It's snowing in the Alps
Monday November 30, 2009 - Email this article to a friend

Temperatures have plunged in the Alps and with it has finally come some snow.  More is forecast to fall over the coming days.

The Espace Killy opened at the weekend with a storm blowing through on Sunday, though most of the lifts were still able to run.

"We're really excited about the opening and it's good to see the snow again after a recent warm spell," says Jane Jacquemod from the resort's tourist office. "We have 20cm of snow at resort level and 70cm up on the slopes.  30cm of fresh snow fell last Tuesday which was vey welcome too."

The weather closes in on SundayOut on the slopes on Saturday one of our reporters, Giles Lewis, says conditions were good.

"The Espace Killy is open and the resort put on a great show on Saturday. The snow is not massively deep but the runs above the mid stations of Solaise and the Bellevarde are open offering a large area to explore in beautiful sunshine. It is also possible to ski down to La Daille and the link to Tignes is open which means that the excellent snow of the Grande Motte is also open."

There are 36 skilifts on 38 slopes covering 6 areas now open; Solaise, Bellevarde, Grande Motte, Palet, Palafour and Tovière.

In the UK the somewhat surprising news is that Scotland is open for skiing, just.  See further details below.

While in our home resort of Verbier the mood has lifted as the weather has closed in and around 5cm of snow has fallen with more set to come.

Verbier this weekend

Last week it was a different story.

On one side of Mont Blanc, Chamonix had 50cm of fresh snow whilet on the other side, Courmayeur announced it had to delay opening due to lack of snow.

Italy:  Some have it and some don’t. As we mentioned, Courmayeur postponed its planned opening this weekend due to lack of snow.

Similarly Monterosa in the Aosta Valley didn't open at the weekend. 

But snow is still falling in the Dolomites.  Alta Badia around Corvara had 45cm in the last couple of days. 

Cervinia had 1m in one day and its still looking good high up on the glacier with lighsnowfalls on Sunday too.

Presena Glacier above Passo Tonale has 1.3m and you can also ski in Val Senales.

France:   Val Thorens and Tignes are both open for business. Conditions  are warm but snow on the the Grande Motte Glacier are still good with 50cm lying. 

Val d’Isere has opened its lifts as we have already mentioned.  Conditions are good with approximately 30cm new snowfall and there’s snow in town.

We will have a full report on conditions in the Espace Killy, with video too and much else besides, as we have a reporter in the area from the middle of the week.

In La Plagne it was clear on Saturday but now the weather has closed in.  It's a similar story in the southern French Alps too.

Serre Chevalier, Monday 30th

Austria:   Again there has been a real mix of conditions lately.  Big names including Lech, St Anton in the Arlberg and others have had to delay opening. 

Lech now aims for 5th December, and St Anton is still undecided. But on the plus side the glaciers are looking very good.

  Sölden has had another 10cm with 90cm lying making great conditions on Hintertux and Rettenbach Glaciers offering over 62km of open pistes. Stubai Glacier, Kitzsteinhorn Glacier, Pitztal Glacier also offer good conditions with the best at Molltal with 170cm lying.  Obergurgle is also open but conditions could be better.

Ischgl opened this weekend heralded by its annual opening concert headlining Kate Perry.  See this related story.

Switzerland:  Last week the mild weather took its toll on snow in Switzerland. Well not anymore - it is chucking it down with snow over large parts of Switzerland on Monday. 

Villars has reported 20cm in town and 30cm up on the slopes and below is a selection of pictures that we have received from some of the Swiss resorts.

Winter is most certainly back.

Grindelwald

Villars

We made the video below of early season conditions in Verbier a couple of weeks ago - check it out.

Germany:   The best conditions are still on the Zugspitz Glacier with 105cm of snow.

Scotland: There’s been some snow on Cairngorm and the furnicular railway opened at 10.00 on Saturday morning to take up the first skiers of the season.

It's hoped the ski area will open the Ptarmigan Tow and then Ciste Tow.  The opening has been confirmed to us at PlanetSKI by Mike Shepherd who runs the ski school on Cairngorm, but he can't make it up as he's suffering from a dose of flu.  He's not the only one :-) 

The photo below shows Cairngorm last week, when one of our reporters was in the area. It's obviously improved.

Scandinavia:  Most of the Scandinavian ski areas are now open but again warm weather has been affecting snow conditions.

Sweden:  Mild weather during last week delayed some resorts opening but Ramundberget managed to open a week early with 50cm of fresh snow, not including artificial management.  

Sweden’s highest ski region Åre opened one slope, and Hamrebacken in the Duved had 10cm of fresh snow at the beginning of the week.

Åre will be hosting the Ladies  World Cup slalom on 11th - 13th December but conditions have enabled plenty of manmade snow on the World Cup run, and colder weather is forecast so conditions are promising, and there's still plenty of time.

Norway:  Geilo and Hemsedal have had some of the best snow in the last few days and its still snowing.

Spain:  The early November snow conditions have gone.  Planned openings are in question as mild conditions are proving difficult for snow making.

Andorra:  Skiing is out of the question though it i forecast to get colder.  The slopes at Pas de La Casa are green though again it has got colder over the last weeend with a covering of snow. 

Thin in Pal, AndorraSimilar conditions at Pal and Arinsal. Rumour has it the weather may change this weekend. And indeed Sunday morning there's been a dusting of snow in Andorra and the sky looks grey and promising.

Japan:   Heavy snowfalls at the beginning of the week, and last minute preparations at Niseko will ensure that this weekend’s official opening will have spectacular powder conditions.  Niseko on Hokkaido, is becoming renouned for its dry powder snow.
Last weekend the Grand Hirafu lifts were switched on for hundreds of skiers and boarders who arrived for their first powder turns of the season. 1m solid snow base at the top was ample for the crowds, even though  skiing was limited to one run.

India:  Skiing in India has also kicked off in India according to Twitterer Gulmargski  - “The ski and snowboard season has started in Gulmarg, 70cm of fresh snow in this freeriding resort in the Himalaya!”

Mongolia:  Mongolia’s first ski resort opens this week.  Sky resort has 9 ski runs and is served by 2 chairlifts and 4 other lifts.  See our separate news story here.

Canada:  Whistler is hogging the snow and the headlines.  Its November snowfall is now at record levels of 6m! Oh to be in Whistler, though it does come with some problems.

Record breaking Whistler

Western Canada and particularly the Pacific Coast of British Columbia reports the most amazing November snowfall.  Mount Washington and British Columbia have had all-time record levels of November snow falling.  With some of the greatest snow conditions on offer other challenges are emerging for operations including extremely high avalanche risks.

And there’s more forecast.

Here's a video showing just how good it was in Whistler on 25th November 2009.

Inland, however the weather has been good, albeit less dramatic.  And, Fernie is the latest to announce an early opening - opening on 28th and 29th for a preview weekend.

Lake Louise held the FIS World Cup at the weekend and Didier Cuche of Switzerland, wion the forst Men's Downhill of the season. See a report here.

See this report from our reporter in Lake Louise, who is working as a volunteer to help set up the course.

Banff  is in good shape including Sunshine Village which boasts over 1m of fresh snow.  Its still snowing in Marmot Basin and so far its had over 1m of fresh snow.
But its not all good news.  Ski areas on the East Coast are struggling with warm temperatures.

US:    Many US ski resorts were clamouring to be open in time for Thanksgiving at the weekend.

But its still an east/west divide with resorts in the west having so far enjoyed colder temperatures and a greater possibility to make snow, a complete contrast to weather further north, whilst those in the east are struggling.

Vail is one of the latest to open made entirely of man-made snow.  Alta and Snowbird are hoping for more snow in time for Thanksgiving or for temperatures to drop.

Alaska: There seems to be a narrow snow window.  Alyeska, the largest resort in Alaska is relying entirely on man-made snow simply to prepare a few runs for this weeks opening.

Last week snow fell on several consecutive nights in Mammoth and last friday a powerful storm hit Tahoe, dumping approximately 30cm of snow on upper slopes.  The next day Heavenly, Squaw Valley and Northstar resorts opened to a blue sky powder experience. 

What a way to start the season - lucky things.

And here's a video showing Opening Day at The Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah.

With thanks to www.skinfo.com

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