by Patrick Thorne with First Tracks!! Online Media staff reports
Kiltarlity, Scotland, UK – Heavy snow in Western North America, the Alps, the Dolomites, the Pyrenees and in Scandinavia is making the start of the 2010-11 ski and snowboard look very promising across the northern hemisphere, with more resorts opening on both sides of the Atlantic and a dozen more due to open this weekend.nIn North America, Sunday River in Maine was the first resort to open last Friday, joining the year-round skiing at Timberline on Mt. Hood in Oregon. Colorado’s Loveland Ski Area opened on Sunday and Arapahoe Basin on Monday while Sunday River re-closed midweek, so there are now three ski areas open in the U.S. Keystone and Copper Mountain, the latter already open for race training camps only, are scheduled to join them on Nov. 5.
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Some anxious local riders were out getting after Crested Butte’s 23 inches of pre-season snow on Tuesday. |
Most ski areas in Colorado, open or not, have had at least 30cm (a foot) of new snow this week. At Steamboat 14.5 inches (36cm) of snow fell at Thunderhead, the resort’s mid-mountain location at 9,080 feet. The ski area is scheduled to open Nov. 24.
“Mother Nature showed just how fast she can go from fall to full winter and reminded all of us that it’s never too early to make sure your equipment is waxed up, season passes are in hand and you’re getting into shape for a fantastic season,” said Rob Perlman, senior vice president of marketing & sales for Steamboat.
“Meteorologists are calling for a La Niña weather cycle this winter, which bodes very well for Steamboat,” added Doug Allen, vice president of mountain operations for Steamboat. “The last La Niña took place during the winter of 2007-08, when the Steamboat Ski Area recorded 489 inches of snow at mid-mountain before it was all said and done.”
Elsewhere in the state, snow continues to accumulate. Monday’s storm dumped more than 20 inches of snow at Keystone Resort’s North Peak, Crested Butte has picked up 23 inches over the past three days, and 18 inches has been reported mid-mountain at Telluride. Weather forecasts are predicting the snow to continue as temperatures dip into the low teens Fahrenheit.
In Utah, automated Snotel reports indicate 33 inches on the ground at Alta Ski Area, 20 inches at Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort and 17 inches at upper elevations at Park City Mountain Resort. Snow has reached all the way to the valley floor, with Salt Lake City residents awakening this morning to several inches of snow on the ground. Solitude Mountain Resort and Brighton are each scheduled to kick of the state’s ski and ride season on Nov. 12, with Alta following on Nov. 19, Snowbird Nov. 20, and most of the remaining resorts in Utah the following week.
In Caifornia Squaw Valley USA received the first snowfall of the 2010-11 winter season with two to four inches of snow falling this week, the result of a low pressure system moving east across California and Nevada from the Pacific coast. Snow guns are presently firing at Heavenly at the other end of Lake Tahoe.
North of the border Whistler has reported a big pre-season snowfall. A heavy Pacific storm hit the resort at the start of the week, dropping between 25-30cm of snow at higher elevations. The freezing level is expected to remain steady with more periods of snow forecast for this week. Meteorologists are calling for a La Niña weather cycle for the Pacific Northwest, meaning cooler temperatures and more snow than Whistler Blackcomb’s annual average of 34 feet/10.25m.
Nakiska, which had hoped to open early in Alberta west of Calgary on Oct. 30, is now looking at a November 6th opening, but there have been no reports so far that Mt. Norquay has any plans to delay its opening from this Saturday, Oct. 30.
There have been heavy snowfalls in the Alps over the past few days with accumulations of up to 60cm (two feet) reported, with 90cm (three feet) in the Dolomites, although ski areas there are yet to open.
Kitzbuhel and Laax have announced they will open this weekend, which along with resorts opening in Scandinavia means more than 30 places will be open in six countries in Europe on Saturday.
Around 19 glacier ski areas are currently open to enjoy it all in the four main Alpine nations, although the extreme winter weather has led to temporary closures of some areas so it is of course important to check ahead before you arrive.
In Italy Bormio – which isn’t open yet – reported the biggest snowfalls of the past week with a 60cm accumulation. The Presena Glacier above Passo Tonale has opened, however, joining Val Senales and Passo Stelvio, which is currently reporting the world’s deepest snow base with 200cm, to give three choices presently open in the country. Stelvio is due to close on Monday, Nov. 1, but there will be a fourth option beginning Saturday when Cervinia opens for the season.
Austria continues to have the most skiing available at the moment with eight glacier ski areas open.
Kitzbühel is going to open its first ski runs on Saturday when they start into the winter season as the first non-glacier ski area in the Alps to open. A snow depth of 30cm (a foot) is reported.
The Dachstein Glacier has finally re-opened after being unexpectedly closed due to lack of snow for two months. It has had 20cm of fresh snow and now has a 40cm base.
“It’s a good feeling to stand up here at 1906 meters of altitude on October 23rd and the first guests are already skiing behind us,” said Ernst Trummer of the local mountain railways.
Solden, which hosted the opening outdoor World Cup events in the Northern Hemisphere last weekend also has lots of snow, but the Hintertux glacier currently has more slopes open than anywhere with 44km of runs, a 600m vertical and a 1.55m (five foot) base with 40cm of that fresh powder.
The Mölltal glacier accumulated another 30 cm of snow on Sunday and Monday, bringing the resort’s snow depth to 140 cm. The skiing conditions are reported to be very good. Ischgl and Galtür (not yet open) also had 20 cm of new snow on Monday.
You can also ski or board in Austria on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun, at Pitztal, on the Stubai near Innsbruck or at Kaunertal.
Switzerland will have six glaciers open this weekend at Diabelerets, Diavolezza near St Moritz, Engelberg, Laax, Zermatt and Saas Fee – the next stop on the World Cup circuit. Gstaad – Glacier 3000 got fresh snow on Monday and reports it has up to 70 cm of snow on its slopes now. The Swiss winter resort wants to start its winter season on Saturday, opening at least the skilift “Dôme” and the snow park. Also on Monday, St. Moritz got 30 cm of fresh powder. The resort has a snow cover of half a meter now, with two lifts running at the Diavolezza.
In Engelberg they reported snowfall on Monday, too, where the snow is about a meter deep at the moment. Saas Fee reported some new snow only yesterday. Five of their slopes are open, the maximum snow cover amounts to 141 cm. Zermatt says to have 173 cm of snow and good skiing conditions on 23 km of slopes.
The Vorab glacier at Laax will be open earlier than expected this Saturday thanks to the heavy snow. Slopes have been groomed and the rails and boxes in the snowpark are ready for some jibbing.
In France, Les 2 Alpes is open this week only, joining Tignes, before it re-closes for three weeks then re-opens for the winter.
The number of ski areas open in Scandinavia will be in double figures by the weekend. So far Bjorli and Sauda in Norway, which opened last Saturday, and Ruka in Finland are all open. They will be joined by Kvitfjell, Trysil, Uvdal, Gaustablikk, Rauland, Haukelifjell and Skeikampen this weekend, all in Norway, with Beitostølen, Geilo, Hemsedal , Nesbyen, and Tyin-Filefjell following a week later.
“Temperatures are below zero (Celsius) at the moment, and the snow production is in full swing, so right now, it looks like the weekend openings will go as planned,” said Skiinfo Norway’s Tobias Flatin.
There’s been snow falling across the Pyrenees, too, although no resorts are yet open there. Formigal reported receiving the first snowfall of the season all the way to the base, while the snow is very abundant in higher valleys.
“This early snowfall is very beneficent, as it cools and moistens the ground. As a result, the future layers of snow are going to be more solid and will last the whole winter season,” said Formigal spokesperson Conchita Fernandez.
All ski areas in the southern hemisphere are now closed except for Turoa in New Zealand, which plans to stay open another two weeks into November. It has more than a 1.5m (five foot base) so it looks promising that they will last until their projected closing date.