J2Ski Snow Report - February 6th 2014
J2Ski Snow Report - February 6th 2014
Published : 06-Feb-2014 05:42
Week Ending February 7th, 2014Re-publication :- our Snow Report Summary, being the text up to "Europe - Alps and Dolomites", 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
Big snows were again reported this week - particularly from The Dolomites - and more snow is in the forecast... for just about everywhere! What else can we say? Get in...
This Week's Headlines:
* State of emergency declared in parts of the Dolomites as snow volume blocks road, cuts power, damages buildings.
* 'Storm of the century' declared in Colorado with up to three feet of fresh snow over weekend.
* Deepest snow base in world reported to hit 5m.
If this were The Sun, we would be reporting on 'Snowmageddon' in parts of Europe this week as the amount of snowfall passed that line of being very exciting for snow sports to being dangerous to people going about their daily lives as communities are cut off, the power goes and the weight of snow on buildings can cause collapse. Then there's the avalanche danger.
A state of emergency has been declared in the Veneto region of the Italian Dolomites. The ski areas of Arabba and Cortina have been particularly inundated with snow - up to three metres of it, blocking roads in and out of the resorts.
Elsewhere in the Dolomites, the Alps and the Pyrenees there have been healthy and rather more 'usual' snowfalls in most areas, although parts of Austria, after the long period in December and January with little snow, have also been deluged, with state officials in Tirol advising people not to travel if they could avoid it at one point at the weekend.
Across the Atlantic there's currently heavy snow falling in Eastern North America, very low temperatures in Western Canada and Colorado is enjoying snowfalls of up to three free in the past week. Nearer to home the snow is lying very deep on Scottish slopes.
Sochi 2014
All looks well for the Olympics which got underway this morning with pre-qualifying for Snowboard Slopestyle events. It's currently clear and sunny, but with temperature around freezing so no big thaw. Snow depths are 60 – 260cm from bottom to top.
You can keep an eye on the snow there with our Snow Report for Rosa Khutor.
Europe - Alps and Dolomites
Austria
Conditions in Austria continual to change from feeling mid-Spring to very much mid-winter with more sizable dumps over the weekend. Bases on the country's glaciers are now touching the 3m/10 feet mark and snowfalls of over a metre have been reported in the past seven days at ski areas particularly in the south and east of the country with Carinthia badly hit. The governor of Tirol province advised people not to travel if they could avoid it on Saturday due to all the snow. Generally falls of 20 – 60cm, have been reported across the country and they're on-going with Obergurgl and Solden each reporting about a foot of fresh snow today.
France
It's been another white week in the French alps with almost constant snowfall somewhere or other in the country. Today Avoriaz, Chamonix, the grand massif and the 3 Valleys all reported 20-30cm in the last 24 hours, yesterday the Southern Alps including Isola 2000 and Serre chevalier announced they'd had 30-40cm and the French Pyrenees are looking good too. Isola is the first in the country to claim more than a 3m/10 foot base, although the grand massif around Flaine not far behind on 2.9m. The Chamonix Valley has reported the most snow in the past seven days at nearly 50cm/20 inches.
Italy
Italy has had a great snowfall winter and as mentioned in our introductory section, the past few days have seen parts of the country tip over the edge from healthy snowfall to too much for safety – with ski areas buried and roads closed. Only one run and one lift with 3km of piste was able to operate in the resort yesterday according to the Dolomiti Superski website, which puts the snow depth sat 3.3m Although the eastern Dolomites have had massive snowfalls, other parts of the country have had big falls too, the latest 20-30cm reported yesterday in the Aosta Valley in the West of the country. Three of the world's top four resorts for snow depth are now in Italy with Passo Tonale the first to claim a 5m base this season after another 890cm of snow in the past week and Cervinia (3.8m) and Madesimo (4m) also up there.
Switzerland
A very snowy week in Switzerland too with Saas Fee reporting more than a metre of snow accumulated in the ;last seven days. It is second in the country for snow depth now at 3.3m (11feet) behind Andermatt which at 4m is the other resort in the world top four for snow depth with the three Italian centres mention in the previous section. Most Swiss ski centres are in great shape thanks to all the snow, although the avalanche risk remains high. Most received at least 15cm/6 inches of fresh snow in the last few days, many much more. Verbier reported 20-cm of fresh snow on Sunday and has a 40-130cm base.
Pyrenees
Conditions remain excellent in the Pyrenees where resorts in Andorra report another foot of snow over the past week, including a couple of inches in the past 24 hours. Conditions remain excellent on the French and Spanish side of the range too. Cover in Andorra currently ranges from about 1.5 – 2.4 metres, definitely one of the best seasons this century.
Scandinavia
The snowy deluge has slowed a little in Scandinavia but conditions remain great after all the snow of recent weeks, and it's still falling at rates that would be seem as excellent had not the previous weeks been truly amazing. Lillehammer still has the deepest snow in the region at 2.1m but Hemsedal has one of the biggest fresh snow falls of the last week – another foot/30cm and now has more than 1.5m./5 feet lying.
Eastern Europe
Conditions continue to improve in eastern Europe Eastern, the western side of which has benefitted from the same snow that the Eastern Dolomites/Alps have in Austria and Italy. Kranjska Gora for example has had 90cm/three feet of snow in the last seven days, about three times as much as it had had all season before then. Things are getting better more gradually in Romania and Bulgaria but conditions are 'much improved' on a few weeks ago.
Scotland
Scottish ski areas continue to report sensational snow depths and top to bottom snow cover as the torrential rain in England falls as snow on their peaks. At the deepest point the snow is 3m (10 feet) or more deep and if stormy days ease off in time, it should be a busy half term period. The Lecht, the only one of the five areas that wasn't, pretty much, fully open in January is now 'mostly open' as conditions have continued to improve there. All the snow, along with wind and variable temperatures means that avalanche risk off the groomed and opened runs is generally very high. The Back Corries at Nevis Range are closed for that reason.
North America
Canada
There's not been a huge amount of snow reported in the last week in Canada with Tremblant in Quebec in the east posting the biggest fall – 15cm/sic inches. Instead the cold, particularly in Alberta, has been an issue with wind chill taking temperatures below -30C over the past 48 hours leading to the closure of the 1988 Olympic Park – so it's a good job the games aren't being staged there this time around. Mont Ste Anne also in Quebec still has the country's deepest snow base, up 256cm on a week ago to 275cm. Big Whit in BC is best in the west with 2.1m (seven feet)
USA
After ski areas in California finally got fresh snow a week ago and rushed to open new terrain, Colorado really grabbed the headlines with some huge snowfalls of up to three feet in 48 hours, with Aspen Snowmass doing especially well from that. Most of the rest of the west also did well with ski areas in neighbouring states typically posting 30-60cm accumulations too. In the past 36 hours focus has switched to an extent to New England where big snowfalls are now being reported. Stowe and Killington in Vermont have both reported around a foot of snow in the last 36 hours
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