There's more to come
Monday February 22, 2010 - Email this article to a friend

In Europe Chamonix in France, Passo Tonale in Italy and the continent's most southerly major resort, Sierra Nevada on the Spanish Mediterranean coast each have around 4m of accumulated snow. 

There has been much less snow in Europe this week than last, but that is expected to change in the next few days with some more snow coming, and conditions are generally good.

Austria has seen the most snow recently, though it also led to a high number of avalanche deaths as we reported earlier this month.

Half term though, round the mountains, looks pretty good.

Half term in St Anton

Half term in Saas Fee

Half term in Glenshee, Scotland

See this video report below from our content editor, James Cove.

He is in the Swiss resort of Verbier and gives us an overview of conditions.

For more detail see the information below brought to you with some help from our friends over at www.skiinfo.com

We start in Canada where the Winter Olympics are taking place.

Canada: The weather has been one of the main talking points of The Games so far with delays to some of the skiing and snowboarding events.

We have reported on this already on PlanetSKI but fortunately people are now talking about the events like the men's downhill and the women's downhill too. 

So far though the Brits have not done so well with Zoe Gillings missing out on medal success and Ben Kilner too.

Whistler has actually seen some of the most snow in the world in the past week with 68cm accumulated on middle and upper elevations.

There's been snow on the east too, with the excellent ski area of Mt Sutton in the Eastern Townships of Quebec receiving more than 40cm over the weekend. 

Cold weather has also allowed for snowmaking at many resorts in the East.

France: Conditions have remained stable across much of France and there has been some fresh snow in the southern Alps.

Serre Chevalier has reported 12cm of new snow.

In nearby Risoul, the Mountain Guide and PlanetSKI safety expert, Nick Parks, says conditions are superb.

"In Risoul this week there are stunning conditions, second overnight snowfall in a row, approx 30cm fresh powder now without wind and blue skies this morning, it doesn't get much better," he tells us.

Parks runs the specialist company Mountain Tracks.

Chamonix continues to have some of the deepest snow depths in Europe, with more than 3.8m lying on upper slopes.

Switzerland: The most snow was reported from Eigenthal with 90cm in seven days. Bigger resorts like Laax, Saas Fee, Zermatt and Davos  had 8cm-15cm during the week.

However in Saas Fee, PlanetSKI reporter Jon White, says more snow is needed. He works for the ski and snowboard school Optimum Snowsports.

"With the last notable snowfall over a week ago conditions are becoming stretched. The lower slopes are melting, turning into slush and freezing at night. Around the mid-level the snow has stayed nicely however some patches of artificial snow are showing through. High up is still very nice although recent high winds have put an end to any off-piste."

Saas Fee, perhaps not as good as it looks

There are a dozen Swiss resorts reporting snow depths of two metres or more, including Saas Fee, St Moritz and Laax. Verbier  received a light dusting on Wednesday night early Thursday morning refreshing the tired terain.

Engelberg is on top of the list with 2.55m.

Austria: The biggest snowfalls took place in Carinthia where 60cm was reported from smaller resorts like Flattnitz and Petzen.

Bad Kleinkirchheim and Dachstein West also had 20-30cm in 24 hours.

The Mölltaler glacier now has the most snow in the country at 3.5m, with St. Anton am Arlberg second with 2.40m.

PlanetSKI reader Helen Gillespie is in St Anton at the moment.

"There were some very cold conditions last week with the piste is beautifully packed; slightly softer lower down. The Arlberg is in need of new white manna however as most off piste now fully tracked, but half term spirits jolly, and the outlook is good with sun forecasted, but faint hope of new snow looms."

Italy: More snow is expected in the coming days.

Arabba has had the most snow in the country for the past seven days with 45cm and it has some of the deepest snow in the country too, although the glacier at Passo Tonale continues to boast the deepest snow depth in Europe with 4.2m.

In Germany many resorts have seen 20cm-35cm of new snow in seven days. The resorts in the uplands of the East, Southeast and the Centre were reporting bigger snowfalls than the German Alps.

Grasgehren and Oberstdorf - Nebelhorn in the Allgäu both have 1.9m of snow on their upper slopes though and the top snow depth is at the Zugspitzplatt with 2.5cm.

In Eastern Europe conditions are the best so far this winter. Bulgarian resorts are now reporting up to 1.8m of snow accumulated after a poor start to the season.

Spain: It's snowing again in Madrid and the novelty of that is wearing off after multiple snowfalls in the Spanish capital.  It's good news for skiers wanting to visit the nearby ski hills too and has increased business at the city's indoor snow centre as people think more about winter sports.

More snowfall is expected through the remainder of the week in Spanish ski resorts.

Sierra Nevada to the south is now reporting up to 4m on its upper slopes with 99 km of runs open.

The weather conditions have meant a dramatic increase in the avalanche risk in Sierra Nevada making off piste skiing especially dangerous.

In the Pyrenees, Baqueira just inaugurated a new snowpark and has up to 1.95m of snow and 110km of piste open.

New Spanish snowpark

Formigal has the most runs open in the country, with 136km and snow depth up to 2.2m. 

 Most other ski areas have between 1.5 and 2.2m.

Conditions are reported to be generally good in Andorra too with some fresh snow and upper slope base depths of 1-1.8m.

Scotland: The country's ski areas have had a good top up of snow over the past 36 hours and its still falling. The ski centres are continuing to have one of the best winters for 30 years.

PlanetSKi reader, Rory Ross-Russell is in Glencoe with his family after deciding to holiday in Scotland rather than Europe as the snow is so good and the prices more attractive.

"Conditions as good as anything in the Alps over the past few years," he says.

Sweden: There's been some new snow with Åmål and Ramundberget ski areas both receiving 15cm and the leading resort Åre 11cm.

The country's greatest snow depth is in Tänndalen with 1.2m.

But this will soon change since Riksgränsen, the worlds northern most ski resort known for its midnight sun due to open in two days. They also have 1.2m at the moment.

So good skiing conditions all over the country and more snow is expected in the middle of Sweden on Friday.

USA: There's fresh in the US and resorts reporting big falls include Jackson Hole, Vail, Big Sky, Breckenridge and in Alaska, Alyeska, all of which have received more than 60cm.

See our special Olympic Section on PlanetSKI; as well as the latest news it is has some in-depth features and a few stories that you wont see elsewhere.

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