed runs. The snowy weather meant the visibility was poor at altitude so it was prudent to take care, especially when skiing off piste. The weather should clear up on Tuesday.
A few centimetres of snow also fell at Courchevel (80/118cm) on Monday morning. This freshened up the pistes, which were beginning to get a bit hard at low levels. All the links over into the other valleys were open providing a huge amount of skiing.
Switzerland
A few of our featured Swiss resorts received fresh snow over the weekend. It was only a light dusting but nevertheless it improved the snow conditions.
Around 5cm fell on Monday at Gstaad (15/160cm). The resort has a glacier and the snow cover up there is excellent. Head high for the greatest amount of fresh snow but the cold weather means the snow is very good even down to the bottom of the ski area at 1000m.
It was also snowing on Monday at Champery (30/80cm) in the Portes du Soleil area. With links to Avoriaz, Morzine and Les Gets in France there is loads of great skiing available. Fresh snow fell over the whole of the area. 180 of the 197 lifts in the massive Portes du Soleil area were running on Monday.
Italy
Courmayeur (170/245cm) is the only one of our featured Italian resorts to report fresh snow this weekend. It was snowing lightly on Monday, dropping a few centimetres of fresh snow. This provided a nice, smooth layer of fresh snow on top of the groomed pistes giving some fun skiing. Off piste is largely tracked out but if you look hard enough you will find some untouched areas in the trees this week.
Val Senales (50/150cm) hasn’t reported fresh snow since 9th January. The pistes here are being maintained by an excellent snow cannon system, so piste conditions are still very good. It does mean that off-piste skiing isn’t great however and it is largely hard packed. Cold weather and fresh snow is forecast this week, so it should improve.
Scotland
Cairngorm (70/180cm) is in fantastic conditions with skiable snow cover across the resort. The White Lady is in superb shape with all of the new snow providing natural features to have fun with. Only two of the lifts were closed on Monday so there was plenty of access to the superb snow that was dumped last week during the severe snowstorms that closed the resort.
Glenshee (35/70cm) and the Lecht (30/60cm) also offer excellent skiing conditions and the pistes had a soft cover of fresh snow for visitors on Monday.
Glencoe (20/50cm) reports packed snow cover on the pistes which can be quite hard first thing in the morning. The beginners’ area has a good cover of snow if you are heading to Glencoe to learn to ski or snowboard.
Hard packed snow cover was reported at Nevis Range (20/50cm) on Monday 25th January despite a light dusting of new snow. The best snow cover can be found on the higher pistes as the snow base can be thin in places lower down.
Changeable weather is forecast this week with a chance more snow falling at all five ski areas. The most snow is expected in the east with up to 13cm forecast by Tuesday 2nd February at Cairngorm, while in the west only around 5cm may land.
Andorra
No new snow has fallen in Andorra since Wednesday 20th January. Cold weather has kept the pistes in good condition however and there is lots of good skiing to be enjoyed.
The deepest snow base is reported at Arcalis (90/130cm). All of their lifts are running and there aren’t many people on the mountain at the moment. It is a good time to be skiing there, especially if you enjoy having the whole piste to yourself.
Norway/Sweden
A light dusting of new snow was reported at Geilo (60/105cm) and Trysil (46/77cm) in Norway and Sälen (48/50cm) in Sweden on Saturday 23rd January. This was not enough to dramatically change the riding conditions but it did freshen up the packed snow cover.
Åre (39/42cm) in Sweden reported 7cm of new snow on the ground when the lifts opened on Monday morning which provided excellent riding at the start of this week.
Fresh snow is forecast this week in Norway and Sweden and most resorts can expect around 20cm of new snow. Voss (15/50cm) is the exception though where over 50cm of new snow is forecast to land by Tuesday 2nd February.
Germany
Our featured German resorts offer great on-piste riding on the packed and groomed snow cover. The only resort to report any new snow over the weekend was Feldberg (70/80cm) which had 5cm of new snow on the slopes when the lifts opened on Monday morning, providing a nice soft cover to the packed base.
The weather on Monday was a mixture of sun and cloud at the majority of German resorts. More clouds are forecast to move in on Tuesday which could deliver a light dusting of new snow and then on Wednesday the resorts should again be blessed with a little sunshine. Thick clouds will move in on Thursday and heavy snowfall is forecast for the end of this week and over the weekend. Garmisch (20/180cm), Oberstdorf (40/170cm) and Spitzingsee (20/30cm) are forecast the heaviest snowfalls with over one metre of new snow expected by the end of Tuesday 2nd February.
Bulgaria
A dusting of new snow fell over the weekend at Borovets (20/85cm) and Pamporovo (50/70cm) this weekend, topping up the great snow cover. The best riding at Borovets can be found on the higher slopes with the snow cover lower down thin in places. Pamporovo has not had the best start to their season but now they have much improved snow cover due to January’s snowfall and the riding is now really good. The sun was shining at both of these resorts on Monday providing excellent visibility.
Cloudy skies are forecast at all three of our featured Bulgarian resorts from Thursday 28th January and 20-40cm of new snow is expected to fall at the end of this week and over the coming weekend.
USA
There were some colossal snowfalls across America last week. Many resorts in Utah, Colorado and California received massive amounts of fresh snow.
Mammoth (225/360cm) received two and a half metres of snow in five days. While it fell this affected resort operations but they have since dug out their lifts and bottomless powder can be found across the mountain. On Sunday 24th January 21 of their 22 lifts were running.
Snowbird (246cm), Alta (259cm) and Park City (188cm) also received a lot of snow. Around two metres of snow fell between Thursday 21st and Sunday 24th January at Snowbird and Alta. Only half the lifts are running at Snowbird due the heightened avalanche risk but where the lifts are running the skiing is incredible. Expect chest deep powder on the whole mountain at the start of this week.
Unfortunately it has turned very warm on the east coast, with mid mountain temperatures of 8°C in places. It was also raining at Mount Snow (51/71cm) over the weekend, turning the existing snow into heavy slush. They are doing their best to preserve the snow base however and the mild weather isn’t expected to last too long. Only half the lifts at Mount Snow are currently running.
Canada
Snow conditions in Canada are generally very good at the moment. The best of the snow conditions can be found inland, away from the coast where it is warmer.
Fernie (210cm) still has an excellent base depth and fresh snowfall last week ensures the snow is in great condition this week. All of the lifts were running on Sunday 24th January giving access to the runs, although some of the lower runs are quite hard packed.
Loads of snow fell at Whistler (280cm), especially on the upper slopes. They have excellent conditions higher up but low down the runs are quite hard due to mild daytime temperatures and cold nights. They are looking to be in excellent shape for the Olympics.
European Weather Outlook
Lots of snow is expected in Europe this week, particularly in Austria and Switzerland where a metre of snow could fall over the next eight days in places.
Lech in Austria is expecting lots of heavy snow at the end of this week and over the weekend. Around 120cm of snow could fall by the end of next weekend. It will also be a very cold week, with the temperature remaining around -14°C at mid mountain so the powder will be light and dry.
Resorts in Italy could also receive significant snowfall this week and next weekend. The heaviest snows are expected at Livigno where up to 67cm could land by the end of Tuesday 2nd February. Other resorts in the east such as Val Senales, Bormio and Selva Gardena are also expecting around 60cm of new snow.
France should be cold and sunny as well, but they aren’t expecting as much as Austria, Switzerland and Italy.
Up in Scandinavia it should be snowy too, with Hemsedal in Norway expecting 53cm of snow in the next nine days. It should also be very cold, especially at the weekend. Expect a high of -19°C on Saturday.
North American Weather Outlook
There is good news for east coast resorts, with the return of cold weather expected later this week. Attitash Bear Peak is suffering due to rain at the moment but it should be -14°C by the end of the week, although this could potentially turn all the slushy snow to ice.
In the west, the recent snowstorms for California, Utah and Colorado have cleared. Drier and sunnier weather is expected across most states but some snow is expected on and off throughout the week. The intermittent snow showers should amount to between 10cm and 30cm for most resorts.
It should be snowy in Canada too, but only a light amount of snow is forecast. The most snow is expected at Whistler, with around 40cm expected on the upper slopes by the weekend. The recent mild weather looks like staying, with snow above around 1000m at Whistler. Further inland it should be colder, with temperatures down to -16°C overnight at Big White.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Thanks to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| #324 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 01/02/2010 @ 19:20 |
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Monday 1st Feb 2010.
Summary
It is bitterly cold across the Alps at the moment and there have been some big snowfalls to accompany it. Resorts from France across to eastern Austria received up to 30cm of fresh snow at the end of last week and over the weekend. Great powder skiing can be found, especially on the higher slopes.
The Andorran resort of Soldeu enjoyed another powder day on Sunday. 20cm of fresh snow provides excellent conditions at all levels.
It’s been snowing again in Scotland. Fresh snow has fallen at all of the resorts apart from Glencoe and with the temperature below freezing conditions are generally good.
Another 20cm of fresh snow fell across resorts in Utah in America over the weekend. This is on top of the huge snowfall they had at the beginning of last week, providing some awesome powder skiing.
Some of the lifts and runs are now closed at Whistler, in Canada, for Olympic preparations. 90% of their terrain is still open however and the resort is very quiet ahead of the Olympics. Now is a great time to be skiing the area, as the snow conditions are excellent also.
Austria
A snowy weekend in Austria brought a decent amount of fresh snow with it to many resorts. This means there is plenty of excellent skiing to be found right across the country this week.
Lech (75/190cm) now has one of the deepest snow bases in Austria. The Arlberg resort received around 30cm of fresh snow over the course of the weekend and this provided some great powder skiing. On Monday the sun came out and all of the lifts in the Arlberg region were running.
The little resort of Filzmoos (50/95cm) also received a good amount of fresh snow. A temperature of -8°C on Monday morning at 1000m helped to preserve the snow in brilliant condition. They only have nine lifts but these lifts serve some great runs. The fresh snow greatly improved the piste conditions.
France
There is plenty of great skiing on offer in France this week due to decent snowfalls over the last week accompanied buy very low temperatures. The cold weather means the snow is generally in excellent condition but dress warmly if you are heading out anytime soon.
The Ski Club rep in Les Arcs (105/210cm) reported excellent piste conditions everywhere and plenty of powder off piste. 20cm of fresh snow fell on Saturday and the cold weather this week means there is still plenty of light, dry powder to be found. Some areas are quite tracked out now but venture further from the pistes and there are untracked areas.
Over in Val d’Isere (100/146cm) Friday night’s snowstorm continues to give awesome skiing both on and off piste. The cold weather is maintaining the snow but some of the flatter pistes are quite slow now as it is so cold. According to the Ski Club reps in resort the best snow can be found in the Le Fornet sector at the moment.
Switzerland
Switzerland has some of the best skiing in the Alps at the moment, but also some of the coldest weather. Many resorts are below -12°C and some of the higher ones are as cold as -20°C.
30cm of fresh snow fell on Murren (97/185cm) on Saturday, giving them one of their best powder days of the season so far. The very low temperatures mean the snow is light and fluffy making it great fun to ski in. Subsequently, all the runs are in great condition as well but a few of the exposed runs up high are prone to wind.
There is also plenty of powder over in Verbier (15/190cm). 20cm of fresh snow fell on Saturday, on top of the snow that fell last Thursday and Friday, 28th and 29th January. The Ski Club rep currently in Verbier described Sunday’s skiing as ‘A superb powder day with deep, light snow and the sun shining’. All 36 lifts are open in the Verbier area, as are the links over into Nendaz and the other valleys.
Italy
Fresh snow fell at Sauze d’Oulx (100/180cm) over the weekend. The Milky Way received one of the greatest amounts of fresh snow in Italy due to it’s location near the French border where the best snowstorms were. We have a rep in resort and she said the fresh snow and cold weather meant the runs are in great condition. The upper runs are prone to the wind so some of them are quite hard but lower down it is better.
20cm of snow also fell at Courmayeur (170/245cm) over the weekend. The biggest dump was on Saturday 30th January. All but one of the lifts at the resort are currently running so there is plenty of access to the great snow conditions on offer. The cold weather is preserving the fresh snow but also means that you frost-nip can be an issue, especially on exposed lifts in the wind.
The deepest snow base in Italy, and of all the resorts we feature worldwide, is still at Passo Tonale (70/430cm). Over four metres of snow up on the Presena Glacier is excellent for this time of year and should ensure great skiing right to the end of their season. Lower down the cover isn’t as thick but there is still plenty of snow. The resort runs are hard in places due to a lot of skier traffic but move away from these and it’s excellent.
Scotland
Cairngorm (40/150cm) has received more snow. There was around 5cm of new snow on the ground when the lifts opened on Monday morning, and the piste conditions were reportedly excellent. There are a few icy patches but these are not a real problem as they are quite limited now.
Glenshee (40/75cm) also reported a light dusting of new snow on Monday morning, with full snow cover on all runs. If you are after soft and deep snow then head to the south facing slopes as the snow on north facing slopes is hard now.
The other resort in the east, The Lecht (20/55cm), also reported new snow on Monday morning. This added a fresh cover to the firm base.
In the west Nevis Range (20/60cm) also reported fresh snow on Monday. Powder snow was reported on the packed base of the upper slopes and the east wall of the Goose was recommended if you wanted some great riding. On the lower slopes the snow is hard packed as well as being icy in places so stay high for the best skiing.
Glencoe (20/50cm) has good snow cover although the best conditions can be skied on the upper slopes. The snow on the lower areas has been scrapped away so there is a hard base with some icy patches.
Further snow showers are expected this week across Scotland. The most snow is forecast to hit the eastern resorts where around 30cm of new snow should fall by Tuesday 9th February. In the west around half that amount is forecast.
Andorra
Fresh snow fell on all of our featured Andorran resorts on Saturday 30th January and the riding is excellent as a result of the new snow.
The Ski Club rep in Soldeu (60/100cm) reported excellent riding across the area on Sunday thanks to continued snowfall throughout Saturday delivering around 15cm of new snow.
The weather on Monday was sunny at all four featured resorts and this is expected to last until Wednesday. Cloudy skies could then move in for Thursday which could bring a light dusting of new snow then bright skies are again expected next weekend.
Norway/Sweden
An impressive 20cm of fresh snow fell at Voss (40/60cm) on Sunday 31st January, giving them a much needed boost to the snow conditions. Voss is the only resort in Norway to be relatively warm with a temperature of -4°C at mid-mountain level on Monday. This is due to its slightly closer proximity to the sea, although it is still 50 miles from it. It is best to stick to the groomed runs rather than venture off piste, as the cover is thin in places.
It was snowing at Sälen (50/53cm) in Sweden on Monday 1st February. Only 1cm fell but the snow conditions were good anyway. There is plenty of skiing to choose from in Sälen at the moment, with 83 of their 85 lifts running. It is cold though, around -18°C.
Germany
It has been a snowy weekend at all of our reported German resorts and the new snow provided excellent riding conditions on Monday 1st February.
Feldberg (120/130cm) is in superb condition thanks to heavy snowfall this weekend. The base depth has increased by 40cm since Friday’s report.
As you would expect, the glacier resort of Garmisch (30/200cm) reports the deepest snow base in Germany but the greatest depth can be found on the higher slopes up on the Zugspitze mountain.
The weather this week is forecast to be predominantly cloudy and the thick clouds are expected to drop even more snow. To keep with the trend from the weekend Feldberg is expecting the greatest amount of snow. Almost 40cm of new snow could fall by the end of Tuesday 9th February. Lenggries (50/70cm) is forecast the least snow of our featured German resorts, but this is not too bad as over 25cm of new snow is predicted to fall over the same period.
Bulgaria
Fresh snow fell on Monday at our featured Bulgarian resorts.
Thick clouds at Bansko (100/125cm) reduced the visibility and the number of open lifts. The riding was great on the fresh cover and with ten lifts operating there was still plenty of access to the new snow.
The dense snow clouds also reduced the visibility at Borovets (30/95cm) and Pamporovo (20/50cm) on Monday but the snowfall nicely topped up the on and off piste cover.
Brighter weather is forecast for Tuesday 2nd and Wednesday 3rd February, which will provide better visibility to take advantage of the new snow. Further snow could fall due to changeable weather from Thursday.
USA
The huge snowfall at Mammoth (210/345cm) between 20th and 25th January still provides areas of deep powder. It has been topped up with fresh snow a few times since then, most recently 10cm fell on Saturday 30th January. All off-piste obstacles apart from trees are now covered thanks to an upper base depth of nearly three and a half metres. More snow is expected at Mammoth all through this week.
Park City (178cm) received 15cm of fresh snow on Saturday as well. The whole of Utah has seen some decent snowstorms recently, so there is some awesome skiing on offer at Park City and its neighbouring resorts at the moment.
On the other side of the country Killington (71/91cm) received some fresh snow on Saturday 30th January. 8cm fell over the course of the morning which helped repair the damage the recent rain and mild weather caused. Fortunately the cold weather looks as if it’s here to stay which should allow decent conditions to be maintained.
Canada
Sun Peaks (133/157cm) in British Columbia received 12cm of fresh snow on Saturday night and Sunday. The skiing there improved as a result even though it was already very good across the area. Powder stashes can be found off piste and tree runs are said to be great fun at the moment.
5cm of fresh snow was also reported at Revelstoke (179cm) over the weekend. The upper half of the mountain is in excellent condition, with plenty of untouched powder in the trees and groomed runs providing great coverage. Lower down, especially at the base, the snow is quite hard due to mild daytime temperatures and low night time temperatures. The fresh snow fell right down to base however so this will have improved it down there.
Over on the east coast it is very cold again. It’s around -16°C at mid mountain so the open runs are likely to be quite hard. Snow cannons keep the snow in the best possible condition though and it is generally very good.
European Weather Outlook
Europe looks likely to see a big change in the weather later this week. At present, it is very cold across the whole of the Alps and it has been fairly snowy too.
As of Wednesday, milder weather is expected to make an appearance and by the coming weekend it could be as warm as 4°C in Flaine, with light rain at the base. The freezing level could rise to around 2600m, which is the summit of Flaine.
Further east in Switzerland and Austria, the same weather trend should also be dominant. Austria isn’t likely to be as warm as France with the freezing level rising to around 1800m in most places, before cooling down for the next week.
It’s been a very cold winter in Scandinavia and the situation isn’t going to change anytime soon. Norwegian and Swedish resorts aren’t expecting any respite from the cold. The warmest day at Hemsedal in Norway will be -11°C on Thursday 4th February. It should snow lightly for most of this week which should keep the snow in great condition.
North American Weather Outlook
Snow is expected at all of our featured American resorts. Most of it looks likely to fall in the west of the country in areas of Colorado and California.
Light snow is expected all week at Heavenly on the California and Nevada border. This could amount to around 30cm by Sunday 7th Feb.
Timberline, which is in the northwest of the country, is forecast 50cm of new snow to fall by Tuesday 9th February. Forecasts for this far ahead are difficult to predict though so this figure is likely to change.
Light snow is forecast all week at Whistler in Canada. Around 40cm is expected to fall by Tuesday 9th February and the freezing level should hover around 1100m, bringing snow to the village at times. Most of the snow will fall higher up though.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Thanks again to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| #325 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 04/02/2010 @ 21:03 |
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Thursday 04 February 2010
Summary
The cold weather in the Alps has loosened its grip. It is now much warmer which signals the arrival of fresh snow in many places this weekend. The sun was shining across the Alps on Thursday 4th February and the snow is in excellent condition right from France to Austria.
Soldeu in Andorra offers plenty of excellent skiing at the moment. The Ski Club rep in resort says fresh snow earlier in the week made the pistes excellent and there is some powder off piste.
It’s been snowing again in Scotland but also fairly windy. Large snowdrifts covered the funicular track at Cairngorm on Thursday and they spent half a day digging it out.
Over in America the best of the snow is in the west, although it has improved in the east. Stowe, on the east coast, received around 40cm of fresh snow earlier in the week making for some awesome powder turns.
Olympic preparations at Whistler are well underway. This week is the calm before the storm and the slopes are very quiet despite 90% of the terrain remaining open. The Ski Club rep there at the moment says there is plenty of great skiing on offer and now is an excellent time to be skiing there
Austria
Austria had some awesome skiing on offer this week, due to lots of fresh snow that fell earlier in the week. The past two weeks have been very cold and also snowy.
30cm of fresh snow fell at St Wolfgang (130/140cm) on the night of Tuesday 2nd February. This was on top of 20cm the previous night so off piste there is plenty of deep powder skiing available. Although the resort is small, they offer some good skiing served by seven lifts. The sun was shining on Thursday, making for an excellent days skiing.
Over in the Ski Welt region, the same snowstorm dumped up to 50cm of fresh snow over the course of the week. An upper base depth of over a metre and a half at Ellmau (105/160cm) is excellent and their average for this time of year is around one metre at the top. There are plenty of off piste opportunities and it is generally untracked powder. Closer to the pistes it will get tracked out quickly but you won’t have to venture far to find fresh tracks.
France
The recent cold and snowy weather has provided the French Alps with some great skiing conditions.
Temperatures were as low as -25°C at altitude in Tignes (112/163cm). Fresh snow fell at the beginning of the week which topped up the powder off piste. The Ski Club reps in Tignes this week say off-piste skiing is excellent but some of the upper slopes are quite windblown. On the lee slopes however there is plenty of powder, some of it up to knee deep.
La Clusaz (50/270cm) reports one of the deepest upper snow depths in France at the moment. Excellent early season snowfalls allowed this to build up, which means off piste skiing is superb. Most obstacles are well and truly covered. Recent cold weather has maintained the marked runs and good skiing can be found from top to bottom.
Switzerland
The cold weather of the last two weeks in Switzerland has gone. Much milder air has replaced it which has made skiing much more comfortable and helped the hard pistes soften a little.
The Ski Club reps in Zermatt (26/113cm) reported temperatures as low as -25°C earlier in the week, but this is now a much more modest -6°C. Wednesday was the Luttman Johnson race in Zermatt and the reps said it was a great day.
The freeride resort of Andermatt (75/230cm) received lots of fresh snow recently. The resort is primarily known for its steep terrain and off piste skiing potentials and the current snow conditions are excellent for this. It’s been cold and snowy so there is plenty of powder available. All the lifts are running, giving prime access to the awesome area.
Italy
Recent high winds in Cervinia (65/150cm) forced the resort to close their link over to Zermatt in Switzerland on several occasions. The Ski Club rep in Cervinia told us that the wind had blown away most of the fresh snow off piste but some slopes had deep windblown powder on. The wind has made more rocks become exposed so take care if you are skiing off piste.
The first fresh snow in a while fell at Cortina d’Ampezzo (35/150cm). This greatly improved their snow conditions, which were hard packed prior to the fresh snow. They have an excellent snow making system though which made the most of the cold weather before the snow. Upper slopes are the best as always, but lower slopes have some nice soft snow on.
One of the deepest snow depths in Italy at the moment is at Courmayeur (170/245cm). Situated just behind Mont Blanc, they received some great fresh snow earlier in the month. All runs are complete, right down to village level, and off piste skiing is superb there at the moment. Untracked powder can be found off piste if you know where to look.
Scotland
A dusting of new snow overnight and high winds at Cairngorm (40/150cm) buried the funicular track on Thursday morning. They spent the morning digging it out and it opened around midday. The wind has meant that the pistes are quite hard, particularly up high, but patches of heavy powder can be found where the fresh snow has blown into.
Over on the other side of the country, the weather is slightly worse. The skies are cloudy and with high winds the visibility can be fairly poor at times. They managed to open six lifts on Thursday at the Nevis Range (20/60cm) but with better weather more should be able to open. Their snow base isn’t as deep as Cairngorm’s but the pistes are mostly in good condition.
Andorra
Parts of the Pyrenees received loads of fresh snow this week but unfortunately Andorra wasn’t as lucky. They still have some excellent skiing on offer however, due to snow last weekend. Saturday 30th January was the last time it snowed.
The Ski Club rep in Soldeu (70/110cm) has been reporting good skiing this week, largely due to the excellent snow and cold weather. He said that skiing off piste was very good earlier in the week but it is largely tracked out now. Piste conditions remain very good but head higher for the best of the snow.
Light snow is expected at all of our Andorran resorts over the weekend, although it could fall as sleet at lower levels on Friday.
Norway/Sweden
Some parts of Norway received fresh snow on Thursday 4th February. Geilo (60/105cm) saw 4cm land on its slopes over the course of the day. This has helped to freshen up their snow which had become quite hard due to the cold. There isn’t really any powder to be found but the nice layer of fresh snow on the pistes will make for some fun skiing.
15cm of fresh snow fell at Åre (70cm) in Sweden on Wednesday night which is one of their biggest snowfalls of the season so far. This has made the pistes feel like off piste with a fresh powder covering and there should be excellent skiing all over the mountain. Off piste is still varied because of the lower depths but there are many great areas, which will have been made even better by the fresh snow.
Germany
The large snowstorm in Germany this week dropped up to 60cm of fresh snow on their ski resorts. Resorts like Feldberg (130/150cm) offer excellent skiing at the moment. Although it isn’t big by alpine standards, all the fresh snow makes it a great alternative place to head for. Feldberg has 28 lifts and 22 of these were running on Thursday. This is likely to increase over the weekend as more people head there to enjoy the snow.
Reit im Winkl (75/100cm) received lots of fresh snow too. Around 40cm fell between Monday and Thursday this week which has greatly improved the skiing they have to offer. Untracked powder can be found off piste and the marked runs are excellent. Reit im Winkl is smaller then Feldberg but they still have 17 lifts, all of which were running on Thursday.
Bulgaria
It’s been snowing in Bulgaria this week, particularly at Bansko (140/165cm) where their base depth has risen considerably since Monday. All lifts bar one are running and with sunny skies the prospect is good for the weekend. There is some powder to be found off piste but this could be quite windblown high up. It is advisable to head to the trees for the best powder.
Pamporovo (50/70cm) has also improved since some fresh snow fell earlier in the week. A temperature of -4°C ensures their snow isn’t melting and generally the conditions are good. They didn’t receive as much fresh snow as Bansko so there isn’t much powder to be found off piste. Piste skiing is good though, considering the poor start to the season they have had.
USA
One of America’s highest resorts, Arapahoe Basin (74cm), received a dusting of fresh snow Tuesday 2nd February. Despite what is a fairly low snow depth, there is plenty of skiing available. Five of seven lifts are open. The two not running are closed during the week due to lack of demand, rather than poor snow. The base of Arapahoe Basin is at 3250m so it can get very cold, on Thursday it was -13°C.
Over in Wyoming, the recent massive snowstorms at Jackson Hole (147/196cm) gave some incredible skiing. Last week over a metre and a half of snow fell and then this was topped up by a further 46cm of fresh snow on Monday night this week. The Ski Club rep in Jackson Hole reported phenomenal powder skiing, the best of the season so far.
The east coast is still benefiting from cold and snowy weather. The thaw a few weeks ago has long been forgotten as temperatures are well below freezing now. It was -9°C at Attitash Bear Peak (51/76cm) on Thursday and fresh snow earlier in the week means the snow is in good condition. Snow cannons have kept the pistes nice and soft but off-piste is varied.
Canada
7cm of fresh snow fell at Revelstoke (196cm) on Tuesday. This may not sound like much but there is already plenty of untracked powder lying on the mountain, especially in the trees. All four of Revelstoke’s lifts are running, as is their cat skiing operation. Stick to the upper mountain for the best snow.
Olympic preparations are well underway at Whistler (269cm). The Ski Club rep in Whistler at the moment says some of the lifts and runs are now closed for the Olympics, but 90% of the mountain remains open. Excellent snow can be found, particularly on the upper slopes where there is some nice powder in Symphony and Harmony bowls. The slopes are also empty in the run up to the Olympics, so it is a great time to ski there.
It’s still very cold over on the east coast, with a temperature of -15°C at Mont Sainte Anne (80cm). Snow conditions are varied because of a warm spell a few weeks ago, but a good snow making system means most of the runs are in a good condition.
European Weather Outlook
It should be quite a snowy weekend in many parts of Europe, particularly in France. Alpe d’Huez is expecting heavy snow on Friday and Saturday, amounting to around 30cm by Saturday night. A brief clear spell on Sunday and Monday is expected to be followed by more snow from Tuesday next week onwards.
The eastern Alps are expecting snow on Friday and Saturday too but it shouldn’t be as heavy. Bad Kleinkirchheim is expecting 10cm of fresh snow on Friday 5th February. It should be fairly warm too, around -5°C, but cold enough to ensure it doesn’t rain. Thursday 11th February is when the next snowstorm is expected in Austria, bringing with it anywhere from 20cm to 40cm of fresh snow to most resorts.
Up in Scandinavia, the brief respite from the cold weather will be short lived. On Saturday 6th Feb, Hemsedal in Norway is expecting a high of -7°C which is a lot warmer than of late. By Tuesday 9th Feb, the cold will have returned with an expected high of -18°C. Light snow is expected on and off through this time period.
North American Weather Outlook
Significant snowfall looks to be heading for Colorado soon. This will be welcomed by all the resorts as many are experiencing below average snowfalls so far this season. 30cm of fresh snow is expected at Aspen by Thursday 11th February. The snow should be heaviest on Saturday and Sunday and will be followed by a very cold day on Tuesday 9th February, with an expected high of -16°C.
Mammoth in California is expecting the most snow in America, with up to 45cm of snow falling by Thursday 11th February. Most of the snow should fall on Friday and then again on Tuesday. The temperature should remain well below freezing.
Canada is expecting largely dry weather for at least the next nine days. Whistler is only expecting 8cm of fresh snow and by Monday 8th February it should be very sunny. The east coast is where it will be coldest, with lows down to -20°C.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Many thanks once again to the Ski Club of Great Britain for todays latest snow report. |
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| #326 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 11/02/2010 @ 19:42 |
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Thursday 11 February 2010
Summary
Lots of snow fell in Europe this week, right from the west to the east. With the busy half term week coming up this bodes really well for those heading out there soon. France has some great skiing to offer thanks to the snow and cold weather. The Three Valleys and Espace Killy are both fully open with plenty of fresh powder.
Over in Switzerland and Austria, heavy snow transformed resorts earlier in the week. Very low temperatures are maintaining the snow to keep the powder nice and dry off piste. It should be an excellent half term break next week.
Fresh snow fell at Cairngorm in Scotland on Wednesday night. It was only a light dusting but the fresh snow helps to keep the runs in generally good condition. Cairngorm offers the best skiing in Scotland at the moment.
A snowstorm on the east coast of America has benefited the ski resorts there too. Smugglers’ Notch has great piste conditions and the cold weather is keeping the snow in great condition.
This weekend is the big weekend for Whistler in Canada. The Winter Olympics opening ceremony is on Friday 12th February and after all the speculation of the area having no snow they will be keen to prove they have great conditions. This should be enhanced by the weather forecast, which predicts 70cm of fresh snow over the opening weekend.
Austria
On Thursday 11th February, snow was falling at all of our featured Austrian resorts. Up to 25cm fell on some resorts on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
20cm fell on Obertauern (145/180cm) on Wednesday night and it snowed all of Thursday too. Powder can be found all over the mountain, especially in the upper bowls. Despite the bad weather, only one lift is closed. This is the Gamsleiten 2 lift, which accesses a few black runs at the highest point of the resort. The snow is expected to continue falling on Friday 12th so it should be an excellent weekend skiing in the powder.
10cm also fell at Fiss (45/100cm) and Serfaus (45/100cm). The two resorts link to form one ski area and it is fairly large. The whole area is fully open and Thursday’s fresh snow ensures excellent conditions. It is very cold however, especially on the upper slopes, so wrap up warm if you are skiing there.
France
There is some fantastic skiing to be had in France at the moment and it’s shaping up to being a good half term week as well. Lots of fresh snow fell right across the country and cold weather means it is nice, light powder.
Morzine (90/215cm) has excellent conditions on Thursday and with further snowfall forecast it should get even better. There is plenty of fresh snow, even right down to the village at 1000m. Further up it is very cold but this means the snow is in superb condition and there is plenty of powder to be found off piste. Some of the runs even have powder on.
Over in the Three Valleys the same snowfall has created great conditions. Wednesday was the snowiest day this week and on Thursday there were gaps in the cloud allowing the sun through. Lots of powder can be found all over the area and the runs are in superb condition. It couldn’t really get much better.
Even over in the Pyrenees the skiing is superb at the moment. With nearly three metres of snow on the upper slopes Cauterets (40/270cm) has some awesome skiing available. There is no need to worry about lack of snow cover when skiing off piste up high. Plenty of powder is ready to be skied.
Switzerland
It’s shaping up to be an excellent half term week in Switzerland next week. Everyone heading out there on Saturday will be pleased to know its snowing heavily in most places and it is also very cold.
10cm of snow fell at Saas Fee (91/229cm) on Wednesday. A temperature of -14°C means the snow is in amazing condition; light and fluffy. Despite the snowy weather and poor visibility at altitude, all lifts are running, even up on the glacier at 3500m.
Davos (50/143cm) received a much welcome 15cm of fresh snow, also on Wednesday night. Like at Saas Fee, it is very cold there at the moment so the snow is in superb condition. The fresh powder has improved all the lower pistes which were getting a bit hard and icy. On Wednesday the Ski Club rep said the best conditions were on the upper slopes, but this new snow should have made it great everywhere
Italy
Italy has received some snow this week too, although not as much as in France, Switzerland and Austria. On the whole, the resorts near the French border received the most snow.
Arabba (120/215cm) received 18cm of fresh snow over Wednesday night. The heavy snow is forecast to continue to fall right through into Friday and should amount to a fair bit by the time it stops. Despite the snow and bad weather, all their lifts are running so for those who brave the conditions it should be awesome.
Around 8cm of snow fell at Livigno (114/190cm), also on Wednesday night. Snow also fell on Thursday and the piste conditions are excellent as a result. Due to Livigno’s altitude it is very cold at the moment. If you are heading there for the half term week you can expect some very cold weather. However by the end of next week it could be quite warm.
Scotland
Scottish skiing is still excellent, especially considering how it can be. The best of it is still at Cairngorm (30/120cm) where the deepest snow is and also the freshest snow. A few centimetres of snow fell on Wednesday night and it was snowing lightly on Thursday morning too. Upper runs are the best but even down low they aren’t too bad. Off-piste possibilities are slightly limited but there is soft snow to be found on the lee slopes.
There isn’t as much snow in the west of Scotland as in the east. Off-piste skiing at the Nevis Range (10/40cm) is only really possible right at the top or on lee slopes where the snow has blown into. The groomers have done a good job of maintaining the available runs and although they are hard, they are in good condition. Thursday was a nice sunny day but 10cm of fresh snow is expected on Sunday 14th and Monday 15th February.
Andorra
Wednesday in Andorra was a calm and sunny day however on Thursday it was snowing heavily and it was very windy.
The harsh weather forced Arcalis (110/160cm) to close on Thursday. Around 15cm of fresh snow fell but strong winds and poor visibility meant they weren’t able to open any lifts. They should reopen when the bad weather clears and you can expect some pretty good conditions.
The other three Andorran resorts we report on were open on Thursday. Snow was falling at Soldeu (70/110cm) on Thursday and all 63 of their lifts were running. It is very cold in the resort at the end of this week though with temperatures around -17°C and strong wind. Wrap up very warm if you are skiing there.
Norway/Sweden
The snow keeps on falling in parts of Norway. Oppdal (40/55cm) received fresh snow every day this week and Thursday was no exception. 5cm fell over the course of the day, keeping the runs in superb condition. Their base depth is gradually building up, as is the powder off piste. The snow should keep falling all weekend too.
Both of our featured Swedish ski resorts have received fresh snow this week too. The greatest amount of new snow is reported at Åre (68/85cm), where they recorded 25cm of fresh snow between Monday 8th February and Wednesday 10th February. 13cm of this fell overnight on Wednesday so there were great conditions on offer on Thursday. These are probably the best conditions of the season so far in Sweden.
Germany
More snow has fallen on our featured German ski resorts. It was snowing lightly at Feldberg (135/155cm) on Thursday 11th February freshening up the already great piste conditions. 23 of their 28 lifts were running on Thursday and there was plenty of great skiing available due to the fresh snow.
Garmisch (25/215cm) offers the largest ski area of our German resorts. Most of the ski area is open this week and fresh snow means the slopes are all in great condition. On Thursday some of the lifts were closed up on the Zugspitze Glacier due to the heavy snow and strong winds but you can be sure that once it all opens up there will be lots of untouched powder to ski.
Bulgaria
Bulgarian skiing is fairly good at the moment. This bodes well for everyone heading there for half term next week, as fresh snow has fallen this week and more is expected over the weekend.
It was snowing heavily at Pamporovo (50/70cm) on Thursday. After a poor start to their season, it’s great to see them receiving decent amounts of snow now. The resort has 18 lifts, 15 of which have been running for most of this week but this could increase with the extra demand over the half term break. The fresh snow means powder can be found all over the mountain so enjoy it while it lasts.
USA
There are no big snowfalls to report in America this week, but snow has been falling in some places. The western half of the country is where most of the snow fell this week.
Up at Timberline (257cm) in Oregon around 10cm of fresh snow fell on Tuesday 9th February. Earlier in the week 20cm of powder gave superb conditions so this extra 10cm will have topped it up. All the pistes are in great condition even down to the lowest level and there is plenty of powder away from the runs. The cat skiing operation runs every day until 3pm, so if you pay for the service they will take you to where the fresh powder is.
Snow also fell down in California. 13cm of snow fell at Mammoth (244/366cm) on Tuesday and this was on top of 60cm that fell over last weekend. There is plenty of excellent skiing at Mammoth at the moment and with a massive base depth off-piste skiing is just as good. Sunnier weather is forecast for this coming weekend and into next week, so it should provide the perfect weather to enjoy the great snow conditions.
Canada
5cm of fresh snow fell at Revelstoke (186cm) on Tuesday night, giving a bit of fresh powder on Wednesday 10th February. All four main lifts are running which gives access to the 1700m vertical that the resort has. All the gladed areas are excellent as they have held fresh snow each time it fell. Their cat skiing area is also very good at the moment and runs daily.
Over at Red Mountain (174cm) a few centimetres of snow fell on Tuesday 9th February. This helped freshen up the runs and improved the snow in the trees. The best part of the resort is around Granite Peak area, where the north facing slopes hold the most fresh snow.
This week sees the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Whistler, on Friday 12th February. The first events are to be held on Saturday 13th February, including the men’s downhill. The weather could affect the opening events however, as 9cm of snow is forecast on Friday 12th and a further 28cm on Saturday 13th. However this should make for some great powder skiing on the upper slopes and improve the snow conditions all over the mountain.
European Weather Outlook
At the moment in Europe it is very cold. Many resorts are experiencing temperatures below -15°C and it should remain very cold until the end of this coming weekend, Sunday 14th February.
In France and Switzerland most resorts are expecting a cold but sunny weekend. By Monday the temperature should start to rise steadily and on Friday the freezing level at Flaine could be at 1900m. This could bring light rain to the lower slopes of some resorts.
Further east in Austria and the Dolomites in Italy, a similar trend of weather is expected. -20°C is possible in the evening on Friday at many resorts. For half term week, the weather looks to be mainly cold and sunny but with a warming trend towards the end of the week. In Austria, the freezing level could be as high as 2300m by Friday.
The opposite is the case in Scandinavia. Currently it is fairly warm, by their standards. Geilo in Norway is -4°C on Thursday but by late next week it should be back down to around -14°C. Snow is forecast as well however.
North American Weather Outlook
Snow is expected for the next ten days in Colorado, but it will be mainly light. In most areas it will amount to between 20cm and 30cm by Friday 19th February. This will be welcomed by many of the resorts however as so far they have had a fairly dry season.
Timberline, up in Oregon, should receive the most of the snow. Heavy snow is expected on Friday 12th February which should amount to around 30cm. Next week looks like being sunny and increasingly warm.
Over on the east coast, cold and generally snowy weather should dominate. At Smugglers’ Notch, daytime temperatures are expected to range between -8°C and -11°C. This coupled with the fresh snow should make for some great skiing.
All eyes are focussed on the weather in Canada this weekend. The Winter Olympics opening ceremony is on Friday 12th February. The good news is that a lot of snow is forecast between Thursday and Sunday, around 70cm to be exact. Unfortunately it’s expected to fall as rain at resort level but due to their altitude this is fairly common. 28cm of snow on Saturday could affect some of the opening events, including the men’s downhill, but should at least give some great powder skiing on the upper half of the mountain. The weather for next week is expected to be fairly sunny and mild but this could change.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Thanks to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| #327 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 18/02/2010 @ 15:54 |
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Thursday 18th Feb 2010
Summary
Despite it being one of the busiest weeks of the year in the Alps, many resorts have minimal lift queues and excellent snow conditions to go with it.
Fresh snow fell in the western half of the Alps on Wednesday and in many resorts the snow continued on Thursday too. The southern areas of the French Alps received the greatest amount of this fresh snow. Serre Chevalier received around 30cm of snow over Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th February.
The snow hasn’t yet arrived in Austria but it is heading their way. Ski Club reps in Austrian resorts report excellent conditions, particularly at Obergurgl where the pistes are being well maintained.
Nevis Range in Scotland reported up to 40cm of fresh snow on Wednesday 17th February. This is excellent news for Scottish skiing, which is experiencing its best season in many years.
Snow continues to fall in Colorado. The good news is that it is due to get even heavier. Earlier in the week Breckenridge received 30cm of fresh powder which made for one of their best powder days of the season so far.
Skiing in Canada is also good at the moment. Despite reports of a lack of snow at the Winter Olympic areas, Whistler has over three metres of snow and with around 90cm falling since Thursday 11th February there is plenty of powder to be found.
Austria
There have been some excellent conditions all over Austria this week, which is good as it is one of the busiest times of the season at the moment. The sun has been shining all week so far while the coming weekend is promising some fresh snow.
It’s been sunny all week at Obertauern (125/160cm) and with low temperatures; the runs are in excellent condition. All of the lifts have been open this week and they should all remain open over the weekend too. Despite it being half term, lift queues are minimal so you can enjoy maximum time on the snow.
Over at Ischgl (25/90cm) the Ski Club rep in resort reports excellent conditions. The upper slopes are in the best condition due to the cold weather but snow making systems have kept the lower slopes in good condition too. If you plan to head off piste, pick your area carefully as some of the lower sections have a lot of rocks showing through and the snow conditions are very varied.
France
There is lots of great skiing on offer in France at the moment. Half term week means many resorts are very busy but these queues can be avoided in most cases, if you know where to go.
A dusting of snow fell on Wednesday night at Avoriaz (150/200cm). The Ski Club rep who is currently in Avoriaz says the pistes offer some great skiing, especially higher up. As the weather has turned warmer the lower slopes are softer but still good fun. The off-piste terrain is tracked out and they need more fresh snow to turn it back to powder.
Most of the fresh snow recently has fallen in the southern French Alps. Resorts like Serre Chevalier (105/225cm) received around 30cm of fresh snow over Tuesday night and into Wednesday 17th February. This is enough to transform the pistes and all the backcountry areas too. Light snow continued to fall on Thursday so it should be a good weekend.
Switzerland
After a sunny week in Switzerland the snow was starting to fall in some places on Thursday morning, although at most of our featured resorts it was just cloudy.
St Moritz (80/200cm) received just over 10cm of fresh snow on Thursday morning, 18th February, and the snow is expected to continue on Friday too and this would further improve the conditions. On Thursday the pistes were covered in a layer of soft snow and the off-piste cover was also freshened up by the new snow.
Not all resorts are snowy however. Andermatt (70/220cm) hasn’t received any significant snow since Thursday 11th February. This doesn’t mean conditions are bad though as most of their pistes are in great condition, particularly higher up.
Italy
Some areas of Italy received decent snowfall on Wednesday. More than 20cm of snow fell in some areas, especially in the west of the country towards France.
20cm of snow fell at Bardonecchia (120/180cm) on Wednesday 17th February. This gave a great powder day and the snow continued to fall lightly on Thursday morning. Many other resorts in the Milky Way ski area received snow too. Around 15cm fell at Sauze d’Oulx (100/180cm) over the same time period and the Ski Club rep in the resort said there was some awesome skiing all over. The powder up at the top was knee deep in places.
Cervinia (90/180cm) received 20cm of snow on Wednesday too. It snowed heavily for most of the day, blanketing the resort in a nice dump of powder. Cervinia’s location, above the tree line, meant visibility was very poor but it improved on Thursday when the snow lightened up. The whole area was open on Thursday allowing visitors to enjoy the powder before it gets skied out.
Scotland
Following heavy snowfall earlier this week, Scotland once again has some superb skiing to offer.
Between 20cm and 40cm of fresh snow was reported at the Nevis Range (30/70cm) on Wednesday 17th February. This improved their conditions hugely as it was beginning to get a bit bare, especially on the lowest slopes. On Wednesday the ski patrol at Nevis reported an “epic powder day”. It couldn’t be a better half term gift for the resort.
Over on the other side of Scotland at Glenshee (40/70cm) snow also fell. It wasn’t as much as at Nevis Range but was enough to improve their piste conditions. They have all but two of their lifts open which is brilliant and with sunny weather forecast it should be an excellent weekend.
If you are looking for something to do this weekend, definitely head up to Scotland for skiing as the conditions this season are some of the best they have had in years.
Andorra
All of our featured Andorran resorts received fresh snow on Wednesday 17th February. It only amounted to around 5cm but was enough to give the pistes a great improvement and freshen up areas off piste.
The Ski Club rep at Soldeu (70/110cm) said the fresh snow transformed the upper slopes but it fell as wet snow at the bottom. Some areas in the village are quite slushy and turning brown in places but upper slopes are all in excellent condition.
Norway/Sweden
It was snowing in parts of Norway on Thursday 18th February. Geilo (60/105cm) reported around 5cm of new snow on the ground in time for the lifts open on Thursday. The nice layer of fresh snow on the pistes provided great conditions for some smooth turns. -12°C was the temperature on Thursday so the fresh snow was in great condition.
Swedish resorts have received fresh snow too. Both of our featured resorts received snow on Thursday 18th February. The most fell at Sälen (70cm), where around 5cm was reported over the course of the day. 83 of their 85 lifts have been running all week and should do this weekend too. It is a relatively large ski area by Swedish standards and the snow conditions are excellent, so it couldn’t be much better.
Germany
Feldberg (140/160cm) received a light dusting of snow on Wednesday 17th February, but only a centimetre or two. Generally cold weather is keeping the snow in good condition although some of the lower slopes are now getting a bit soft. Fresh snow is forecast over the weekend which is good news.
Over at Reit im Winkl (50/100cm) it has been sunny for most of the week. On Thursday cloud moved in, which could bring some snow with it on Friday. Although there isn’t a huge amount of skiing available the terrain they do have is quite good, and they also have lots of cross country skiing if you want to try something different.
Bulgaria
The temperature has risen considerably in Bulgaria recently and to above freezing in most of our featured resorts.
Bansko (175/195cm) has some of the best conditions in Bulgaria at the moment, with the deepest average snow base and the coldest weather. Ten of their 14 lifts are open but these lifts serve the majority of the terrain.
Pamporovo (150/200cm) also offers some good skiing, although the lower pistes will have been affected by mild temperatures. 4°C is the temperature at resort level which will have made the lower slopes soft or even slushy.
USA
There has been no significant snow in the USA this week. Colorado received the most snowfall of the country with around 15cm falling between Sunday 14th February and Thursday 18th February.
5cm of fell at Breckenridge (160cm) on Wednesday 17th February and light snow should continue to fall on Thursday and Friday. Following a 30cm dump of snow last weekend, conditions are superb at Breckenridge and powder can be found in many areas both on and off piste.
It snowed lightly up at Timberline (259cm) in Oregon, dropping around 5cm of fresh snow with it. Their base depth is pretty deep too so there is plenty of good skiing off piste. All of their lifts are open, including their cat skiing operation which people can pay extra for. This takes them further up the mountain and to areas where you can’t ski from the lifts.
Over on the east coast it hasn’t snowed for a few days. Sugarbush (46/91cm) received 5cm of snow on Sunday 14th February which helped keep their pistes in good condition and the in-bounds skiing is very good.
Canada
With all the press coverage about the rain at Whistler (301cm) you might expect their skiing is bad. It is in fact the complete opposite, with plenty of fresh powder on the upper slopes and temperatures around -9°C. Over three metres of snow covers the mountain so the off-piste skiing is every bit as good as it is on piste. All the alpine bowls are full of powder, thanks to 86cm of fresh snow since Friday 12th February. Lower down the slopes are a bit hard but still offer great skiing, especially for carving turns.
It snowed a few centimetres at Revelstoke (196cm) on Tuesday 17th February. Their whole mountain is fully open and offering some awesome skiing. The resort never gets very busy so there are still plenty of fresh lines in the upper bowls and in the trees down lower.
The little resort of Blue Mountain (100cm) near Toronto offers some good on-piste skiing. A metre of largely artificial snow lies on the slopes but cold weather means the snow is in good condition. Off-piste skiing is extremely limited due to the terrain and lack of deep snow.
European Weather Outlook
The coming weekend should be a fairly snowy one with a fair amount of fresh snowfall forecast for France, Switzerland, Italy and Austria.
In Italy, Cervinia should receive 50cm of snow by the middle of next week. The snow should be heaviest on Friday 19th and Monday 22nd February and a dry weekend is expected. The next snowstorm should move over after Wednesday 24th February.
In Austria, rain is possible at the lowest slopes. Mild temperatures will bring wetter snow or rain to the villages of resorts like Saalbach, St Wolfgang and Ellmau. Further up, snow is expected to fall though which should make for some fun skiing.
40cm of snow is expected at Voss in Norway by Friday 26th February. Most of the snow is expected to fall next week but Sunday could see heavy snow too. A drop in temperature, down to -17°C at Voss, should be followed by milder weather of around -6°C.
North American Weather Outlook
The recent snowfall in Colorado isn’t expected to stop and if anything it should get even heavier. Aspen is expecting nearly 60cm of fresh snow by Thursday 25th February which should make for some awesome skiing. The temperature is expected to remain between -7°C and -10°C for the week ahead so the fresh snow should be of great quality.
Down in California, another snowstorm is fast approaching. Snow is expected this weekend at Mammoth but the main snow event is expected to be early next week. 34cm of snow is expected on Tuesday night which is great news and with a temperature well below freezing there should be some good powder around.
Wintry weather is still dominant on the east coast. The area can be plagued with warm spells but there isn’t one expected any time soon. Light snow and cold weather is expected over the weekend and then all the way through next week.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Many thanks once again to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| #328 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 22/02/2010 @ 13:40 |
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Monday 22nd Feb 2010
Summary
Another weekend of heavy snowfall in the Alps leaves many resorts with lots of powder and pistes that are also in excellent condition.
In France between 10cm and 20cm of snow fell on most of the resorts at the end of last week and over the weekend. The Ski Club reps in France report generally good conditions, especially on the upper slopes.
Italy and Austria received the most snow. Bardonecchia in Italy got 40cm of fresh snow on Friday night and many places in Austria saw up to 30cm land on the their slopes.
The skiing in Scotland on Monday was superb with beautiful blue skies and excellent snow cover at all five resorts.
Over in America, the place for powder at the moment is Colorado. Over 90cm of snow has fallen at Aspen since last Tuesday so there is loads of powder all over. Lots of other resorts in Colorado have powder too.
The weather in Whistler has been great recently. Colder and sunnier weather has been dominant for a while allowing all the scheduled alpine skiing events to take place without issue. Many of the lower pistes are hard due to the lack of fresh snow but another storm is on the way this week.
Austria
Another dump of snow fell right across Austria on Saturday. Up to 30cm fell in a few areas but most places received between 10cm and 20cm.
15cm of fresh snow fell at Saalbach (55/95cm) on Saturday 20th February. The fresh snow was fairly heavy at the bottom but further up it was colder and in better condition. With all their 55 lifts running this week and better weather it looks very good for people heading out there.
Obergurgl (52/166cm) didn’t receive as much fresh snow as most places, with around 3cm falling over the course of the day. Their altitude means it was colder up there than at many other locations so the snow is in excellent condition. Some of the upper runs are quite windblown in places so the best conditions can be found around mid mountain.
France
Many areas in France benefited from the snow storm that came in over the weekend. It didn’t drop as much snow as it did further east, in Switzerland and Austria, but up to 15cm fell at most places.
7cm fell at La Plagne (120/185cm) over the course of Saturday 20th February. This was enough to completely refresh the runs and provide a nice layer of powder on top of them. The Ski Club rep in La Plagne reported excellent skiing over the weekend and plenty of tracked powder off piste. The weather has cooled after the warm end to last week so the snow is being well preserved.
On Monday 22nd February a few resorts received a dusting of fresh snow. A further 1cm fell at Le Grand Bornand (125/170cm) on Monday but the sun quickly came out, making for an excellent ski day. The resort is quieter now after the busy half term week last week. All 29 of their lifts are running and with superb snow conditions it’s a great time to be skiing there.
Switzerland
As with the rest of the Alps this weekend, snow fell in Switzerland too.
At St Moritz (80/200cm) around 15cm landed on Saturday 20th February and it was also snowing on Monday 22nd February. This has given an excellent boost to both their on and off-piste skiing as it hasn’t snowed much there recently. The snowy weather should clear away by Tuesday 23rd February so it looks to be an excellent week for skiing there.
Not as much snow fell at Lenzerheide (42/194cm) but it was more than enough to improve the piste skiing. There is plenty of good skiing off piste too, although there isn’t a lot of powder available as most of it is tracked out. The best conditions at Lenzerheide can be found on the upper slopes as milder weather at the end of last week softened up the lower pistes which then re-froze and are quite hard underneath the fresh snow.
Italy
Loads of snow fell in many areas of Italy over the weekend. Parts of the Italian Alps received over half a metre of fresh snow over the course of Saturday and Sunday.
40cm fell on Bardonecchia (150/200cm) on Friday night, 19th February. This made for awesome powder days on Saturday and Sunday. Bardonecchia is part of the massive Milky Way ski area so all of the other resorts in the area, including Sauze d’Oulx (120/180cm) and Sestriere (120/180cm) also received plenty of new snow. The skiing is excellent as a result.
Madonna di Campiglio (100/160cm) received a good dump of snow as well. 38cm of fresh powder was reported on Saturday 20th February and as Saturday is a quiet das on the slopes in Europe, those lucky enough to be skiing there were rewarded with waist deep powder in places.
Scotland
The riding across the five Scottish resorts is currently superb. It can often be the case that it is better on one side of the country than the other, but this week excellent snow conditions are reported on both sides.
As you might expect the deepest snow base is reported at Cairngorm (40/110cm), and the resort has been able to groom slopes down as low as the Ciste car park which is not normally possible. This shows you how good the riding is at the moment.
The fine weather is expected to last through Tuesday and then snowy weather could move in from Wednesday 24th January and this could last until the end of the week. The heaviest snowfall is expected on the east with around 30cm forecast, while about half that should fall in the west.
Andorra
A dusting of fresh snow fell in all our featured Andorran resorts on Sunday 21st February. It was only around 1cm but was enough to add a bit of freshness to the runs.
Arcalis (120/170cm) has the deepest base of the Andorran resorts we feature. Skiing is good both on and off piste so it is probably the pick of the bunch to head for if you are thinking of a last minute holiday to Andorra.
The other Vallnord resort of Pal/Arinsal (80/130cm) also offers some good skiing although their base depth isn’t as deep as at Arcalis. The links between the two resorts are open so there is plenty of skiing on offer.
Norway/Sweden
The temperature has dropped considerably again in Norway, with most resorts hovering around -20°C. The cold weather at Trysil (46/77cm) brought with it a dusting of fresh snow on the morning of Monday 22nd February. Some of the lower pistes are pretty hard however due to the very cold weather but snow cannons are doing their best to keep it all fresh.
Sweden is even colder than Norway at the moment. -24°C was the temperature at Åre (68/79cm) on Monday so there are no issues with soft or slushy snow. Most of the lower pistes are pretty hard but, like with Trysil, snow cannons help to keep them as fresh as possible. A dusting of natural snow fell at Åre on Monday 22nd February.
Germany
A recent dump of fresh snow once again topped up the snow conditions at all our featured German resorts.
The fresh snow at Garmisch (35/210cm) amounted to around 15cm. There was plenty of powder up on the w*nk area of the resort. The best of the snow can be found on the upper half of the mountain as recent mild weather turned the lower pistes slushy. Then it went cold and re-froze them so they are fairly hard at the moment.
Bulgaria
Recent very mild weather in Bulgaria has affected the snow conditions and reduced the base depth in many resorts.
Pamporovo (55/100cm) has lost a fair amount of snow from its slopes but there is still enough left to cover the whole area. The lower slopes are fairly slushy but up top they are good so stick to the upper slopes for the best conditions.
The deepest base depth is at Bansko (175/195cm) still. The snow was affected by the warmer weather but they haven’t reported a drop in the base depth. As with Pamporovo, head to the upper slopes where the lower temperatures have kept the snow in the best condition.
USA
Big dumps of snow have finally arrived in Colorado. It has been snowing loads at all resorts we feature in Colorado which has transformed their skiing and hugely increased the base depth of many resorts.
The most snow seems to have fallen at Aspen (140/214cm) where most recently 28cm of snow fell. Nearly 90cm fell in the second half of last week however so there is plenty of deep powder to be found all over the mountain. Skiing on even the marked runs will feel like off-piste riding due to the amount of fresh snow on top of them. It should be an awesome week as cold and clear weather is forecast for the week ahead.
Another area to receive some snow is California. 20cm fell at Mammoth (230/351cm) on Saturday. The resort is having an excellent season and one of their biggest storms in a while hit the region a couple of weeks ago at the end of January. Snow conditions are superb all over the mountain and as the temperature is around -7°C, the snow should stay in great condition for a while yet.
Canada
Good conditions can be found in Canada, although it hasn’t snowed for around a week in most places. At Red Mountain (186cm) the last snow fell on 16th February. Lower slopes are hard packed now which makes for some great carving turns. Further up there is still some tracked powder to be found as Red Mountain never really gets busy.
Over in Whistler (289cm) the Olympics are still in full swing. The recent dry and settled weather has allowed all the alpine races that have been scheduled up to now to take place at last. The conditions have been ideal too. However there is another storm heading for Whistler which is expected to drop a further 60cm of snow over the course of this week. Fortunately most of the alpine skiing events have taken place now so it shouldn’t cause too much of a problem.
A dusting of snow fell at Tremblant (30/70cm) over in the east on Saturday 20th February. Around 2cm landed on the slopes, refreshing the conditions and giving a smooth layer of powder to ski on. Since then the sun has come out and as the temperature remains low the snow is generally in excellent condition.
European Weather Outlook
Around 30cm of snow is expected in the majority of French resorts this week but it is expected to be fairly warm. At Meribel the temperature will vary between -4°C and 4°C. This is expected to bring heavy rain to the lower slopes up to 2000m on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th February as the freezing level should be around 3100m. This does mean heavy snow above that level though so a powder day at the end of the week should be on the cards.
Further east it shouldn’t get as warm as in France. No rain is expected at the higher Austrian resorts but in places like Ellmau and Kitzbuhel, which are situated below 1000m, rain could fall in the town. The freezing level is expected to rise briefly to 2000m on Friday 26th February before dropping back down again.
The Italian and Swiss Alps are expecting much the same weather, with the colder weather being the further east you go in each country. Most of the snow is expected on the upper slopes of resorts like Bardonecchia in Italy but rain is expected below 2100m.
It’s very cold in Scandinavia and it should remain that way. Heavy snow is expected at most resorts in Norway at the end of this week.
North American Weather Outlook
The recent snowstorms in Colorado are expected to clear away and leave sunny but cold weather behind them. This gives people the opportunity to enjoy the amazing powder the resorts there currently offer. California, Wyoming and Oregon are all expecting drier weather this week.
The eastern coast of America is where the snow is expected this week. A storm with over half a metre of snow in it is expected to hit resorts like Mount Snow between Tuesday 23rd February and Friday 26th February. The snowstorm should bring with it milder temperatures but it should still be cold enough to fall as snow, albeit wet snow, at the bottom. 45cm is expected over Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week.
Whistler’s recent run of dry and settled weather looks set to come to an end. 60cm of snow is expected to fall on the resort over the course of this week which is great news for recreational skiers but not such good news for Olympic organisers. Fortunately most of the alpine skiing events have already taken place so it shouldn’t affect them too much. A combination of rain, sleet and snow is expected at village level but anywhere above 900m should see snow falling all the time. There should be some great powder days in Whistler this week.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Thanks to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| #329 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 26/02/2010 @ 00:33 |
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Thursday 25th Feb 2010
Summary
More snow in France earlier this week means the skiing is excellent once again. Lots of areas received up to 40cm of fresh snow on their upper slopes but lower down the snow is wetter.
The same is the case in Switzerland and Austria. Not as much snow has fallen in these countries as did in France and milder weather means the lower pistes are soft or even slushy in some parts. Good skiing can, however, be found up high at all the areas.
The end of this week sees one of the biggest dumps of snow in Scotland for a long time. All five main resorts are closed due to extremely heavy snow and high winds. The snowfall is also affecting access roads but when the weather clears the skiing will be comparable to top powder resorts in the world, especially considering how the snow drifts at the Scottish resorts.
It’s also snowed loads in America, particularly the east coast. Resorts like Sunday River and Sugarbush have been hit with around 75cm of fresh snow, which fell on Wednesday 24th February. It also snowed 70cm down at Mammoth in California, continuing their excellent season.
Eyes are still on Whistler in Canada and the weather there. Fortunately it has been dry and sunny recently, allowing them to run most of the alpine skiing events without problems. However another storm is heading for the area, bringing with it up to 50cm of fresh snow. This is great news for recreational skiers but not such great news for event organisers. Fortunately, most of the skiing events have now taken place.
Austria
No new snow has fallen in Austria since Saturday 20th February in most places. Despite the lack of fresh snow the pistes are generally in very good condition all over, especially high up.
Some great skiing can be found at Lech (85/170cm) where heavy snowfalls on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th February last week left some great powder on the mountain. This snow has all packed down now leaving the upper pistes in excellent conditions. Milder temperatures this week and sunny weather have left the lowest pistes a little slushy but on the whole the conditions are very good.
The pistes at Zell am See (25/110cm) aren’t as good as at Lech. The Ski Club rep in Zell am See says that the mild weather and general low altitude of the resort has taken its toll on the snow conditions. The upper pistes are fairly hard but lower down they are much softer, still offering some fun skiing.
France
Snow fell across most of France earlier this week with some substantial accumulations in some places. Mild weather has been dominant which unfortunately means that rain fell at resort level for many places.
The Ski Club rep in Avoriaz (175/230cm) said there was lots of fresh powder on the upper slopes of the Portes du Soleil area. Many areas were knee deep in fresh snow on the highest slopes. Further down the snow is heavier and even slushy in places. Rain fell down in Morzine (70/210cm) right up to around 1500m so it is worth staying high for the best of the snow.
It was a similar story in Tignes (114/180cm) where the upper slopes received snow and the lower of the Tignes villages received rain. Due to the height of the Espace Killy area it fell mostly as snow, especially above 1800m. The whole area is fully open, including all the links over to Val d’Isere (117/180cm) where conditions are also generally good. The Ski Club rep said the snow up on the Grande Motte glacier was excellent on Wednesday 24th February.
Switzerland
A few Swiss resorts received fresh snow on Wednesday and Thursday but most haven’t had fresh snow since the weekend. This allowed people to enjoy the generally good snow conditions.
The deepest base in Switzerland of our featured resorts is at Engelberg (75/275cm). Nearly three metres of snow lies up on the Titlis Glacier and its surrounding mountains. The resort is known for its off-piste skiing and the conditions off piste are excellent now. The last significant snowfall was on Friday 19th February so it hasn’t snowed for a while but there is plenty of tracked powder to be enjoyed off piste.
The Ski Club rep in Verbier (25/165cm) said they enjoyed some great runs when skiing the upper slopes on Wednesday 24th February. 10cm of snow fell on Tuesday which gave a good layer of powder to ski on. He said it is best to stick to the upper slopes, as always, as milder weather has turned most of the lowest slopes fairly soft and slushy.
Italy
A light covering of fresh snow fell at Passo Tonale (70/430cm) on Tuesday 23rd February. With more than four metres of snow on the highest slopes and glacier there are some fantastic off-piste opportunities. Top to bottom runs can be enjoyed completely off piste, although some of the lowest slopes have thin snow cover. Piste skiing is also excellent with ample cover on all runs.
Excellent snow can also be found at Courmayeur (210/290cm). Nearly three metres of snow lies on the upper slopes, which is an excellent base depth for any time of the year. The upper runs are in the best condition, as lower down the mild weather has turned the snow a little soft and slushy in places. 18 of their 21 lifts are running this week so there is plenty of skiing to be enjoyed.
Following a 40cm dump of snow at Madonna di Campiglio (100/160cm) last weekend, 20th and 21st February, the resort enjoyed several awesome powder days. This snow has been largely packed down now meaning most of the runs are in superb condition. As with Courmayeur, stick to the higher slopes for the best of the snow conditions.
Scotland
Severe wintry weather has delivered heavy snowfalls to all five Scottish resorts on Wednesday and Thursday. All of the resorts were temporarily closed on Thursday and they may not reopen until the weather eases and they can ensure safe access to the slopes.
65cm of new snow was reported in the valley below Cairngorm in the east of Scotland on Thursday morning, 25th January. In the west at Glencoe the fresh snow was reportedly waist deep at the top of the access chair, also on Thursday morning.
The wintry weather is expected to last over the weekend at all five resorts and this could deliver as much as 40cm of new snow, on top of what they have already received so far this week. When the resorts reopen the skiing will be epic!
Andorra
Good snow can be found in the Pyrenean country of Andorra. Its resorts have a decent snow base both up high and down low so there is no need to worry about a lack of snow.
It last snowed at Soldeu (70/110cm) on Monday 22nd February. The Ski Club rep in Soldeu said most of the pistes are in good condition but milder weather was affecting the lower ones. This doesn’t mean they are in bad condition however as they hold some great, grippy snow.
A generally sunny weekend with mild weather is expected and that should continue into next week as well.
Norway/Sweden
Lots of fresh snow has fallen on the west coast of Norway. Most of the resorts haven’t benefited from the storm but Voss (60/90cm) received 25cm on Wednesday, which is their biggest dump of the season so far. There is plenty of good powder skiing on their runs now so get out there and enjoy it before it all gets groomed.
Dustings of snow fell at our featured Swedish resorts recently. Åre (58/78cm) received a light cover of around 1cm on Thursday 25th February, keeping the pistes nice and fresh. All of the area is open and cold weather means the pistes are in great condition.
Sunny and cold weather is forecast in Sweden all this weekend and next week.
Germany
Mild, spring weather has taken over in Germany and is melting some of the snow, particularly low down. Resorts like Feldberg (130/150cm) and Reit im Winkl (25/60cm) still have a good snow base, especially Feldberg. This should enable them to see out the warm weather and still be left with some snow.
The best of the skiing can be found at Garmisch (30/205cm) and Oberstdorf (30/190cm) where there is plenty of skiing up high. At Garmisch it is possible to ski at nearly 3000m and the snow up there is in superb condition.
The warm weather should continue through the weekend then it will cool down a bit next week.
Bulgaria
No significant snowfalls have occurred in Bulgaria for a while now. Milder and drier weather has dominated the area for the past week but the snow is generally still in good condition.
Pamporovo (55/100cm) has some good skiing on soft and slushy slopes lower down. The summit remains just below freezing so the snow up there is better but generally the whole area has soft snow.
Mild and windy weather is expected for most of the week, with the freezing level rising up 3400m at Bansko on Sunday, bringing light rain to the whole mountain.
USA
There has been loads of snow on both sides of America this week. Over on the east coast many resorts received up to 80cm of fresh snow on Wednesday 24th February, which is the biggest dump of their season so far.
76cm was reported to have fallen at Mount Snow (76/122cm) on Wednesday which is the most they have received so far this season. The whole mountain is blanketed in powder, which is up to waist deep, which should make for some incredible skiing on their steep slopes. It is best not to try to ski the easy runs as the snow will just cause you to grind to a halt. Find some of the steeper terrain and enjoy the face shots.
Meanwhile over in California it has also been snowing loads. Mammoth (274/396cm) received 71cm of fresh snow, also on Wednesday. There is plenty of super steep terrain at Mammoth as well so it is perfect to enjoy all the fresh powder. They are having an excellent season and have already received 9 metres of snow so far, and it’s only February.
Canada
The good news is that fresh snow has arrived at many resorts in western Canada. Between 3cm and 13cm has fallen so far on many areas but it should continue, further improving the riding conditions.
The greatest amount of snow fell at Silver Star (144/180cm), which received 13cm of fresh snow on Wednesday 24th February. This is the first significant snowfall in the area since 16th February so it comes as a welcome relief. All of Silver Star’s terrain is open, including the back side of the mountain which houses many steep double black diamond runs. These should be great fun with the new snow.
It’s also been snowing on the east coast of Canada. 15cm of snow fell at Tremblant (30/70cm), also on Wednesday. The hard packed pistes are nicely covered with the fresh snow which should give some fun skiing all over the mountain.
European Weather Outlook
The weather in the French Alps is expected to remain fairly mild. Heavy snow is forecast at Argentiere over the course Friday which could dump around 30cm of snow on the upper slopes. Mild weather is then forecast over the weekend, with a freezing level of up to 2200m.
Over in the east of the Alps, it should be snowy too. Resorts like Davos in Switzerland and Ischgl in Austria are expecting around 30cm of fresh snow by the middle of next week. As with France, Sunday is expected to be a warm day with the freezing level rising to around 2100m in most areas.
Scotland is in the grip of a powerful winter storm on Thursday 25th February. The storm has already dropped around 70cm of fresh snow in some places and it should continue to snow on Thursday night and Friday. The snow and high winds are expected to last until Sunday, before clearing away on Monday. Skiing in Scotland next week could be the best it has been for a long time.
Oppdal in Norway is expecting a big dump of snow next week. 50cm is the predicted total but it should fall towards the end of next week. This will be great for the resort if/when it happens.
North American Weather Outlook
Heavenly in California/Nevada is expecting the most snow in America over the coming seven days. 47cm should fall, with it being heaviest on Friday 26th February and then towards the end of next week. However Monday 1st March could be a very warm day, with freezing levels rising to nearly 3500m.
The snow on the east coast isn’t supposed to let up any time soon either. It should remain snowy until at least Monday, accumulating to nearly 50cm by the time the weather has cleared. This is on top of the 70cm of fresh snow they received on Wednesday 24th February.
It should be snowy in Colorado too, but not as much as the other two areas mentioned. 30cm is expected at Vail by the end of next week which should provide some excellent skiing conditions.
Up in Canada, snow should fall all weekend and next week at Whistler. This could hamper some of the Olympic events but fortunately most of the alpine skiing events are finished now. For recreational skiers it should be an excellent time with the fresh snow.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Many thanks to the SCGB for todays snow report. |
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| #330 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 30/03/2010 @ 17:36 |
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sorry that I have not updated these posts over the last Month but Ive been having too much fun out in Canada.....normal service resumes now. 
Monday 29th March 2010.
Summary
Conditions are a lot better in most of Europe now after the heavy snow that fell in the Alps over the weekend. Loads of snow fell in France and parts of Switzerland and lighter snow fell in Austria too.
Val d’Isere and Tignes in France received some of the heaviest snowfall. The Ski Club rep in Tignes reported 50cm of fresh snow on Saturday 27th March. Awesome skiing can be found, particularly on the upper slopes.
20cm fell on the upper slopes at Zermatt in Switzerland. This gave a fun powder day although the lower slopes are slushy, where rain and wet snow fell.
Not so much snow fell in Austria but it was enough to boost their conditions a little. The Ski Club rep in Mayrhofen said that although it rained in the valley, it was snowing up on the mountain and there was some fresh snow to ski.
Over in America, Colorado enjoyed a snowy weekend. There was plenty of powder to ski in most resorts, including Vail. Their base depth is pretty good now and the powder over the weekend made for some excellent skiing.
Big White and Silver Star in British Columbia, Canada, received the biggest dump of their season so far on Friday night. 35cm of fresh snow gave an awesome day on Saturday. Their base depths are at the deepest they have been all season which bodes very well for the remainder of the season.
Austria
It snowed in Austria over the weekend, mainly on the upper slopes.
A dusting of snow fell at Mayrhofen (0/80cm) on Saturday, 27th March, which helped refresh the upper piste conditions. The Ski Club rep in the resort said that the fresh snow made for some excellent skiing up top. 10cm also fell on Friday night so in general the skiing here is a lot better than it was during last week.
Obergurgl (37/145cm) received some snow too, most recently 5cm on Sunday 28th March. The temperature was mild over the weekend but cold enough to produce the fresh snow, and the piste conditions on the upper slopes are excellent. Very low down the runs get a bit soft in the afternoon, but on the whole it’s excellent at the moment.
France
Winter made a big return in France over the weekend, dumping loads of snow and lowering the temperature.
50cm of fresh snow fell at Tignes (110/195cm) on Saturday which was one of the biggest dumps of their season so far. Loads of powder could be found, even down to the village level, and on Monday conditions were superb. Most of the lifts in the Espace Killy are open so you can ski over to Val d’Isere (100/195cm) and enjoy their snow too.
Lots of snow also fell on the upper half of the mountain at La Clusaz (20/270cm). Their base depth increased by 50cm over the weekend and webcams showed some awesome conditions on Monday. The best skiing is up high as it is still quite mild lower down, but this is nothing abnormal for the end of March.
Switzerland
Winter returned to the mountains in Switzerland over the weekend and most resorts received some good snowfall with it.
20cm of fresh snow fell at Zermatt (6/169cm) on Sunday 28th March. The fresh snow was fairly wet down at village level resulting in slushy lower slopes, but high up it was superb. The Ski Club rep in Zermatt said they had a great day enjoying the powder on the upper pistes. The milder weather low down is to be expected at this time of year.
Some resorts are warmer than others however. Les Mosses (25/115cm) is one of the warmer ones. 6°C was the temperature there on Monday 29th March but they did receive fresh snow over the weekend so there is good spring skiing to be enjoyed.
Italy
More snow fell at Cervinia (70/205cm) over the weekend. On Saturday 28th March 20cm fell and according to the Ski Club rep it was excellent. The best of the fresh snow was on the upper slopes as it is still fairly mild in the Alps at the moment. Despite this great skiing can be found from top to bottom on the mountain.
An impressive 40cm of snow fell at the small resort of Macugnaga (40/140cm). It doesn’t snow all that frequently here but when it does snow they get loads, and now is no exception. The powder is a little heavy low down due to the mild weather but further up it is superb; an excellent boost for this time of year.
Snow fell at the end of last week in Champoluc (50/120cm). The upper slopes are the best but you can still ski right down to the town. All the pistes are in good condition thanks to excellent piste maintenance and lower temperatures up high.
Scotland
There were some icy patches in places at Cairngorm (15/85cm) on Monday morning but with a dusting of fresh snow landing overnight the pistes were predominantly soft. Away from the groomed runs the conditions were hard packed and tracked out, so take care.
Although Glenshee (10/45cm) has been suffering due the recent mild weather, the temperature has now dropped and a light dusting of new snow fell on Sunday night. There is still patchy snow cover on some slopes but Sunnyside, Meall Odhar and Glas Maol offer good riding.
The Lecht (10/45cm) reported spring skiing conditions on Monday morning, 29th March. This was the only ski area in Scotland on Monday that did not report any new snow.
The snow base on-piste at Glencoe (10/50cm) was hard packed on Monday morning but a dusting of fresh snow overnight did help the conditions. The areas that receive a large amount of skiers are worn in places, but with more snow expected this week this situation should further improve.
The riding at Nevis Range (10/45cm) has also improved following fresh snow that fell over the weekend. The best riding is available on the upper runs, as you might imagine at this time of year, as there is some patchy snow cover lower down.
The situation at all five Scottish ski areas could further improve this week with fresh snowfall expected. The heaviest snow showers should fall in the east, with up to 45cm of new snow forecast to land at Glenshee by the end of Tuesday 6th April. Most of this snow should fall by Thursday 1st April though, perfectly timed for the Easter break. In the west, the snowfall will be lighter with 15-20cm of snow predicted. Like in the east, the heaviest falls should happen this week between Tuesday and Thursday.
Andorra
It was largely sunny in Andorra over the weekend and warm as well. This is affecting their snow conditions and most runs are now soft or slushy, even at higher levels.
The Ski Club rep at Soldeu (70/120cm) said they enjoyed good skiing despite the snow conditions. The lower overnight temperatures mean the upper runs are hard in the morning but they quickly soften. All the runs and lifts are open and links over to other resorts are also open.
Sunny and warm weather is expected for all of the week and into next weekend.
Norway/Sweden
Fresh snow has fallen at many of our featured Scandinavian resorts this weekend.
Åre in Sweden (73/85cm) reported the greatest snowfall with 6cm landing on the upper slopes on Sunday 28th March. In Norway Hemsedal (80/115cm) and Oppdal (35/75cm) received a light dusting on Sunday too. Voss (30/105cm) in Norway and Sälen (55/65cm) both reported a light dusting of new snow arriving on Monday morning, and with fresh snow forecast to land at many of the other resorts by Tuesday 30th April.
The forecast this week is for predominantly cloudy and snowy weather. Oppdal in Norway is forecast the least snow, with just under 20cm likely by the end of Tuesday 6th April. Hemsedal is expecting the most snow with 46cm predicted in the same period. All of the other Norwegian and Swedish resorts should receive something in between these amounts.
Germany
The warm spring weather is really taking its toll on the snow in Germany now and the lower slopes of many resorts are starting to become bare.
Reit im Winkl (5/30cm) has almost no snow in the town or on the lower slopes but up at the top of the mountain there is still some snow around. Although this doesn’t offer much in the way of variety it is good fun nonetheless and for this time of year these conditions are to be expected.
Some snow is forecast later this week at most of our German resorts, which should improve the snow conditions.
Bulgaria
A fairly good end to the season in Bulgaria looks to be possible. Some fresh snow fell at Pamporovo (50/90cm) on Sunday 28th March. It was only a dusting but it did slightly improve the snow conditions.
The weather for the coming week looks to be very sunny and mild, with temperatures of around 11°C at most resorts. Expect some slushy, spring skiing if you are heading out there soon.
USA
It snowed quite a lot in Colorado over the weekend, with many resorts receiving up to 30cm of fresh snow. The most snow fell at Telluride (203cm) where 56cm of snow fell on Saturday 27th March. This made for an awesome day on Saturday and also on Sunday. Telluride has plenty of steep terrain, providing amazing riding with over half a metre of fresh snow.
Timberline (343cm) in Oregon received some fresh snow as well. 32cm fell, also on Saturday, which boosted their snow conditions once again. With nearly three and a half metres of snow on the slopes, it looks good for the spring period ahead.
Unfortunately it has become warm again on the east coast, after the recent short cold spell. This caused Attitash Bear Peak (26/76cm) to announce a closure for the first two days of this week. There is no skiing there on Monday 29th March and Tuesday 30th March. They should reopen for the weekend although they are scheduled to end their season on Sunday 4th April.
Canada
Many resorts in western Canada received a big bump of fresh snow on the night of Friday 26th March. After a reasonably slow second half of the season this was excellent.
Big White (231cm) received 34cm of fresh snow on Friday night, giving a great powder day on Saturday 27th March. This was their biggest dump of the season so far and has pushed the base depth to its deepest of the season so far too. Plenty of powder can still be found off piste, especially in the trees.
It’s been snowing at Whistler (325cm) too. They received 18cm of fresh snow on Sunday 27th March and with nearly a metre and a half expected to fall this week it should be amazing. Plenty of powder can be found in the upper bowls and in the trees.
The colder weather is still persisting on the east coast as well. It’s 0°C at Tremblant (40/80cm) which is keeping the snow in good condition. Across at Mont Sainte-Anne (90/100cm) the 30cm dump they received last week means skiing is good. The snow is being well maintained and plenty of good skiing can be found.
European Weather Outlook
It should be snowy, on and off, in Europe this week. Most of the French resorts we report on are expecting between 30cm and 40cm of fresh snow but a few are expecting more than that.
Alpe d’Huez should receive around 44cm this week, with most of this falling on Tuesday and Wednesday. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday should be quite cold too, with the temperature not rising above -9°C on Wednesday 31st March.
Zermatt in Switzerland should receive 56cm this week, with the heaviest falls expected on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday should be cold as well, with a temperature no more than -12°C.
It’s going to be a snowy week in most of Scandinavia as well. Geilo in Norway should receive 45cm of snow between Tuesday 30th March and Tuesday 6th April. It should be cold as well, with night time temperature of -18°C so the snow should be in excellent condition.
North American Weather Outlook
Another snowstorm is expected in the Tahoe region on Tuesday 30th March. The freezing level should drop down to 1100m which is well below the base of Heavenly. This should make for some great skiing during the week, especially with the 45cm of fresh snow forecast.
Unfortunately the weather on the east coast is much more akin to summer than winter. Heavy rain is expected at Sugarbush on Tuesday 30th March. Then sunny weather with temperatures of 21°C is expected from Wednesday onwards. This is likely to obliterate their remaining snow. The same is the case at Attitash Bear Peak and the mild weather is forecast for their closing weekend. The perfect party weather!
Contrary to the warm weather in the east, western Canada is expecting to get colder and snowier. Kicking Horse is expecting 53cm of fresh snow this week and the temperatures should drop to -8°C during the day. Whistler is expecting heavy snow all this week and the colder weather means a lot of snow should fall, right down to base level. The upper slopes are expecting nearly a metre and a half of fresh snow.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Many thanks once again to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| #331 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 28/05/2010 @ 20:25 |
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Thursday 27th May 2010.
Summary
There is some good skiing available on glaciers in Europe at the moment. Fresh snow was reported on Thursday morning, 27th May, at Zermatt in Switzerland, freshening up the piste cover. Further snowfall could land before the weekend at Zermatt, as well as other European glacier skiing destinations.
Dachstein in Austria is currently closed for snowsports but the summer ski season is scheduled to start this Saturday, 29th May.
More fresh snow has landed at Timberline in America this week providing excellent spring riding conditions and further snow showers are forecast as we head into the weekend. Whistler in Canada is now closed for snowsports. The Blackcomb glacier is scheduled to open for summer skiing from 19th June.
All of our reported southern hemisphere resorts are yet to open for their winter season.
Austria
There is still plenty of snow up on the glaciers in Austria and it was possible to ski at three of our featured resorts on Thursday 27th May.
Hintertux (0/295cm) has nearly three metres of snow up on the glacier and there is plenty of skiing available. The weather on Thursday was quite poor though with low cloud and poor visibility.
The Stubai Glacier (0/170cm) has some good skiing available too. Like at Hintertux the weather was bad on Thursday but the slightly colder temperature at Stubai is beneficial for the snow cover. Fresh snow is forecast next week, with the temperature expected to drop to -11°C up on the glacier with snow falling right down to 1600m on Monday 31st May.
The Dachstein Glacier (0/280cm) is closed during this week but is scheduled to open for their summer ski season on Saturday 29th May. With plenty of snow and even more on the way this weekend there should be some good skiing available when the lifts open.
France
All of our reported French summer ski destinations are closed. They will reopen in June for summer skiing.
Switzerland
10cm of fresh snow was reported at Zermatt (191cm) on Thursday morning, 27th May. Unfortunately only two red runs, Furggsattel and Theodulgletscher, were available on Thursday and three lifts were operating due the inclement weather. The weather may not be great for topping up your suntan at the moment, but it is excellent for the snow cover on the glacier. Further snowfall is forecast on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th May then some sun should poke through on Sunday. The weather next week is expected to be a combination of sunny and cloudy spells, providing good visibility to take advantage of the refreshed snow cover.
Saas Fee is closed for snowsports until it opens for the summer ski season on 3rd July.
Italy
There are three pistes available on the Presena glacier (450cm) above Passo Tonale, including two red runs and one black run. Cloudy skies dominated on Thursday 27th May and although no fresh snow was reported during the morning there was snow forecast to land before the end of this week and into the weekend. The skies are then expected to brighten up next week, which should provide nice clear weather to take advantage of the new snow.
Val Senales and Cervinia are both closed for snowsports. Val Senales is scheduled to open for the summer ski season on 12th June and Cervinia on 26th June.
Plus Cairngorm is still open for the late May bank holiday and they are hoping to open next weekend as well.
North America
Whistler in Canada is now closed for the winter season. Summer skiing will be available from 19th June.
More snow has fallen at Timberline (373cm) in America this week although less than 10cm has landed. Further snowfall is forecast at the end of this week and into Saturday 29th May then a mixture of sun and cloud is expected on Sunday 30th May. The clouds should build again for next week and more snow could fall.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Many thanks to the SCGB for this report. |
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| #332 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 19/08/2010 @ 15:53 |
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Thursday 19 August 2010
Summary
Fresh snow fell earlier this week in France, Switzerland and Italy and this has really improved the riding conditions. It is surprising to receive so much snow in August so if you are heading to the Alps this summer you may want to pack your ski boots.
Fresh snow has continued to fall in Australia and New Zealand this week. Moderate snowfall in Australia has enhanced the riding conditions higher up although the lower slopes can be a bit wet due to the mild temperature. Heavier snowfall has graced a few New Zealand resorts and it has even fallen in enough quantity to force Mt Lyford to close temporarily.
Termas de Chillan in Chile along with Cerro Catedral and Chapelco in Argentina have also benefitted from fresh snow landing this week. The most snow has fallen at Cerro Catedral which reported over a metre of new snow on Tuesday 17th August.
Austria
Typical summer snow can be found on the two glaciers that are open in Austria at the moment; Hintertux (125cm) and Molltal (120cm).
There isn’t a lot of terrain on offer at Molltal but the snow they do have is in good condition, thanks to recent fresh snow. The best place to ski is Hintertux where you can still ski down to 2660m, which is almost 600m below the top station at 3250m.
France
The fresh snow that fell at Tignes (30cm) earlier this week is still hanging around on the glacier, especially at the top. Most of their summer lifts are running which should help make the last ten days of their summer season good ones. Tignes’ Grande Motte glacier is scheduled to close for summer skiing on 29th August.
It’s expected to be mostly sunny this week but rain is possible on Friday 20th, Saturday 21st and Monday 23rd August even at 3800m.
Switzerland
The riding at our two featured Swiss summer skiing resorts is superb at the moment following recent snowy weather.
The snow depth on-piste at Saas Fee (155cm) has increased by more then 40cm since Thursday 12th August and there has been powder snow to enjoy about the glacier skiing area this week.
The base depth may not have increased by the same amount at Zermatt (176cm) but the riding is still excellent and to receive 20cm of new snow in one snowfall in August, as Zermatt did last weekend, is superb.
A mixture of sun and cloud is forecast this weekend at these two Swiss resorts but the cloudy spells could deliver some wet weather now the temperature has increased.
Italy
Of our two featured and open Italian summer skiing resorts Cervinia (75cm) currently has the best snow conditions following 20cm of new snow landing last weekend. The riding at Val Senales (100cm) is good and the area has also received recent fresh snow but just not as much as at Cervinia.
A mixture of sun and cloud is forecast this weekend at the two Italian resorts. Some wet precipitation could fall at Cervinia as the temperature has increased since the start of the week. It is forecast to remain drier at Val Senales this weekend.
North America
The Blackcomb Glacier at Whistler has now closed for the summer ski season. They will reopen again in November for the start of the winter season.
Good summer skiing conditions can be enjoyed at Timberline (90cm) in Oregon, America at the moment with sunny skies overhead. The Magic Mile, Palmer and Magic Mile Skyride lifts are currently operating and this week the available terrain park is the Palmer Public Park on the upper mountain.
Chile
The only resort in Chile reporting any new snow this week is Termas de Chillan (170//280cm). 20cm of new snow fell over Monday 16th and Tuesday 17th August freshening up the snow cover across the area. They also have the deepest base depth of our featured Chilean resorts.
The weather is forecast to be bright and sunny over the weekend in Chile although some clouds could move in at Termas de Chillan on Sunday 22nd August bringing further snowfall. This is the only Chilean resort forecast any new snow this weekend.
Argentina
Snowfall of the week has to go to Cerro Catedral (25/200cm) which received a massive 110cm of fresh snow on Tuesday 17th August. This was the biggest dump of their season so far and it subsequently gave the best conditions. The snow that fell low down is a bit heavy as it’s quite warm but there is plenty of superb snow up high.
Further up north is Las Lenas (42/95cm) they haven’t received any significant fresh snow for the past week and it’s been fairly warm so the lower runs are very spring-like. Coverage is still good on the main runs but the lower off-piste areas are a little thin. Head high for the best snow.
Australia
More snow has fallen at many of our featured Australian resorts although it was slightly wet down low in most places.
Mt Hotham (83/122cm) still has the deepest snow base of all our Australian resorts. They received 6cm of fresh snow on Thursday 19th August which makes for some nice skiing on the upper slopes. It’s quite wet on the lower slopes as it’s been sleeting but the existing snow should hold up.
Unfortunately Ben Lomond is still closed due to a lack of snow. They are hoping to get sufficient snowfall to allow them to open again before the end of the season.
New Zealand
Again more snow has fallen at our featured New Zealand resorts this week. All of the resorts, bar one, have benefitted from this latest snowfall.
The only resort not reporting fresh snow this week is Coronet Peak (95cm). Here they have spring-like conditions across the ski area with hard packed snow in the morning that softens as the day warms up.
Mt Lyford (260cm) currently reports the deepest base depth in New Zealand and they also report the greatest amount of fresh snow this week. Unfortunately the 40cm of new snow that fell through Wednesday night into Thursday 19th August forced the closure of the resort on Thursday. They do hope to reopen on Friday 20th August and the riding will be superb.
Mount Dobson (255cm) has the second deepest base in New Zealand with over two and a half metres of snow on the ground. They did only receive a dusting of new snow though, 8cm on Wednesday 18th August, but this was enough to freshen up the piste cover.
Changeable weather is forecast at the end of this week and over the weekend across New Zealand. There will be some sunny periods but these will be broken up by cloudy spells which could deliver even more snow.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Thanks to the SCGB for todays report. |
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| #333 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 12/10/2010 @ 10:42 |
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Monday 11 October 2010
Summary.
Good riding can be enjoyed at the open glacier skiing resorts in Austria, France, Switzerland and Italy this week. Predominantly sunny weather is forecast with temperatures on the glaciers staying around freezing, which helps to maintain the current snow base.
The southern hemisphere winter season is really winding down now. Monday 11th October was the last day of the season for the remaining open South American resort we feature, Cerro Catedral. More resorts closed for the season in New Zealand over the weekend too, so now only three resorts remain.
Austria
Sunny skies and low temperatures are expected all week at our featured Austrian glacier skiing resorts. The cold temperature will help to maintain the great riding conditions.
13 lifts are now operating for skiing on the Stubai Glacier (60cm), with nine pistes prepared including seven blue runs and two red runs.
Kaprun (57cm) is open for snowsports on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier, with fantastic sunny weather this week providing excellent visibility. The temperature remains just above freezing during the day so the snow does not become too heavy.
Hintertux (110cm) still has the most terrain available in Austria at the moment. 42km of marked runs are open for you to ski on. Skiing has been available down to 2660m through the summer at Hintertux and this is still the case. Bright, sunny skies are forecast all week with temperatures up on the glacier hovering around freezing which will help to maintain the great snow conditions.
France
The only skiing available in France at the moment is at Tignes (30cm) in the Espace Killy. Predominantly cloudy skies were overhead on Monday 11th October, but this did not deter visitors who were able to ski to the bottom of the Rosolin T-bar lifts on packed snow cover. Brighter weather is forecast from Tuesday 12th October right through to next weekend.
Les Deux Alpes opens at the end of October for the holiday week but then closes until the end of November, when the winter season will start.
Switzerland
Great riding can be enjoyed at Saas Fee (115cm) and Zermatt (176cm) on the packed and groomed glacier pistes. Predominantly sunny weather is forecast this week with the temperature on the glacier remaining around freezing, which is good for the snow cover.
Italy
Good summer skiing can be enjoyed at Val Senales (150cm) this week with four lifts providing access to two red runs and three blue runs. The snow cover on the open ski area is good and with the temperature remaining around freezing on the glacier the snow should stay in great shape all week.
The Presena Glacier at Passo Tonale is not yet open for snowsports. The resort cannot confirm a date when the glacier will reopen at this stage as it depends on when the snow falls.
North America
Whistler is currently closed for snowsports and will reopen again for the winter at the end of November.
Timberline (80cm) in Oregon, America is now open for the winter season although only at weekends for the time being. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday they will operate three lifts on the Palmer Snowfield, weather permitting. Unfortunately the resort was closed for Sunday 10th October due to wet weather affecting the area. The good news is that brighter weather is expected this week and the temperature should drop as we approach next weekend. This will provide better riding conditions when the lifts next open.
Chile
All of the Chilean resorts we report on are now closed for the ski season.
Argentina
Monday 11th October was the final day of the season for last remaining Argentinean resort we feature that was still open for snowsports. Cerro Catedral (0/90cm) reported almost a metre of snow on the upper slopes and with bright sunny skies overhead providing spring riding conditions it was a great last day of the season.
Australia
All of the Australian resorts we report on are closed for the season.
New Zealand
Mt Lyford, Mount Dobson, Porter Heights, Rainbow and The Remarkables all closed for the season over the weekend.
The only resorts in New Zealand we feature that are still able to offer skiing or boarding are Mount Hutt (135cm), Turoa (184cm) and Whakapapa (176cm). Unfortunately strong winds forced these three resorts to close for Monday 11th October. Fresh snow is reported at all three though so wind drifted snow will be fun to play in when the lifts reopen.
The wind at Mount Hutt is forecast to ease off for Tuesday 12th October and brighter weather is also expected, which is great news. Unfortunately the strong winds about Mt Ruapehu on the north island could remain for a few days so it may not be possible to ski at Turoa or Whakapapa until the middle of this week. Strong winds could then return for the end of this week so there may unfortunately not be much skiing available at these two resorts this week.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001 .
Mny thanks to the SCGB for this report. |
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| #334 Re: Twice weekly reports from SCGB. Posted 11/11/2010 @ 11:50 |
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Monday 8th Nov 2010.
Summary
Skiing in Europe remains to be mostly possible at those resorts with a glacier. More resorts in North America are starting to open, and the winter season is almost in full swing.
On Monday 8th November there was good snowfall across the European resorts. Austria remains to offer some of the most extensive skiing in Europe and resorts such as Hintertux and Solden offer a wide variety of open terrain. Cervinia in Italy and Zermatt in Switzerland however, continue to get better and better as they receive some of the highest snowfalls and best conditions out of all the resorts in Europe.
Geilo in Norway is now open for the winter season. Very low temperatures are helping to keep the man made snow in reasonable condition. Trysil in Norway and Sälen in Sweden are also open for skiing, offering limited skiing on largely man made snow.
In North America only Loveland, Arapahoe Basin and Killington are currently open and Keystone and Copper Mountain opened over the weekend. Sunday River in Maine is also now open, but for weekend skiing only. Mammoth in California is due to open on Thursday November 11th and Breckenridge and Solitude on Friday 12th November.
Austria
Most of the skiing in Austria is currently at the glacier resorts which also offer summer skiing. The exception is Kitzbuhel (0/30cm), which is open for weekend skiing only for the time being.
Snow fell across the Austrian resorts on Monday 8th November. Neustift (10/70cm) received 20cm of fresh snowfall and Hintertux (10/155cm) received 15cm, which comes after a few weeks without snow. The new snowfall created fantastic skiing conditions, despite the poor visibility caused by cloud and falling snow. With temperatures between -3? and -8?, the snow should remain of great quality for the coming week.
The forecast across Austria is predominantly for snow and low temperatures until Friday 12th November. Wednesday 10th November however should see brief sunny spells. Next weekend is forecast to have a mixture of sun and cloud, before more snowfall arrives on Monday 15th November.
France
Tignes (0/30cm) remains to be the only French resort open for skiing. After a light dusting of snow on Sunday 7th November, the conditions have improved. Sunny skies on Monday 8th November provided the perfect weather to take advantage of the fresh snow.
Low temperatures are expected for the duration of the week. This will provide good conditions for the snow that is forecast to fall across many of the French resorts. This snowfall is expected to last until Saturday 13th November when sun is forecast. Following the weekend, the outlook is for more snow.
Switzerland
Saas Fee (5/180cm) continues to offer fantastic conditions. The sun appeared after the resort received 10cm of fresh snowfall on Monday 8th November, creating a perfect ski day. Zermatt (0/173cm) has also been providing unbeatable riding thanks to the significant snowfall last week.
Verbier was due to open on Friday 5th November however high temperatures however delayed the opening until Saturday 13th November.
More snow is forecast to fall until Saturday 13th November, when clear, fine weather is expected. After this spell of good weather, early next week is predicted to be mainly snowy.
Italy
Val Senales (5/180cm) and the Presena Glacier at Passo Tonale (0/270cm) continue to offer great skiing. The resort received 10cm of fresh snowfall on Monday 8th November. This further replenished the sloped and offered good riding despite the poor visibility. Cervinia (5/145cm) continues to offer great conditions for the time of year due to the snowfall last week.
More snow is forecast in Italy for the majority of the week along with low temperatures. Most resorts are predicted to get some sun on Saturday 13th November and over the weekend, before the snow returns once again. Cervinia could receive as much as 40cm in this time.
Norway/Sweden
Geilo (25/40cm) is now open for the winter season. Their first weekend of skiing was a cold one, with daytime temperatures getting no higher than -10°C. This means the snow is in fairly good condition for the time of year however but the majority of it is man made.
Sälen in Sweden is also open for skiing, although they only had three lifts running over the weekend. The snow is virtually all man made but the cold weather has kept it in quite good condition for the time of year. The temperature on Monday 8th November was -9°C at the base.
Germany
Garmisch (0/75cm) is the only German resort we feature to offer skiing this week. Monday morning brought around 5cm of fresh snow which gave a nice, soft layer to ski on. Five lifts were running on Monday up on the glacier but this could increase during the week, with the fresh snow and drier weather forecast.
USA
Arapahoe Basin (46cm) opened up more terrain this weekend and continues to offer good skiing for this time of year. The resort however would benefit from more snow. Copper Mountain (61cm) and Keystone (46cm) both opened this weekend. Both resorts offer top to bottom skiing, but on a mixture of man-made and natural snow. Like Arapahoe basin, both resorts could benefit from a little more snow.
Mammoth (15cm) in California is due to open on Thursday 11th November and Breckenridge (73cm) and Solitude (46cm) open on Friday 12th November. Timberline (31cm) in Oregon is open for weekend skiing only for the time being, but received 3 cm of fresh snow on Sunday 7th November.
The forecast for the USA is varied. Colorado expects to receive snowfall in the coming week. This is most likely between Monday 8th and Wednesday 10th November. There is predicted to be a mixture of sun, cloud and snow over next weekend and into the beginning of next week. The outlook for the East coast however, is for predominantly sunny weather.
European Weather Outlook
Snow is expected across Europe for the majority of the week. Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th November are expected to be clear and sunny. After the weekend however, many of the resorts in Europe will receive more snowfall.
North American Weather Outlook
The forecast for North America is fairly unsettled for the coming week. Most of the resorts in Colorado expect to see snow in the first half of this week with a mixture of snow, cloud and sun later on. The East coast is yet to expect more snow with the outlook dominated by sunny weather.
Canada has a mixed outlook for the coming week. A mixture of Snow, sun and cloud is forecast. Most resorts expect to receive snowfall by the end of this week.
© 2010 Ski Club of Great Britain Ltd The White House, 57-63 Church Road, Wimbledon, London, SW19 5SB
www.skiclub.co.uk skiers@skiclub.co.uk phone: +44 (0)20 8410 2000 fax: +44 (0)20 8410 2001.
Thanks to the SCGB for this report. |
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