Heavy Snow In The Alps
Heavy Snow In The Alps
Published : 22-Feb-2011 07:33
Chamonix - got snow
The long awaited heavy snowfall has arrived in the Alps over the past 48 hours after a few flurries at the end of last week.
The first areas to benefit were around the French/Italian border when Bardonecchia and Courmayeur in Italy and Montgenevre and Serre Chevalier in France each reported receiving 20-30cm (up to a foot) of new snow in 24 hours by Friday.
At the weekend there was more snow in the French Alps with Serre Chevalier and then, moving north, La Clusaz, also reporting good falls.
Yesterday (Monday 21st February) the snow became more widespread and heavier with resorts in Switzerland and Austria joining France and Italy in reporting big falls. Those with the biggest accumulations included Gstaad and Crans Montana in Switzerland, Solden and Stubai in Austria, Chamonix in France and in the Dolomites, Cortina. Engelberg reported one of the biggest accumulations with 60cm (two feet) of snow.
The snow is still falling in many areas.
Although this is the first significant snowfall for most resorts in the Alps since the end of last year, the majority of major resorts had maintained relatively good conditions throughout the 'snow drought' after seeing heavy snow in November and December which built up good bases, particularly above 1600-180-m, which when topped up by snow making during cold spell, was maintained with little diminishing cover.
The biggest snowfalls this winter have been in Western North America, particularly California, where storms over 3-4 days at the end of last week brought three metre (10 feet) plus accumulations to resorts like Alpine meadows and Homewood. The latter in fact claimed it received over 5 metres (21 feet) of snow in the 7 days up to yesterday.
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