www.Skiinfo.com reports that the ski season is now more than winter 2008-9 as it approaches its half way stage.
Across Europe many of the leading resorts are sitting on bases of two to three metres (7-10 feet) following spectacular snowfalls in the last six weeks of 2008 and more sporadic but still generally healthy falls during January, with clear sunny periods in between.
In short it has been one of the best snow seasons for many years for most resorts and despite media gloom and doom reporting on the economy, many ski resorts are reporting business is actually up, in good part thanks to the great snow. The cover is such that even if no more snow falls for the rest of the season (extremely unlikely), most now have plenty to see them through to the end in April or May.
The Alps:
Most of the world’s snow fans have their eyes on TV screens where the cameras are pointing at France this week for the World Alpine Skiing Championships at Val d'isere. There has been limited fresh snow in France over the past week with a dusting in the Alps last weekend, the most in the south with resorts Auron and Isola 2000 each reporting 20cm (eight inches) in the past week.
Much larger falls of up to 60cm (two feet) are expected in the next week on the main Alpine resorts, most of which currently have upper slope depths of two-three metres (7 – 10 feet).
In Austria more than 20 ski areas are now reporting more than two metres of snow on their upper slopes. “Slope conditions in many of the big resorts are reported to be very good, with skiers lucky enough to be in the Arlberg, Axamer Lizum, Hochzillertal, Ischgl, Kitzbühel, Silvretta Nova, SkiWelt Wilder Kaiser, Sillian and the Zillertal Arena amongst those benefiting. A drop of temperature and more fresh snow is expected for the weekend.” says Pascal Bovée who reports on much of the German-speaking parts of the Alps for skiinfo.com.
Nassfeld received a huge fall of 60cm (two feet) on Feb 3rd, taking the week’s total to 95cm (Over three feet).
In Switzerland Zermatt continues to have probably the greatest snow depth of any ski resort in Europe and possibly the world with 671cm (over 22 feet) on its glacier. They must have a very long stick to measure it. However several other resorts have bases above three metres now including Andermatt and Saas Fee.
Pyrenees:
In Spain all of the country’s 20 or so Pyrenean ski resorts have reached snow depths of more than two metres, as the country’s sensational winter 2008-9 continues in to a third month of regular powder snow.
Baqueira Beret reports the most snow with 275cm (nine feet) on upper slopes although Sierra Nevada to the south of the country has the greatest snow depth in Spain with 350cm (12 feet).
Conditions also continue to be superb in neighbouring Andorra and on the French side of the mountains.
North America:
In Utah snow storms last week deposited another 120cm (four feet) at Snowbird lifting the resort’s January’s total to 2.6m (103 inches) giving a mid-mountain base of nearly two metres (95 inches).
“This recent parade of storms has made for the best conditions of the season and prime powder skiing,” said Snowbird President Bob Bonar. “As we head into the heavy snowfall months of February and March, the mountain is sure to only get better.”
In Canada, Whistler has reported nearly 30cm (a foot) of new snow in the past 48 hours at mid-mountain (1650m) taking snowdepths there to nearly 150cm (five feet).
On the east Mont Tremblant in Quebec received more than 20cm (eight inches) of new snow overnight, adding to the 3.3 metres (130) inches since the opening of the season.
Report from www.skiinfo.com
PS. It's snowing right now!
