(Panorama, BC, Canada)

Many more resorts are opening in the Alps this weekend and a number of ski areas in the Pyrenees too – the first time this season anywhere has opened there. It’s also opening weekend in the Dolomiti Superski region.

The new openings are thanks mainly to the big snowfalls last weekend which brought up to a metre of snow to some higher slopes (but more like a foot to most).  There’s also been moire snow in the Alps over the past few days and although there’s an un-nerving warm snap forecast for the middle of the coming week, its hoped that thanks to snowmaking efforts as well as the natural snow it shouldn’t mess up the season start too much.

Across the Atlantic there have been still more big snowfalls in Western North America making for one of the snowiest November’s ever.

Austria

Austrian ski areas got about a foot of snow at the weekend.  The eight glacier areas remain in great shape but more and more non-glacier centres are starting to open now. This weekend Ischgl opens with a big Beach Boys concert and Solden extends its ski area down from the glacier to the village.  The picture above is from after the snowfall last weekend.

France

Two months of mostly Tignes-only open in France comes to an end this weekend with a number of big name resorts including Alpe d’Huez, Montgenevre, Val d’Isere and Val Thorens opening for the season, plus Cauterets down in the Pyrenees.  Most areas are in great shape after last week’s snow, Tignes (pictured above) was in fact one of the most blessed with a metre of new snow at the weekend and another 40cm in 24 hours a few days ago..

Italy

Up to two feet of snow on the west side of the country in the Italian Alps, little snow but cold temperatures for snowmaking in the Dolomites in the East (above), where 80km of runs with open in seven valleys this weekend.  Cortina is among the new areas opening, joining already open and now extra snowy Cervinia and Val Senales.

Switzerland

Switzerland got some great new snow cover from last weekend’s storms.  Saas Fee (above) reported up to a metre of fresh snow up top.  Resorts opening this weekend include Crans Montana,  Samnaun and Verbier joining re-opened Davos, Engelberg and Laax and centres that have been open all autumn which include Saas Fee, Zermatt, Glacier 3000 (Gstaad) and Diavolezza (St Moritz).

Pyrenees

Last weekend’s snow storms brought up to 50cm of snow to the Pyrenees allowing centres to open the last weekend of November as they’d always planned, although 8 days ago before trhe snow started and the slopes were green that looked unlikely.  Both centres in Andorra are opening along with several centres on the French side (including Cauterets) and the Spanish side (including La Molina). Baqueira Beret is pictured above this week.

Scotland (And England!)

It’s been too warm as well as wet and windy on Scottish hills at the end of the week but colder weather and snow has returned, adding to last weekend’s tallies, so it remains promising for t least one area to announce it will be opening soon.  However Yad Moss in Northern England did managed to open last weekend with the fresh snow there, the first in GB to open for 15-16 (pictured above).

Scandinavia

There’s not been much natural snow so far in Scandinavia, the most reported up in Lapland, but more areas are open this weekend including Trysil in Norway, thanks to snowmaking.  The Nordic World Cup season also kicks off in Ruka, Finland.  Pictured above is Narvik in Norway.

Eastern Europe

Eastern European salopes are turning white too with some areas getting the benefit of the big snowfalls last weekends, others using colder temperatures for snowmaking. Pictured above is Krvavec after the big snowfalls there.

Canada

Revelstoke (pictured above) has sensational snowfall having clocked up around 4m of snow through November. Ski areas across the west of the country have deep snow and most areas are now open and have base depths around the metre mark having had more than 2m of snow fall this month. There’s not much snow in the East of Canada yet but a few areas have opened with thin cover resulting.

USA

The snow has kept falling in the Western US, with resorts in Colorado and California reporting up to 40cm of fresh snow in 24 hour periods this week, including at Squaw Valley, pictured above.  Most ski areas in the region are now open. Things are a little less ideal on the East Coast where temperatures have been high for much of November and ski areas have been battling to open with snowmaking.