An eventful week with snow pretty much everywhere in the ski world, and it looks like the same again to come with heavy snowfall expected in the Alps this weekend (as last weekend) …as well as in the Pyrenees, the Dolomites Scandinavia and Scotland. Only Bulgaria seems to be missing out a bit so far – although the forecasters say significant snowfall should arrive there this week too.
Across the Atlantic there have been big snow falls in Quebec where snow was badly needed and another humungous snow storm is hitting Western North America with some resorts expecting up to two metres of snow!
(Picture above: Saas Fee)
Austria
Austrian slopes are definitely in their best shape of the season so far – many areas received 20-40cm of fresh snow in the past week, as pictured above, and as much or more is expected in the coming week. Solden now has a 3m/10 foot snow base on its glacier and though we don’t want to tempt fate its looking good for the Easter holidays.
France
(Tignes snow report kindly supplied by Ski Total.) French slopes are in good shape after big snow falls last week and much more is expected in the week ahead. Chamonix has recently claimed its upper slope depth has leapt by 2m to around 6.5m – the deepest in the world and it expects another 60cm in the snowy weekend just starting. Most other french resorts expect 30-50cm, Conditions are good across the country.
Italy
(Monte Bondone, Trentino). For the first time this season conditions are great pretty much right across Italian slopes. Heavy snowfall in the Dolomites, continuing this weekend, has left slopes in great shape as they were already in the West, so Italy too is looking very good for the rest of the season.
Switzerland
(Saas Fee). Just to complete the Alpine ‘big 4’ set, Swiss areas too have had a snowy week with much more to come. Zermatt received nearly a metre of fresh snow in the past week and Engelberg and Saas Fee now have the deepest bases in the country at 3.5m (nearly 12 feet).
Pyrenees
(Panticosa). Fresh snow in the Pyrenees and more too, refreshing the established snow base. Conditions are good here too moving in to March and Sierra Nevada to the south is almost fully open at last after spending most of the first three months of the season only able to open 20 of its 120km of piste.
Scandinavia
(Narvik in Northern Norway). Scandinavian slopes are also looking good across the region with most areas posting at least a 1m base, and Voss in Western Norway more than 2m. Some good snowfalls in the last week too, including over a foot overnight in Hemsedal.
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe has something of a north south divide with some fresh snow in countries like Slovakia (above – hosting World cup races this weekend) and the Czech Republic, but warmer weather in the south in Bulgaria. The whole region should get some fresh snow this coming week though.
Scotland
Another week of near perfect conditions across the Scottish Highlands, leading to busy slopes at weekends but great conditions for all.
Canada
Quebec hadn’t had the best first half of the season but is the big Canadian news story this week with up to a metre of snow reported in the last seven days at Tremblant (above) and other ski areas in the region. There’s been snow out West too, with BC resorts reporting up to a foot and much more forecast in the coming week, including massive snowfalls expected in Whistler.
USA
It has actually been quite a quiet week in the US with nowhere reporting more than a foot of fresh snow and some low lying areas on both East and west coasts forced to close by two warm and wet conditions. But that’s about to changer big time with the latest massive snowstorm due to cross the country bringing huge snowfalls to the West in particular, if forecasts are correct. Winter Park in Colorado is pictured above.