J2Ski Snow Report - November 27th 2014
J2Ski Snow Report - November 27th 2014
Published : 27-Nov-2014 11:11
J2Ski Snow Report - November 27th 2014Re-publication :- our Snow Report Summary, being the text up to "The Alps", is free to re-publish, but must be clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with text including "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to this page - thank you.
Snow Report Summary
Still mild in The Alps, but more snow up high, and cooler times coming...
This Week's Headlines
- More heavy snow for Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Alberta and BC.
- Resorts in the Pyrenees delay opening due to warm weather.
- Heavy snow in Norway.
- More snow in the Alps.
The ski world is really starting to wake up now with hundreds of resorts opening in North America in the past week and hundreds more opening in Europe this weekend. By next weekend it'll be over 1000 in operation.
The snow has continued to fall in many areas with the Rockies doing particularly well, with several resorts reporting a foot of snow a night for successive nights, adding up to more than a metre in the last seven days in some cases. It's great news for the Thanksgiving holiday long weekend which is now upon us.
There's also been significant snowfall in the Alps, Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. Less good news on both sides of the Atlantic however are that the big snowfalls of the past month have been largely above 2,000m or higher. That's not a problem in the Rockies where resorts are that high anyway, but in the Alps it continues to look rather warm and at best autumnal in the valleys the ski runs are supposed to reach down to. It's a particular issue in the Pyrenees where planned openings this weekend have now been postponed as a result. It's warm too in the Dolomites where resorts are opening limited terrain this weekend. But it's still November and early days yet...
In the forecast
It does look as if the mild weather is about to relinquish its grip on the European Alps, with temperatures expected to drop by about 10C over the next week. Although the forecast models are pretty muddled at present, it does look like some areas will be getting more snow as the weather cools too.
The Alps
Austria
Although Austria has the most glacier ski areas of any country in the world, and it has more areas open than the resort of the northern hemisphere put together for most of the six months from May to November, and although it has more than 500 ski areas spread across the country, the vast majority open later than most other big resorts in the Alps, in mid-December, so there are not many new openings to add to those eight glaciers and the few non-glacier areas already open including Obergurgl and Obertauern. It's the big opening weekend coming up at Ischgl though, with James Blunt performing at the season-opening concert. All of the glacier areas have at least a metre base, Molltal's is the deepest at 2.5m.
France
There have been some limited fresh snow falls in France over the past 24 hours which is good news with much more snow needed. Les 2 Alpes is scheduled to join already open Tignes and Val Thorens this weekend. La Clusaz and Montgenevre should also be open and there are reports of some limited opening at Courchevel. The full Espace Killy is also scheduled to open with Val d'Isère joining Tignes. The cover stats on French mountains are not terribly impressive as yet 30-90cm on upper French slopes, but it's something to hopefully build on and extend down the mountain. It's still another two weeks until many of the country's big areas like Paradiski are due to fully open.
Italy
In Italy the pistes are in great shape on the open glacier areas after the snowfalls last week, but there's not been much fresh in the last seven days. The Presena Glaier has the greatest claimed snow depth in the northern hemisphere at 3m, but most other glacier areas have at least a 1.5m base, with Cervinia and Val Senales the other choices, but non-glacier Madesimo has a 2.3m base on upper slopes too – also the best in the world for a non glacier resort. The giant Dolomiti Superski is among non-glacier Italian areas scheduled to begin opening this weekend. No fresh snow has been reported for over a week there and snow depths are at 20-40cm.
"Despite the too high temperatures of the past weeks, some lifts and the slope Tondi (about 2 km length) at the skiing area Faloria – Cortina d'Ampezzo, will open on Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th November and start the winter season 2014-15 of Dolomiti Superski. The facilities will be open only during the weekend.The general opening of the winter season 2014-15 of Dolomiti Superski is scheduled on 5th December 2014, provided that the snow condition is ok. For the beginning of the next week we expect falling temperatures and snowfalls are forecasted for 3rd December. This would make sure, that more lifts and slopes could open for the week end," said a statement from the area.
Switzerland
As with the rest of the Alps, Swiss resorts are looking good above 2000m but with limited snow cover, if any, on lower slopes. Most have had a week of beautiful weather resulting in great conditions at the 10 or so areas now open. Saas Fee has the most impressive stats, thanks in good part to the 1.5m of snowfall received 7 – 10 days ago, it has 13cm at resort level but 222cm on the mountain. Andermatt also looks good with 10cm in resort but 290cm up top – second greatest recorded snow depth figure in the northern hemisphere. Other areas reported so far open include Davos, Glacier 3000, St Moritz (Diavolezza), Verbier and Zermatt – all have at least a metre on upper slopes but nothing (or next to nothing) in resort.
Scandinavia
Big snowfalls were reported at open resorts in Scandinavia at the start of the week – Kvitfjell and Gala in Norway both reported around a foot of snow in 24 hours on Sunday/Monday. Ruka and Levi remain open in Finland with at least half a dozen trails open each – snow depths are around 50cm at the top of the fells.
Pyrenees
It's a mixed picture in the Pyrenees, and not a particularly good one at present alas. After promising snowfalls in early November when up to 30cm was reported, things have warmed up and ski areas which had planned to open this weekend have now postponed with no confirmed opening date. It was raining in Andorra with temperatures of 5-10C at resort level yesterday although Vallnord announced in late afternoon that the rain was falling as snow on the mountain tops and posted snowy cam pics to prove it.
Eastern Europe
Snow has been reported across Eastern European mountains down to quite low levels this week. It is not clear if any areas will be able to open but it's a boost for the region to see the mountain tops turning white and bases starting to build.
Scotland
It has been very cold in the Scottish Highlands this week with temperatures struggling to get above zero even at midday and even in the valleys. On the hill tops cams show lightly snow covered slopes, but there's no precipitation in the current cold conditions. It seems to be perfect snow-making conditions but no sign that there's any going on as yet.
North America
Canada
Canadian resorts are opening from coast to coast and in some cases posting big snowfall reports too. Silver Star in BC, which opens today (27th November) has been posting pictures showing deep powder snow cover. On the coast Whistler, which opened last weekend, has had over a foot of snow in the past 48 hours but is reporting zero cover at ground level, 80cm on the mid and upper mountain. It's opening terrain on Blackcomb Mountain for the first time today. Ski areas have been opening on the eastern side of the country too. Blue Mountain in Ontario which was close to the huge snowstorms in NE N America last weekend, had its earliest ever opening and at Mont-Tremblant in Quebec 14 trails were open for opening day last weekend − including two summit-to-base runs.
"Tremblant is in remarkably fine shape at the start of the season!" said a spokesperson.
USA
The season is kicking off big time in the USA with the Thanksgiving weekend upon us. Over 100 ski areas are now open across the country including most major Colorado resorts and, in Utah, Snowbird, Solitude, Brighton and Brian Head all opened lasts weekend. The snowiest areas are Colorado, Utah and Wyoming where resorts have been posting 20-40cm overnight accumulation reports daily all week. Yesterday's tally's included 20cm at Crested Bute, a foot at Arapahoe Basin and 40cm at Copper Mountain. Steamboat opened for the season on Wednesday. With bases now at the metre mark these are some of the best bases of non glacier resorts in the world at present. In Utah big falls were reported by snowbird and there was 40cm at Grand Targhee in Wyoming too.
Resorts have opened or/are opening across the country. Areas in northern New York State and Maine benefited from the huge snowfalls there a week ago which brought up to seven feet (over two metres) of snow to the region. On the West Coast areas are opening too but there's been less snow than in the Rockies. Mountain high was the first to open in southern California but with only one run and that thanks to snow-making, other areas on the pacific Coast report snow at higher elevations but little or none at resort level so far.
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