The first ski resort to open for the 2019-20 season that doesn’t have a glacier has begun its ski operations this morning.
Ruka in Finnish Lapland has a seven month ski season that runs to early May next year, one of the longest in the world.
Although about 10 ski areas are already open in Europe, all have snow-covered glaciers allowing them to open in early autumn.
Ruka uses a technique called snow-farming, saving snow from the previous winter under-cover, stockpiled on the slopes through summer, then spreading it back out on the slopes in the autumn when it gets cooler. There has in fact been fresh snow in Scandinavia this week.
Kitzbuhel also uses snow farming and aims to be the first non-glacier ski area to open in the Alps in a fortnight’s time for the start of a 200 day ski season there.
Meanwhile high ski areas in Colorado including Keystone and Loveland began snowmaking last night with the aim of being the first in the country to open there in the next few weeks.
This morning we discovered a pair of Great Caped Snowmaking Techs in their natural habitat! Watch as they emerge from their season of hibernation and greet the new day.(Snowmaking has begun and we are clearly excited about it!)Make sure you’re ready for #KeystoneKickoff and secure your pass before the Oct 13 deadline. ⛷ http://bit.ly/KeySeasonPass
Posted by Keystone Resort on Thursday, 3 October 2019