20cm of Snow in Austria, 20cm of Snow in New Zealand
20cm of Snow in Austria, 20cm of Snow in New Zealand
Published : 08-Oct-2017 10:48
Snow has been falling on both sides of the equator with the fifth 20cm+ snowfall since the start of August on glaciers in the Alps, and the latest big snowfall in New Zealand.
Snow in early autumn is fairly normal in the Alps, and not wholly unusual in New Zealand as the country approaches 'mid-Spring' but it is quite rare for posted snowfall tallies to be the same amount on the same day.
The picture top is of the Kitzsteinhorn glacier this weekend, one of the areas to report 20cm of fresh snow.
In New Zealand where Mt Hutt has extended its season due to all the snow there, the 20cm was enough to tip the avalanche risk in to the danger zone and the centre shut down early today.
In the Alps the snow has been welcomed on the dozen or so glaciers that are already open, further improving the excellent early-Autumn conditions for those lucky enough to already be on the slopes.
At resorts not yet open the snow has caused pre-season excitement as it reaches down to resort level.
Elsewhere snow has also been reported at Niseko in Japan and (again) in Western North America with Denver expecting snow down to city level in the next 24 hours. Arapahoe Basin and Loveland ski areas are both hinting they may be able to open next week if snowmaking goes well (as expected) over the next 72 hours.
Ruka in Lapland opened for the season yesterday and Kitzbuhel is due to open next weekend using farmed snow from last winter.
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