More snow and yet more snow has fallen accross the Alps and Pyrenees in the last 7 days. By 10am this morning one of the leading websites for snow conditions, skiinfo.com, had issued more than 100 powder alarms - an email alert sent to subscribers when a particular resort recieves more than 20cm of snow in a day.
All alpine countries, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and France have been beneficiaries of new snowfall, as well as the Pyrenees.
Austria: There is lot of new snow again in Austria with some areas reporting up to 95cm (over three feet) in the past seven days. Important resorts like the Skiwelt region, Saalbach, Hochfügen, Ischgl and Silvretta Montafon each had at least 20cm (eight inches) during the last 24 hours. St. Anton and Kaprun/ Kitzsteinhorn had 30cm (a foot) each yesterday, so the latter has more than four metres (13 feet) on the glacier now.
Switzerland: Five resorts reported more than a metre in 7 days and the avalanche risk reaching 4 in some areas (the highest is level five). Andermatt-Gotthard now has a 500cm (17 feet) base on upper slopes and some.
France: Skiinfo.fr issued more than 60 powder alarms for French ski resorts on March 6th and 7th and the snow kept falling with another four alarms issued on Monday 9th March for La Plagne, Montchavin - Les Coches, Saint Jean d'Arves and Pralognan la Vanoise. More snow is falling in the French Alps today. The Pyrenees continue to be the snowiest part of the country with snow depths reaching 500cm (17 feet) in Gourette. In Piau Engaly, the snow depth is 300cm (10 feet) at the summit and 250cm (eight feet) in resort. It has received the most new snow in the past seven days with 155cm (over five feet) of new snow.
Andorra: In Andorra there have also been more fresh snowfalls, if a little less spectacular than over the border in France, however all ski areas in the principality report upper base depths of at least 2.5m (over eight feet) and some are nearing three metres (ten feet).
Spain: The country’s sensational winter 2008-9 continues in to a fourth month of regular powder snow. The greatest snow depths in the country have reached five metres (18 feet) at Sierra Nevada,the continent’s most southerly major ski area. In the Spanish Pyrenees the greatest snow depth is at Baqueira Beret which has 390cm (13 feet) on upper slopes, but all areas in the region have at least two metres (seven feet) now on their slopes. This bodes very well for the coming Easter holidays.
Italy: Plenty of snow here too, particularly in the north with Piancavallo reporting 180cm (six feet) of snow falling in the past seven days alone. Maximum snow depths have passed six metres on upper slopes for the first time in a number of resorts including Sella Nevea 640cm (21.5 feet). The Presena glacier above Passo Tonale is just 10cm (four inches) behind at 590cm.
In Eastern Europe conditions are reported to be good at Bulgaria’s major resorts despite a wide variation in snow depths. Bansko claims the most impressive tally of 240cm (eight feet) whilst Pamporovo has a more modest 90cm (three feet) on upper slopes.
Information supplied by www.Skiinfo.com.
