J2Ski Snow Report - April 7th 2016
J2Ski Snow Report - April 7th 2016
Published : 07-Apr-2016 09:09
J2Ski Snow Report - April 7th 2016Re-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.
This will probably be our penultimate weekly report before we revert to our summer monthly reporting, but there's still snow falling and plenty of skiing to be had in the right places...
This Week's Snow Headlines
- Up to 30cm (12 inches) of fresh snow in the Pyrenees.
- Alyeska in Alaska passes 20m season-to-date snowfall figure.
- Up to 120cm (four feet) of fresh snow expected in The Alps and Dolomites in the coming week.
- 32cm of fresh snow in Saas Fee, the biggest snowfall accumulation in the Alps this week.
Western North America has had the lion's share of the world's snowfall over the past week again, with up to 75cm of fresh reported in Colorado. There's been much less snow in Europe, where it's been a case of a gradual spring thaw. Most still-open areas have good bases at altitude, so it's good on the groomed runs until early/mid-afternoon, but sticky afterwards with not much skiable off piste.
It is the beginning of the end, however, of the 2015-16 Northern Hemisphere ski season as a few of the world's leading ski areas - including the Skiwelt in Austria and Jackson Hole in the US - have completed their scheduled seasons, and more will be joining them this weekend.
In Jackson Hole's case the resort closed with a deep snow base after another week of heavy snowfall; continuing to fall even after it closed.
The snow is still falling in other areas too; there's been a foot of fresh snow in the Pyrenees and snow is forecast for the Alps and even the Scottish Highlands.
In The Alpine Forecast
Despite the thaw and Spring conditions this week, many areas will see decent amounts of fresh snow over the next few days and into next week. Of particular note are Swiss ski areas including Zermatt and Italian resorts in The Dolomites and the Aosta Valley (Monterosa) which should see up to 50cm over the next two days (just before many of these areas close this weekend!).
Elsewhere, a fair amount of precipitation is forecast with an expected snow line anywhere between 1200m and 2000m depending on the location. It being Spring, of course, that will be falling as rain on lower slopes but runs above 2000m should get a good refresh in many places.
The highest (and, importantly, latest-opening) ski areas all have good bases and most should even offer some freshies over the next couple of weeks if you're lucky enough to be able to get out.
The Alps
Austria
There's been no real fresh snow in Austria this week and there's been a definite thaw with more and more ski areas reporting zero snow at resort level. But up top base depths are still good enough to avoid any cover issues and in fact some decent snowfall is forecast on higher slopes over the coming days. Several key areas closed for the season last weekend including one of the largest, the Skiwelt, and after this weekend more than half of Austria's leading areas will be closed. Some will stay open into May, including glacier areas which have bases around the 3m mark at the top.
France
There's been a little fresh snow in the French Alps this past week and rather more in the Pyrenees – 20cm max in Chamonix but 30cm at Cauterets. A few other resorts reported some new snow including 10cm at Flaine in the Grand Massif. The coming week may in fact be snowier if forecasts prove to be correct with 20-50cm expected across most areas. Almost all of the leading French areas are still open although some will be closing this Sunday whilst the majority will be open for up to four more weeks yet. Although the spring thaw means that an increasing number of areas no longer have cover down in the valley, up top depths remain healthy almost everywhere with Chamonix still claiming the deepest-in-the-world 7m base.
Italy
A similar story to the rest of central Europe in that little-or-no snow has fallen on Italian slopes in the past week, but most centres remain open and here the forecasts are projecting some of the biggest falls in the coming week – with up to 90cm/three feet expected in the Dolomites by this time next week and a little less than that on the Alpine side in the West. Bases have diminished quite a lot in the past week although all leading Italian areas remain open. Livigno reports 90cm but most now have less than 50cm, Arabba the exception with 1.2m. Bases up top are diminishing too, down to 50cm at Sauze d'Oulx but still there should be enough to see areas through the remaining weeks of the season, especially if that forecast fresh snow materialises.
Switzerland
Saas Fee clocked up 25cm of fresh snow on Wednesday, the biggest reported snowfall in Switzerland and indeed the Alps in the past week and part of a total 32cm the resort added in the last seven days. Neighbouring Zermatt was the only other Swiss area to report snowfall, but only 5cm/2 inches of it. Zermatt, home to year round skiing and Europe's highest slopes, is forecast to receive a remarkable 4 feet/1.2m of fresh snow in the next week however. Most other Swiss areas should see significant snowfall too. Base depths have dropped a little across Switzerland but remain pretty good for April, mostly with 1-2m up top. Engelberg still has the deepest base at 385cm/13 feet on its glacier which is open to late May.
Scandinavia
There's been no fresh snow in Scandinavia in the past week and bases have finally started to drop below a metre after holding steady for the past four months. A few inches of fresh snow are expected but bases should be good for the remaining 3-5 weeks of the season here.
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees have been the snow story of the past week in Europe with most areas in the central and Eastern Pyrenees picking up 25-30cm of fresh snow earlier this week. Grandvalira in Andorra and Cautrerets in France both scored the bigger end of the numbers, however there was less fresh snow on the Spanish side. Formigal has a 2.5m base, the deepest in the region.
Eastern Europe
Snow bases have dropped across Eastern Europe at the centres that remain open with typically only 20-40cmm bases now. There's been no fresh snow and Kranjska Gora in Slovenia has closed for the season. At Poiana Brasov in Romania it's reporting a 5-15cm base. In Bulgaria Bansko still has a metre up top but zero down in resort.
Scotland
The three Scottish ski areas still open have been battling warm temperatures and rain at times, although there's also been some snow. Heavier snow and sub-zero temperatures are expected over the weekend ahead.
North America
Canada
Kimberley, Red Mountain and Silver Star in BC are the first of Canada's ski areas to close for 15-16, and quite a lot more will follow at the end of this weekend. There's not been much fresh snow there this week – the biggest fall reported 20cm at Revelstoke. Whistler, open to the end of May, got an inch and has nearly a 3m/10 foot base. Base depths are still over a metre at Canadian resorts open into May including Marmot Basin, Lake Louise and Sunshine. Mont Ste Anne and Tremblant in Quebec in the East are battling on but bases are dropping fast – down to 40-60cm at the former. Some fresh snow is forecast but not a lot – 10-20cm across the country.
USA
Ski areas have started closing in the US, including Jackson Hole, Crested Butte, Taos and Telluride in the west and Mount Snow and Smugglers Notch in the East, but it has been snowing in Colorado, Montana and even Vermont in the East where Killington picked up a rare-this-season 13cm/5 inches of snow on Monday. Most of the falls have been in the 10-25cm bracket giving a day of powder before a return to freeze/thaw conditions under sunny skies with temperatures mostly in double figures by mid-day. Mammoth still has the deepest base in the country and second deepest in the world at 5.1m although it has had no fresh snow this week.
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