J2Ski Snow Report - November 14th 2024
J2Ski Snow Report - November 14th 2024
Published : 14-Nov-2024 08:08
A piste basher doing it's thing at Verbier, Switzerland - weekend opening from Saturday 16th
Snow in the western USA allows more ski areas to open there, while light snows fall in Europe; with cold and (more) snow forecast for next week.
The Snow Headlines - November 14th
- More than 20 US ski areas now open for 24-25 season.
- Snowfall in the Alps, with heavier falls forecast next week.
- BC resorts report more than four-feet (1.2m) of pre-season snowfall.
- More than 50 ski areas open across northern hemisphere.
- Verbier announces season start for this weekend.
- Big North American names incl. Mammoth, Park City, Vail & Whistler to open this weekend.
- US East Coast season gets underway.
Snow forecast for many ski areas.
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World Overview
North America has had a big step forward in terms of areas open over the last week, going from just a handful to over two dozen as heavy snowfall led to areas opening early to get the season off to a positive start in the west.
There's been less good news for the eastern side of the continent, but it is an improving picture there too with snowmaking systems firing up and two of the largest resorts announcing they've quickly opened (with advanced terrain only).
In the Alps, after several weeks of dry, sunny weather, there was some snowfall in the west on Tuesday and heavier falls are forecast next week. If they arrive, as current models suggest, it could be perfect timing for the start of the season at some big-name resorts.
There's also been more snowfall for the Pyrenees and cold enough temperatures for overnight snowmaking in Eastern Europe.
Europe
Austria
Another sunny week in Austria hasn't been great news for the fast-approaching main ski season but two more ski areas have opened nonetheless and whilst the natural snowfall keeps capriciously disappearing from the forecast, temperatures have been markedly dipping allowing overnight snowmaking systems to fire up, especially on higher slopes.
Solden and Hintertux continue to post the most terrain open, about 30km each with the Stubai on 20km.
The past week has seen Obergurgl and Kitzbuhel open, the latter making use of snow-farming to open about a kilometre of its slopes at Resterkogel.
Four more Austrian glacier areas remain open daily.
There is now significant snowfall forecast for Austria for the start of next week.
France
The French ski season is just over a week away, at last, with Tignes and Val Thorens expected to be the first to open.
After some good snowfalls in September and October up high it has been rather dry and sunny since so they may not be able to open all their terrain from day one.
However, the past few days have seen the freezing point drop and some snow flurries so things may still improve yet.
Next week several feet of snowfall is in the forecast which could be perfectly timed for that season start.
Italy
Italy's autumn ski season has been in a bit of a holding pattern the past few weeks with little natural snowfall and temperatures too warm for snowmaking until recently.
The Presena Glacier and Sulden ski areas, both with terrain well above 3,000m, often open in October or early November but have so far put off doing so, although Sulden now says they will open at last this weekend.
For now though, with the Passo Stelvio summer ski area now closed, there remains just a few kilometres of runs at Val Senales open, although it too has announced it will open more runs this coming weekend.
The lifts up to Zermatt's glacier slopes from Cervinia are also now open again.
The past week has seen progressively cooler temperatures, the freezing point reaching valley floors and allowing snow-making at higher elevations, but it has continued mostly dry.
Snowier days are expected next week.
Switzerland
Four ski centres are now open daily in the Swiss Alps, with Gstaad's Glacier 3000 the latest to open. Another four areas are open at the weekends.
The amount of terrain available is also increasing with Zermatt now offering 30km of slopes, the most this autumn so far.
As with the rest of the Alps the past week has been mostly dry and sunny, as were the previous two, but it has been getting colder - and snowier conditions have been moving in from the west.
Much snowier weather is currently in the forecast for early next week, all being well.
Scandinavia
Not much change in conditions or what is open in Scandinavia over the past week, but this weekend things will begin to happen with the World Cup tour arriving in Levi and more larger ski areas due to start opening in Norway and Sweden.
Hafjell, Kvitfjell and Trysil are all scheduled to open.
It has warmed up again this week, a little, after sub-zero temperatures dominated in the north last week, but we're heading back to double-digits below with light snow showers so great conditions for snowmaking.
North America
Canada
After Lake Louise opened early last week, two more Canadian centres joined it at the weekend. They included fellow Banff area Lake Louise and Nakiska, towards Calgary. However Banff's local ski hill Norquay delayed a second week and is now targeting this weekend. All have limited terrain open so far, just a few kilometres of slopes each.
The heaviest snowfall has continued to be in British Columbia where some areas say they've had over a metre of pre-season snowfall to date. Sun Peaks is due to be the first to open there this coming week with Whistler opening later next week too.
It continues to look promising for a good snow season in the West whilst in the East snowmaking systems have fired up now.
USA
It's been a busy week in the US with lots of ski areas opening across the west including big names like Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Winter Park in Colorado, where snow depths are reported to be above average for this very early point in the season. A five-day snowstorm helped boost early season bases.
Wolf Creek, the first to open in the US back in October is now almost 100% open with the most terrain open in the world at present.
Ski areas opened for the first time this season in other states like Idaho and Utah as well as southerly locations like Arizona and New Mexico. Big names like Park City and Vail are going to join them in the coming week.
Several ski centres in Oregon also plan to open several weeks early.
It's been less good news with warm temperature on the East Coast but that has changed in the past few days and temperatures are low enough for snowmaking systems to fire up at resorts like Killington and Sunday River which announced on Wednesday night they'd be open from Thursday morning (although initially with largely ungroomed, hike-to, expert-only, thin-cover type terrain!).
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