by Patrick Thorne with First Tracks!! Online Media staff reports
Kiltarlity, Scotland, UK – Following another big weekend of end-of-season parties at ski and snowboard resorts across the northern hemisphere, several hundred ski areas still remain open for a few more days in North America and the Alps, with a few dozen still planning to keep going into May.n
North America
In North America there’s been a little bit of fresh snow on the East Coast in far northern locales after several sunny weeks, but nearly all resorts are finished for the season. Killington in Vermont, which will close after this Sunday, has one lift running serving nine trails and a 20-inch (50cm) base. It has reported a few inches more snow since Monday. To the north Mont-Sainte-Anne in the Canadian province of Quebec is also open through this Sunday, but after this weekend die-hards will have only Mont-Saint-Sauveur in Quebec, Sugarloaf in Maine and Jay Peak in Vermont to choose from. Saint-Sauver hopes to reopen Friday-Sunday, Apr. 30-May 2, conditions permitting. Sugarloaf officials say they’ll go to May 2, with Jay Peak shooting for May 3.
Those in the West have far more to choose from. In western Canada, Sunshine Village, Lake Louise, Grouse Mountain and Whistler will remain open into May after Alberta’s Marmot Basin closes this weekend. On Vancouver Island, Mt. Washington Alpine Resort still has a whopping 263-inch (668cm) base, and will reopen for one last spring fling this Saturday.
This month’s heavy snowfall in the West has eased over the past week, but is now returning as a storm system moves through California en route to the Intermountain West. Mammmoth Mountain and Squaw Valley, both in California, are each reporting seven inches (18cm) of new snowfall this morning with another five to 11 inches (13-28cm) forecast to fall before the system clears out tomorrow night. Mammoth plans to continue to offer skiing and riding this year through July 4th. Elsewhere in California, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Sugar Bowl, Alpine Meadows will continue operations through May 16, and Donner Ski Ranch says that they’ll open weekends “until the snow is gone.”
Pickings are a bit slimmer in the Pacific Northwest, but Oregon’s Mt. Hood Meadows will remain open daily through this weekend, then weekends into May as long as customer demand supports it. Mt. Baker, east of Bellingham, Wash., will reopen Friday for a final weekend of skiing and riding. Alaska’s Alyeska Resort, where a remarkable 834 inches (2,118cm) of snow has fallen this season, will feature skiing off Chair Six beginning May 1, Fridays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with uploading and downloading on the tram. In Idaho, Brundage Mountain near McCall will reopen this Saturday and Sunday for one final bonus weekend.
Forecasters in Utah, where the current storm system is approaching this morning, anticipate eight to 14 inches (20-35cm) total by Friday, when Alta Ski Area reopens for a final three-day weekend on a base depth of 116 inches (295cm). After this weekend, Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort will be the only lift-served option remaining in Utah. Snowbird officials anticipate continuing to Memorial Day (May 31) this year.
In Colorado, Arapahoe Basin has received 10cm (four inches) more snow in the past week and has yet to set a firm closing date. Loveland, the only other ski area still operating in Colorado, will close May 2nd.
Western Europe
Sölden had 18cm (seven inches) of new snow in the past week, the most new snow in Austria. There’s still two and a half meters (eight feet) of snow on the glacier which will remain open for until the 2nd of May.
Ten centimeters (four inches) of fresh snow also fell in Lech Zürs and Ischgl last weekend. Lech will close this Sunday, while Ischgl will celebrate the end of their season with a mountaintop concert by Alicia Keys on May 1st. The Mölltal glacier also had some new snow on Sunday and will be open until May 16th. Currently, they have up to 390cm (13 feet) of snow on the glacier, more than anywhere else in Austria.
Some other Austrian ski resorts will still be running their lifts for skiers and boarders next week. Kitzsteinhorn will remain open until May 2nd and currently has 171cm (just under six feet) of snow on top and 154cm (five feet) on lower slopes. Obergurgl celebrates its “ski finish” from this Saturday through the week to May 1st. The resort has 105cm (3.5 feet) of snow left on upper slopes but only 14cm (six inches) on lower ones.
The Pitztal glacier remains open until May 16th, as does the Kaunertal glacier which has already begun its four week celebration of the end-of-season. The so-called “Spring Classics” include freeski contests, parties, professional snowboard coaching and a film and photo week. On the Stubai glacier there is still 180cm (six feet) of snow lying with a winter season lasting until June 13th.
Fifty ski areas are still open in France this week and there’s still some fresh snow. Chamonix, where the snowpack has diminished a little to 3.6m (12 feet) but remains the deepest in the country, has reported another 10cm (four inches) of snow in the past week. Many French areas close this weekend but Chamonix is one of nine French ski areas remaining open into the first week of May.
In Switzerland, Davos picked up 20cm (eight inches) of new snow this week. They still have a snow depth of 184cm (six feet) on upper slopes, but the official end of season is announced for this Sunday. Samnaun even reported 25cm (10 inches) of new snow on Monday. Thirty-five of its 40 lifts are still open with 160 cm of snow on the mountain. Samnaun’s season will end on May 2nd.
In St. Moritz the ski lifts are still running, too. ”Several mountain railways and lifts will be open through to May,” the local tourism association informs. “With a snow depth of 80 to 120 cm skiing conditions are still great on the mountains around St. Moritz.”
Gstaad, as well as Saas Fee will allow skiing until May 2nd, but Engelberg with three meters of snow on upper slopes won’t close before May 24th. Zermatt offers 365 days of skiing and snowboarding, with its year-long season officially ending on May 31st and officially recommencing on June 1st.
In Germany, the Nebelhorn near Oberstdorf will remain open for another week, until May 2nd. So will the Zugspitze that even reported 21cm (eight inches) of new snow in the past seven days and still has a snow depth of 305cm (10 feet) on the glacier.
In Italy Arabba has a 5.2m (17.3 feet) and Madonna di Campiglio has had the most snow of the past week with 22cm (seven inches) of new snow.
Virtually all resorts in the Pyrenees, including those in Andorra have now closed. However, Sierra Nevada in Spain, Europe’s most southerly resort, still has a deep snow base and will remain open to May.
Northern Europe
There’s been fresh snow in Scandinavia with Norwegian resorts reporting some of the greatest new snow accumulations of the past week, the most at Røldal which has had 70cm (2.3 feet) in seven days.
Spring skiing is at its best right now in Sweden. Eighteen resorts are open throughout this week, which for many is the last week of the season. Riksgränsen up in the Arctic Circle have the deepest snow depth in the country with 158cm (5.3 feet) and also got 5cm (two inches) of fresh snow today.
A big event takes place in Åre this week with the world’s largest downhill competition “Skutskjutet” this Saturday. The racing course is 3.5km long and everyone aged from three years up can participate and all competitors have a chance of winning a new Audi A3 convertible.
In Scotland there’s been yet more fresh snow, although three of the country’s five ski areas (Glenshee, Nevis Range and the Lecht) have now closed – in most cases due more to lack of skiers and boarders than a lack of snow. Glencoe is open weekends and Cairngorm, which has received about a foot (30cm) more snow since the weekend, remains open daily until the end of April. It then intends to open on weekends in May.
Eastern Europe
Although nearly all ski resorts in Eastern Europe have now closed, Poland’s leading resort of Zakopane is reported to be still open with 5cm (two inches) of new snow in the past week on its 150cm (five foot) base.
Southern Hemisphere
With temperatures dropping south of the equator to herald the start of the southern hemisphere winter, Hotham and Dinner Plain in Australia welcomed the first snowfalls of 2010 on Sunday, Apr. 11. Both villages turned white for a few hours with light dustings of new snowflakes throughout the day with only 53 days until the official start of the 2010 winter season.