J2Ski Snow Report - March 27th 2014
J2Ski Snow Report - March 27th 2014
Published : 27-Mar-2014 03:05
Week Ending March 28th, 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
The Alps
Austria
Conditions are completely transformed on Austrian slopes, particularly so in the north of the country where low lying areas were looking rather desperate as they tried to maintain snow cover down to resort on green hillsides in warm sunny weather. But the slopes of the Skiwelt, Kitzbuhel et al were turned white once again over the weekend after heavy snow made everything seem much more wintery. It's just a little ironic that many of them close this weekend or next, now they have the snow.
Falls across the country were typically 40-60cm and in terms of the resorts that have bases above the 3m mark, the country's glacier areas which will be open in to the spring are lining up at the top of the table with Kaunertal, Pitztal, year-round Hintertux (which claimed a metre of fresh snow), Solden and the Kitzsteinhorn by Kaprun all up there.
France
Although they did not perhaps see quite as big falls as a little further East, French resorts are certainly not complaining with accumulations of up to 80cm (at Flaine) reported over the three days from Friday to Sunday. Although few of the big name French resorts had been suffering much of a snow shortage anyway because of their deep winter bases, the freshening up of the cover with most resorts still having at least a month of the season left was very welcome. Among the big winners there was over two feet of snow (65cm) at Val Thorens (where the season continues in to May) and nearly that much in Avoriaz, with 50cm at Chamonix. Most other resorts in the area reported at least 40cm and base depths remain healthy at 1.5 – 3m. After the snow finished in the Alps, Tuesday/Wednesday saw heavy snow in the Pyrenees with Cauterets adding 70cm in 48 hours and maintaining one of the deepest bases in France at 3.1m (over ten feet).
Italy
Italy has shared in the snowy bounty of the last seven days, with resorts across the country reporting accumulations of up to 70cm from the alps to the Dolomites. Cervinia in the west and Arabba in the east both reported around 60cm (two feet) of fresh snow. In between Livigno, Selva and Alagna were among the areas reporting snowfalls totalling at least 50cm. Italy continues to be the only country with a resort claiming a 6m/20 foot snow base (Passo Tonale) with 50cm of fresh snow this week. Madesimo still reports a 5m base, the world's second greatest this season. More snow is expected in the next week, particularly in the Alps/west of the country.
Switzerland
Swiss resorts again did well for fresh snow this week with up to 75cm of new cover reported and for the majority of resorts 30 – 60cm of new snow. Big name resorts posting around 50-60cm of fresh new cover include Verbier, Wengen, Klosters, Grindelwald and Murren. There's quite a range of snow depths in Switzerland now. Most have at least a metre on upper slopes and many 2-3 metres, but down in the valley snow cover is getting thin, or all gone, at resorts like Adelboden, Crans Montana, Leysin and Gstaad. Up top Andermatt is still reporting the country's deepest base at 4m.
Pyrenees
Great snow conditions continue in the Pyrenees which has had heavy snowfall during the first half of this week. French resorts (see France section) have had the most now snow but up to 25cm has been reported in Andorra and on the Spanish side where Baqueira Beret has extended its ski season, again, to the end of April and has a 325cm upper slopes base. In Andorra there's about a metre of snow on lower slopes and nearly 3m (10 feet) at the top of the runs.
Scandinavia
It's still snowing in Scandinavia, where resorts have seen some of the most consistent snowfall all season. There has been warm weather and rain at lower elevations too though, so bases are starting to drop in the southern half of the region. Lillehammer, for example, reports its base has dropped 40cm from 2.5 to 2.1m in the past week, despite receiving another 20cm of fresh snow. Voss, also in Norway, reported the most new snow with 30cm. The top Finnish resorts (Levi and Yllas) are up though, to around 80cm, with 10cm of fresh reported on Sunday across the country. Are in Sweden has also hit 80cm after getting nearly 20cm of new snow.
Eastern Europe
There's been little or no fresh snow in Eastern Europe since the first half of March, or in some cases February, so cover is getting decidedly thin on the ground, especially down at resort level. Bulgaria's Bansko and Borovets still have a metre base at the tops of the slopes at least so skiing is likely to continue in to April.
Scotland
Scottish ski centres are seeing some of their best days skiing at the moment – not so much because snow cover has improved, but because there seem to be fewer stormy days and more long blue-sky sunny days. There has, however, been plenty of fresh snow again at the start of the weekend and most runs are open at all centres except The Lecht which remains closed since the earlier thaw wiped out its base. On the western site of the country snow depths are particularly good with Cairngorm, Nevis Range and Glencoe reporting bases still of 2m – 4.2m.
North America
Canada
There's been fresh snow reported across Canada with Whistler reporting nearly two feet (60cm) of new snow, 25cm of that in the past 24 hours. On the east Tremblant in Quebec has had 30cm of snow. Fernie has again reported the biggest snowfall though at nearly 60cm this week and has the country's deepest snowbase at 3.6m (12 feet). Elsewhere most Canadian resorts have also head healthy snowfalls too, with more in the west in recent days. There was 20cm of new snow overnight at Marmot Basin in Alberta for example, and 39cm of new snow in the past week.
USA
There's been moderate snowfalls over the past week in the USA, initially with 20-35cm falls in New England at the end of last week and now increasingly big snowfalls on the West, with Mt Baker, officially the world's snowiest resort, reporting a foot of snow in the past 24 hours and Alpine Meadows in California getting 25cm of new snow. Most US resorts now have at least 1.5 metres of snow on upper slopes with the deepest snow at Jackson Hole on 3.2m and 3.6m (12 feet) at the nearly year-round destination of Timberline on Mt Hood in Oregon which is good news for their opening schedule through to August.
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