After a hiatus of seven months, our snow reports are back, which can only mean one thing – the ski season is truly underway.
The northern hemisphere winter has started well, with excellent conditions already recorded in the premier resorts of Europe and North America.
Many leading resorts in the Alps are open, and last weekend these were offering powder snow conditions on the highest pistes. However, temperatures have since risen and the forecast indicates that through the weekend and next week it will stay relatively mild and mostly sunny – the last thing the resorts need. The situation is much the same in the Pyrenees, where most resorts are now open. Elsewhere in Europe the lift openings remain mostly limited for at least another week, but Scandinavia will offer fresh snow this weekend with most leading resorts opening for the season.
In North America there are some great early season conditions on offer, though there remains a very significant east/west divide in terms of snowfall. The east is very dry and reliant on snow cannons, while the west is holding impressive natural snow cover.
France
The Espace Killy ski area (made up of the neighbouring resorts of Tignes and Val d'Isère) and Val Thorens have offered fresh, dry snow at all elevations over the last week. Indeed most of the French Alps was looking extremely inviting until the weather changed at the start of this week, and now temperatures are significantly higher than is ideal. Tignes (1,500m) has glacier pistes on the Grand Motte rising to 3,500m and the freezing level will be close to this height in the coming days. The snow base here is 90cm, but that is already less than it was last weekend. Val Thorens (2,300m) has slopes up to 3,200m and the snow cover here is healthy at all elevations – 80cm on lower pistes, 110cm higher up. At least another 10 resorts plan to open this weekend in France but the five-day forecast has no snowfall expected.
Austria
Last weekend there were excellent snow conditions on high Austrian pistes, with fresh, dry snow falling at all elevations. More recently the weather has sunk the snow pack as temperatures have risen well above freezing point at base elevations. It's worth heading high to the Tirol, which has the best early season snow at the moment. On the glacier above Hintertux (1,500m) the snow is dry and the cover impressive – 110cm of base on upper pistes rising to 3,250m. Sölden (1,400m) holds some of the best cover in Europe right now on slopes rising to 3,060m, with a snow depth of 140cm. This weekend another 30 resorts plan to open, but the next five days has almost no snowfall forecast and daytime highs are expected to average a few degrees above 0ºC.
Switzerland
There have already been some excellent powder days on the high pistes of Switzerland this winter, but for this weekend and next week the weather will be too mild and too dry for fat skis. Already many of the leading Swiss resorts are open and offering mostly high altitude pistes and another 10 resorts are scheduled to openthis week – but the snow cover is currently retreating from lower elevations and resort runs. Engelberg has pistes rising to over 3,000m on Mount Titlis and the snow base on the high pistes is now 110cm. Zermatt's glacier pistes reach 3,900m and the snow base there is 140cm. Both resorts will continue to offer firm-packed snow conditions despite the mild Alpine air, and all resorts will be hoping for fresh snowfall, or at least colder air, to arrive soon.
Italy
The majority of Italian resorts have caught less early season snowfall than resorts in the northern Alps. Indeed, the resorts of the Dolomites have thus far been mostly reliant on their excellent snowmaking to get the season started. Cortina (1,200m) has created a snow base on some pistes with a depth of 20cm to 30cm, but beyond the piste there is no snow cover. A limited number of lifts are open, and the resort is ready to expand the skiable terrain just as soon as nature obliges. The best conditions in Italy right now are on the very highest pistes – Val Senales in the south Tirol and Cervinia above Aosta. Cervinia's high pistes rise to 3,200m and the snow base there is 125cm with excellent glacier conditions on offer. The forecast for the Italian resorts is mostly mild with very little snow for the next five days.
Canada
There were fantastic conditions last weekend at Lake Louise, Alberta, for the FIS Men's Alpine Ski Races and it's looking good for this weekend when the FIS Ladies event arrives. Indeed all the resorts of Alberta and British Columbia are reporting an excellent start to the new season, and in Whistler (650m) things could be about to get a whole lot better with very heavy snowfall expected in the next five days. Already at mid mountain the snow base has a healthy 80cm of packed powder and with over 100cm of snowfall being forecast, it could be powder heaven on the Blackcomb Glacier next weekend. Eastern Canada lacks snowfall currently, but pistes are open thanks to high tech snow cannon operations.
USA
There were excellent race conditions for the FIS Ladies Alpine events in Aspen last weekend and the early season conditions right across Colorado continue to be good. This weekend the FIS Men's Alpine races move to Beaver Creek (2,400m), also in Colorado, and the forecast indicates it should be a great weekend on the Birds of Prey race track. On-piste conditions will be mostly packed powder snow with a base of 60cm at mid mountain. The conditions across Colorado are mirrored in Utah and California, where significant early season snowfall means all premier resorts are offering good sport. In the east of the US the snowfall is yet to arrive – some early opening resorts in New England are all relying on snow cannons.
Andorra
It was looking fantastic across the Grandvalira and Vallnord domains last weekend, when most resorts opened for the season with significant fresh snowfall. But the weather has switched back to mild, dry and sunny, and that's the forecast for much of the next five days. Arcalis (1,940m) has pistes rising to 2,950m and the consolidated snow depth on upper slopes is close to 70cm. Skiing right now is on packed groomed snow with conditions ranging from hard to soft through the day. Average temperature highs for the next five days could reach 8ºC at base elevation, which means snow conditions will suffer.
Eastern Europe
It has turned mild in Eastern Europe and recent very heavy snowfall is being quickly wiped out. However, most resorts aren't open yet, so the hope is that winter will return and lower temperatures will allow piste preparations to resume. This weekend Kranjska Gora (800m) in Slovenia hopes to run some uplift for locals with top lifts rising to 1,500m. Average temperatures for base level in this resort could be as high as 8ºC over the next five days..
Scandinavia
Significant snowfall is expected in the region over the next five days and, as elsewhere in Europe almost no snowfall is forecast, the resorts of Finland, Norway and Sweden will almost certainly be offering the best snow conditions next week. Hemsedal (550m) in Norway looks a good bet, with pistes rising to 1,100m and a snow base of 30cm to 40cm already in place. The forecast predicts 40cm of snowfall for this area, so most lifts and pistes should be open soon. Many more resorts across Norway and Sweden are opening for the first time this season at the weekend and resorts in Finland have already been open for at least a month.
Scotland
There has been some wild weather in the Highlands recently, with periods of very heavy snowfall – we came very close to seeing the Scottish season commence at Lecht and Cairngorm. However, extreme temperature fluctuations have now reduced the snow cover and a start date at any of the five ski centres is some way off. Average temperature highs for the next five days will be around 4ºC at base level, though some snowfall at higher altitudes is likely.
For a specific resort, check our full snow reports and weather alerts.
0 nhận xét:
Đăng nhận xét