World Resorts News

Valle Nevado in Chile (vallenevado.com) turns 25 this winter and is aiming to take some major steps in its master plan towards its transformation into the first "mountain village" of the region – which it aims to complete by 2022.

When the ski season starts in a few weeks’ time skiers and boarders will be able to ride the first ski resort gondola in Chile for snowsports for the first time.

The new ski lift has capacity for six people in each cable car and travels more than 1,000 meters to transport skiers, snowboarders and all other visitors from the Service Area up to the Bajo Zero restaurant located mid-mountain at 3,200 metres above sea level.

In addition, new trails for adult beginners have been created next to the Bajo Zero gondola station which feature Magic Carpet lifts to ease the learning process and ensure that visitors of all levels can enjoy the more than 900 acres of terrain.

Another new trail running parallel to the Sol trail located in the central sector of the mountain will provide skiers and boarders with a faster, more direct access route to the Andes chairlift and the Bajo Zero restaurant.

In addition, the traditional Snowpark will be expanded and space will be designated to three separate Free Style levels: Basic for children and beginners and Intermediate 1 and 2 for more advanced skiers and snowboarders.

Two brand new gondolas open this weekend at the Dachstein Glacier in Austria after a month’s closure. The centre is due to re-open with a new Superpark Dachstein for summer skiing and boarding this weekend.

The terrain park has been closed since April 15th while crews worked around the clock to build the new lifts. On May 18th, the new look Superpark Dachstein will incorporate a beginner park, a pro jib line with two routes allowing creative rail combinations. The size of the kicker line will be adjusted to the warm summer temperatures so that, despite the potential for slush, safe jumps are still guaranteed.

One of the first events of the summer snowpark season will be the O’Neill Girls Shred Session on May 25th, 2013.

“All freeski and snowboard ladies can look forward to a special park session packed with tons of girl power! Who still can’t get enough of winter should definitely register for the session via mail to girlsshred@qparks.com and spend a sweet day with motivated shred sisters, a relaxed BBQ and tons of sunshine! The QParks media crew will also be on location to capture the girls’ tricks on film and photo,” said a statement from the centre.

There has been heavy snow in the Alps and Dolomites in the past few 48 hours but not many ski areas are open and few are publishing snowfall statistics until next season.

In Switzerland Engelberg reports 15cm of new snow, it is open until the 26th and Zermatt is also open. It’s reported to be -5 to -7 and snowing at Glacier 3000 between Gstaad and les Diablerets which is due to re-open this weekend and, for the final time this season, on the 25th/26th.

In Austria the Molltal Glacier reports 8cm of fresh snow in the past 24 hours but is currently closed and won’t re-open until 20th June. Kaunertal (open to 9th June) 3cm, but 25cm in the last week. The Dachstein, Kitzsteinhorn and Hintertux glaciers are also open but did not report fresh snow. The Stubai glacier is due to close this weekend but is currently stormbound.

There are no ski areas open in France and in Italy only the Presena Glacier is reporting to be open with up to 25cm of snow falling on its two open runs. Folgaria says it may re-open because of the snow.

In Northern Europe Cairngorm is open in Scotland, Ruka in Finland and there’s skiing under the midnight sun until the 23rd at Riksgransen in Sweden while Norway’s Folgefonn glacier opened on May 1st and Galdhøpiggen is due to open on 18th May.

In North America Arapahoe Basin in Colorado, Mammoth in California, Mount Bachelor and Timberline in Oregon and Crystal Mountain In Washington State are open in the US, which is open weekends from now to June 16th. There’s Sunshine (final weekend) and Whistler still open in Canada.

The season is not really underway yet in the southern hemisphere although after heavy pre-season snowfall in New Zealand and southern Africa earlier this month it has been the turn of Australian ski areas to report up to 20cm of new snow in the past 72 hours.

20 ski areas are currently open worldwide, a number that will drop to 18 next week, as most ski areas in the north have closed but summer skiing in the north and southern hemisphere skiing is yet to start.

One of the fruits of the on-going renovation and redevelopment work at the top station of the Aiguille du Midi cable car is set to be revealed this summer and will be accessible to visitors next winter.

As part of the redevelopment, a new 2.5m glass balcony will be an added attraction for those with stomachs strong enough to step out over a 1,200m precipice.



Inaugurated in 1955, the Aiguille du Midi cable car, amongst the highest in the world, enables visitors to ride to 3800 metres – or nearly two vertical miles above Chamonix, in less than 30 minutes.

www.compagniedumontblanc.fr

The second substantial snowfalls in a fortnight at Tiffindell ski area in South Africa has led the centre to open its slopes for snowsports this week, three years after the centre last operated. Tiffindell, now under new ownership, has been the first southern hemisphere ski area to open most season for the past few decades since it first opened.

It’s fellow ski area in Southern Africa, Afriski in Lesotho, also reported heavy snow at the end of April, but has no plans to open until the start of June, and reports the accumulated snow from those first falls is now melting away.

Elsewhere snow has been reported in South America and in New Zealand ski centre staff were able to make first turns, a little over a month before official opening dates and t Hutt reported 20cm of snow.

“New snow is always a reason to celebrate in our book and the timing couldn’t have been better as senior staff come on board for the season,” said The Remarkables ski area manager Ross Lawrence. “A quick snowball fight was the order of the day!”

At Coronet Peak ski area, which also received fresh snow, manager Ross Copland said it was a “fantastic reminder” that winter was on its way and hoped it was an early sign of things to come.

“As we’re in full swing with staff training it’s certainly a great sign when the temperature starts to drop with five weeks to go until we open.”

Coronet Peak is scheduled to open for the 2013 season on June 8 and The Remarkables on June 22.

Ski Dubai has become an iconic symbol of the United Arab Emirates but a new innovation may be around the corner in the UAE.

Another of the five emirates making up the UAE, Ras Al Khaimah, is planning an outdoor real snow ski area.

The complex, sited in a mountainous area bordering Oman’s Musandam peninsula, has been planned for several years and it seems the only thing delaying it’s instigation is the construction of a 36km long road up in to the mountains, now nearing completion.

In fact, natural snowfall is not unheard of in Ras Al Khaimah, which is home to the highest point in the United Arab Emirates, a 1934m peak called Jebel Bil Ays, and the plan is to make the most of the cooler air and shade provided by mountain peaks at this altitude, and advances in snowmaking technology, to create a ski run which earlier reports put at 2km.


Artist impressions of the ski resort appear to show a semi enclosed multi-storey structure built on to the side of a mountain, 1900m above sea level with access by gondola lift as well as the road.

“We are currently experimenting with the technology to produce a large quantity of ice during winter,” Salem Sultan Al Qassimi, Chairman of the Department of Civil Aviation of Ras Al Khaimah, Vice Chairman of RAK Air and a leading player in the RAK government’s plans to expand tourism told Gulf News. “Once it’s done successfully, we will have the region’s first winter ski resort in Ras Al Khaimah.”

The new edition of Swiss based consultant Laurent Vanat’s annual International Report on Mountain Tourism, contains several non-mountainous destinations for the first time.

“This made it necessary to reconsider the name of the report, so it is now called the ‘International Report on Snow & Mountain Tourism.’

The 2013 issue features again an additional set of new countries covered, such as Cyprus, Estonia, Lesotho, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Montenegro and the United Kingdom. This bring the total of the countries reviewed to 48 (among the 70 in the world offering conventional ski centres).

Some of the stats and facts that are included in the report include:

• There are 2,106 ski resorts worldwide: more than one third of these are located in the Alps.
  
• There are 26,764 ski lifts worldwide, many of them in the Alps, emphasising the importance of this region to the industry.
  
• There are 48 major ski resorts worldwide, each totalling each more than 1 million visitors, more than 75% of them located in the Alps.

The estimated number of skier visits worldwide has been estimated at 400 million, with the assumption that the figure has been quite steady over the last 10 years, as major mature markets experience slow growth, when not in decline as in Japan, while other markets were emerging.

Download the full report from: www.vanat.ch/RM-world-report-2013.pdf

A thick dusting of new snow on the mountain tops around Queenstown over the past 24 hours is a timely reminder of the countdown to the southern hemisphere’s 2013 winter season.

A cold snap over the weekend delivered 4cm of ‘white gold’ to The Remarkables ski area, greeting new heads of department on a pre-season induction and training session.

“New snow is always a reason to celebrate in our book and the timing couldn’t have been better as senior staff come on board for the season,” said The Remarkables ski area manager Ross Lawrence.

“A quick snowball fight was the order of the day!”

Over at Coronet Peak, up to 2cm of snow also coated the mountain, with the snow level descending down the ski area access road.

Coronet Peak ski area manager Ross Copland said it was a “fantastic reminder” that winter was on its way and hoped it was an early sign of things to come.

“As we’re in full swing with staff training it’s certainly a great sign when the temperature starts to drop with five weeks to go until we open.”

Coronet Peak is scheduled to open for the 2013 season on June 8 and The Remarkables on June 22.

Four years after the ski lifts and buildings at Pakistan’s only commercial ski area, located in the country’s Swat Valley, was destroyed by The Taliban, a new chairlift is to be built at the Pakistan Air Force’s existing ski area at Naltar by the Ski Federation of Pakistan with the support of the Pakistan military.

The new lift, donated by the Villars ski area of Switzerland, would provide uplift for 500 skiers per hour – compared to 60 by the old surface lift. At the same time the centre’s ski slope would be extended from 600 to 1500 metres in length.

A stone laying ceremony for the installation of the new chairlift was held at Naltar, Gilgit Baltistan on Saturday. Air Marshal Farhat Hussain Khan, Vice Chief of the Air Staff and President Ski Federation of Pakistan was the Chief Guest on the occasion.

After the earth breaking ceremony, the President Ski Federation of Pakistan declared the project as being “… of strategic importance for development and promotion of skiing in the country,” said local media reports.

Air Marshal Khan said that the project would mean Naltar would become an international standard ski facility and help attract national and international tourism, helping the area’s economy.
He said that Pakistan Air Force would continue to support the Federation to promote ski sport in the country. On the occasion he appreciated the members of the team working on the project and highlighted the support of the Chief Minister Gilgit Baltistan which is of vital importance for successful completion of the project.

Naltar is located around 3,200m up in the Himalayas Pakistan only international standard resort is located in the picturesque Swat Valley.

Pakistan’s commercial ski centre of Malam Jaba was originally built in 1988 in cooperation with Austrian specialists it remained 'mothballed' for a decade before finally being opening by Pakistan's then president in the late 1990s. It was equipped with two chair lifts, a hotel, restaurants and a coffee shop. The resort gets six to ten feet of average snowfall annually. In 2009 it was taken over by the Taliban who destroyed most of the facilities. Since the Taliban were driven out there has been talk of re-building the centre and people have hiked up to continue skiing the slopes.

Although there are still over 100 ski areas open in the northern hemisphere at the start of May, that number will diminish to perhaps less than 20 by the end of the month – one of the quietest few weeks in the ski year.

That’s because even the late-opening ski resorts continuing the 2012-13 ski seasons as long as possible tend to give-up the ghost by mid-May whereas most summer ski glacier areas won’t open until June or July and nor will southern hemisphere ski areas. So in fact by the end of May there’s be more indoor ‘snowdome’ snow centres operating around the world than outdoor ski areas.
This report details ski areas open for at least half the month.

The Alps

It’s glacier ski time in Austria, which has more glacier ski centres open at some point or another through spring to autumn than any other country. Hintertux, which had a 3m base at the start of the month, is one of two resorts worldwide open year round but you can also opt for The Pitztal glacier which still had the deepest snow in Austria (as well as the country’s highest lifts) on May 1st at 4.2m or the Molltal glacier with as slightly more modest 4.1m, both open to May 12th. For later in the month Stubai (2.6m base) is open until at least May 20th and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier (250cm base); and Kaunertal glacier (210cm base) are both open to June (closing on 2nd and 9th respectively), as should be the Dachstein Glacier.

France is unusual in having no ski resorts open at all from mid-May to mid-June but you can ski at Tignes (3.3m at start of month) and Val Thorens (2.5m at start of month) until May 12th. There’s usually no skiing in the Pyrenees after April but the cult freeride centre at Pic du Midi has announced its re-opening for freeride skiing from 6th to 12th May for those suitably experienced and equipped having received more than 15m of snow this winter.

The May skiing options in Italy appear to be limited, after the first weekend, to a couple of red runs on the Presena Glacier above Passo Tonale, which had a 4m snow base at the start of May. Val Senales won’t be opening for summer skiing this year and Cervinia is closed until the summer. Passo Stelvio expects to open on June 1st.

In Switzerland there’s year round skiing at Zermatt, which had more than 2m of snow lying on its glacier slopes, which normally maintain at least an 800m vertical, at the start of May. Europe’s highest lifts, a couple of T Bars reaching 3899m, operate there in summer only. Other choices include the Diavolezza Glacier near St Moritz (1.5m base) open to 20th May; Engelberg (over 4.5m base) and Gstaad’s Glacier 3000 (over 5m upper slope base) which is open weekends to 26th May.
Scandinavia (and Scotland!)

Scotland’s excellent 2012-13 season, with snow still falling at the start of May, has left Cairngorm operational and looking good to stay open so long as demand continues. Glencoe and to a less extent Nevis range are also opening, although only at weekends.

Norway’s three glacier ski areas are opening beginning with Folgefonn on May 1st, Galdhøpiggen on 18th May and Stryn on a yet to be determined date in late May while in the Swedish Arctic Circle Riksgransen is open until May 26th with skiing under the midnight sun in the latter half of the month.

Over in Lapland, Ruka heroically maintains the longest ski season of the world for a non-glacier resort. It should be open until mid-June, thanks in part to a pile of machine made snow through the winter enabling it to keep its main slope open as 24 hour daylight approaches here too.

North America

Sunshine at Banff (2m base, 4cm fresh snow on April 30th, open to May 20th) and the Blackcomb Glacier at Whistler, open daily from 10am to 4pm until May 27th, are the two Canadian ski options in May.

Six US resorts look set to stay open throughout May, although some only at weekends. With more than a metre of snow falling in the last few weeks of April (after 95% of the states ski areas had closed), Arapahoe Basin in Colorado is one of the best bets, starting May 100% open with a 1.4m base and plans to be open to June. In California Mammoth, which is often open to July 4th, is the sole survivor and has so far announced it plans to stay open at least to the US Memorial Day holiday weekend, May 27th. It starts May with more than a 4m base having had the deepest snow in the country for much of the 12-13 ski season. In Utah Snowbird, which starts May with a 2.5m bnase, is open daily until May 13th, after which it’s weekends. No closing date has been set but the events calendar has après ski parties planned to May 31st so far. In Oregon Mount Bachelor will be open to May 26th and Timberline right through to early September (when it closes for a few weeks of maintenance). The sixth option is Crystal Mountain In Washington State which is open weekends from now to June 16th.

Southern Hemisphere

It’s not inconceivable that the ski season will kick off south of the equator before the end of May, although in most cases resorts do not plan to open until June.

In the past it is often the small ski areas of southern Africa that have opened first, during May, but currently Afriski in Lesotho is projecting a June 7th opening date. Tiffindell in South Africa re-opens this winter after several seasons closed and has also opened in May in previous years.
Elsewhere first snow has already been reported in Australia and New Zealand.

Rest Of The World

There’s no real website and it’s difficult to get accurate information on snow conditions but it was reported to be snowing this week at Gassan in Japan and likely to continue snowing through the early days of May. Gassan is Japan’s main spring/summer ski destination and does not begin its annual season until mid-April each year, leaving accumulated snow in pristine condition. It then normally remains open daily to July.

And if you need a snow fix remember there are more than 50 indoor snow centres operating year round around the world, six of them here in the UK, so fresh snow in one form or another is never far away.

www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast

The start of May is a major event for those resorts that make a feature of staying open to at least the middle-of-Spring and fresh snow in the Alps, the Rockies and even the Scottish Highlands in recent days means that the end of April is looking remarkable still mid-winter-like at key resorts in Europe and North America.

At the same time excitement is building on the other side of the world as the southern hemisphere’s 2013 ski season nears, helped by the first big pre-season snowfalls of the ‘winter’ in New Zealand, where skiers were able to make first turns at Mt Hutt at the weekend some 8 weeks before the official start of the season there. Snow was also reported at most Australian ski areas towards the end of last week.

www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast

• Up to 40cm of fresh snow in the Alps.
  
• First snow in Australia for 2013, Mt Buller and Perisher both announce 5cm falls.
  
• Up to 55cm more snow in Colorado and Utah.
  
• First turns on fresh snow in New Zealand.

Europe

Austria

Big things are afoot in the Austrian Alps this weekend and early next week with shows and events at the resorts that are still open. Ischgl (110cm base, no fresh snow) has the biggest party in the Alps with 20,000 expected to see Deep Purple play on the top of the mountain next Tuesday April 30. The Pitztal glacier (open to May 12th) still has the deepest snow in Austria (as well as the country’s highest lifts) and got 5cm to freshen up its 4.3m base. The Molltal glacier has a 4.1m base and is also open to May 12th. Stubai (2.6m base) is open a further week until at least May 20th. Solden reported an 18cm fall on Monday and has 2.7m (9 feet) lying on the glacier. It’s open until May 5th. You can still ski in Austria after May though – the Kitzsteinhorn glacier to June 2nd (250cm base); the Kaunertal glacier (210cm base) is open to June 9th and Hintertux (305cm base, 10cm fresh) year round.

France

As we approach May around 30 ski areas are open in France at present, although for many, this weekend is the last weekend of 12-13. That’s not the case for Tignes (380cm base, closing 12th May) or Val d’Isere (370cm base; closing 5th May) which reported 40cm of fresh snow at the weekend, while France’s highest resort, Val Thorens (370cm base, 20cm fresh), will be the last to close in more than three weeks’ time on May 19th. Many other resorts also reported 5-10cm of fresh snow at the weekend including Les 2 Alpes, Flaine, Courchevel and Les Arcs.

Italy

Although only a handful of resorts remain open in Italy, conditions are generally good where you can still ski and up to 30cm (a foot) of fresh snow was reported at the weekend, the biggest accumulation at Val Senales (3.5m base) which is open to May 5th. Val Senales formerly opened for summer skiing but seems to be saying it won’t re-open until next October now leaving Passo Stelvio at the third option along with Passo Tonale (4m base – deepest in Italy – 20cm fresh) and summer skiing at Cervinia (350cm base, 10cm fresh, closes May 5th, re-open 29th June to 8th September) as Italy’s remaining summer ski possibilities.

Switzerland

There was heavy snow at the end of last week (Thursday to Saturday) bringing up to 40cm of fresh snow on the remaining Swiss areas which are still open. At Verbier the last weekend of a great ski season is upon us and the remaining runs will close at the end of the day on 28th April 2013. “It's still great skiing from the top of Mont Fort to the resort,” said a Verbier statement on Tuesday, “With spring skiing it is a pure pleasure then enjoy sitting on the terraces of mountain restaurants still open at the Gentian, Chalet Carlsberg as well at Attelas in La Chaux or to Ruinettes.” The season continues in to May at Engelberg (477cm upper slope base, 35cm fresh last Friday), Gstaad’s Glacier 3000 (510cm upper slope base, 40cm fresh last Friday, open to May 5th then weekends to 26th) and year round Zermatt (230cm upper slope base, 40cm fresh last Friday).

The Pyrenees

The snow is thawing fast in the Pyrenees now with temps near double figures but there’s so mnuc h of it lying that Baqueira Beret, which extended its season to May 5th, still has 10 feet (3m) on uppere slopes and Grandvalira in Andorra, which reports 1.8m still there and actually 12cm of fresh last Saturday, will celebrate its final few days of the season this weekend. Most other areas are closed but Sierra Nevada in the south of the country is still claiming a 5m base, the world’s deepest this week if correct.

Scandinavia

Most of Norway’s ski areas are now closed but Hemsedal, with a metre of snow lying but nothing fresh, has its final weekend this weekend. However the country’s three small glacier areas are opening soon, Folgefonn on May 1st, Galdhøpiggen on 18th May and Stryn on a yet to be determined date in late May (they report it’s -6 and snowing as we type) – after which all will be open daily to August, and reports good snow conditions with fresh cover at present. In Sweden it’s the big end-of-season party weekend at Are, Scandinavia’s biggest resort but up north in Riksgransen things are just getting going and the centre is reported to be largely fully booked through May as its famed ‘skiing under the midnight sun’ period nears. It’s open until May 26th, but then re-opens June 20th-23rd for one weekend only. Across in Finnish Lapland there were a few centimetres of fresh snow towards the end of last week but bases are dropping towards 50-70cm. Most areas close this weekend but Ruka will aim to keep its main slope open to mid-June.

Scotland

There’s been a thaw across the Highlands for most of the past week, but at altitude it still dips below freezing at night and Cairngorm managed to score a few more inches of fresh snow in recent days and remarkably can still offer top-to-bottom skiing. The main issue in the region however has been gale force winds again causing operational difficulties. Two of the five areas have closed for the season – The Lecht due to the thaw and Nevis Range perhaps more down to a lack of skiers and boarders to make operations viable. Both Glencoe and Glenshee are now closed mid-week but do have enough snow to operate and say they’ll review the weather on Friday and decide whether to re-open at the weekend.

North America

Canada

There are now four ski areas left open in Western Canada – Whistler in British Columbia (192cm/6.5 feet base, 6cm fresh) and Lake Louise (2.1m/7 feet base, 7cm fresh at weekend), Marmot Basin (1.2m/4 feet base, no fresh snow) and Sunshine Near Banff (2.1m/7 feet base, 7cm fresh at weekend), in Alberta. In fact as of last weekend Whistler Mountain is closed and Blackcomb is now open daily from 10am to 4pm until May 27th. The Blackcomb Resort Glacier will re-open daily noon to 3pm from June 22nd to July 28th. In the east its final weekend opening with Mont Ste Anne reporting 3cm of fresh on their 1.5m base and Mont Sutton considering an unscheduled reopening for die hards subject to demand (which they’d like to be shown on their Facebook page before deciding).

USA

The snow has continued to fall in Colorado, in fact more than anywhere else on the planet, this past week with A Basin, which plans to stay open to early June, reporting 55cm of fresh snow. Loveland, open another week or so, has had 20cm, and Aspen Highlands plans to reopen this weekend. All the snow has blocked some passes up to the ski slopes. The good snow news has been over shadowed by the very sad news of the worst avalanche fatalities in over 50 years in the state last weekend however. Elsewhere in the US, Alta and snowbird, both with around 2.7m (9 feet) bases remain open as do Crystal Mountain In Washington State (weekends from now to June 16th); Mammoth in California to at least May 27th, and Mount Bachelor to May 26th) and Timberline (right through to early September) in Oregon.

Vail Resorts hope that their terrain expansion on to Peak 6 at Breckenridge, increasing total terrain by almost 25%, should happen, “at some point during the season next year,” according to a 2012-13 season round up published on the resort’s web site this week.

The project, which will involve two chairlifts (a 4 and a 6 seater) accessing the high alpine terrain from Peak 7, was announced in February, reportedly, “after years of planning.”

Initial reports suggested the project, which will provide the first lift-served access to five high-alpine bowls as part of 543 newly accessible acres on the area’s fifth ski mountain would open at the start of the 2013-2014 ski season in November, but the latest report indicates owners Vail Resorts are allowing for the project to be completed and opened later in the season, possibly in to 2014.

The US Forestry Service gave their permission for the project, which will include 13 runs above the treeline including Breckenridge’s first above-treeline intermediate level terrain, and 10 trails cut through the forest, last summer after years of environmental studies and community consultation.

The project is reported to have divided opinion in Breckenridge with some residents concerned about losing forest land when a lot in the area has already been devastated by pine beetle while others have welcomed the positive impact it is likely to bring to business at the resort, which is the most popular in the US for British visitors, one of the top 10 in North America for visitor numbers and also operates the world’s highest chairlift.

Week Ending April 20th, 2013

• Heavy snow continues to fall in Western North America, but most resorts there now closed.
  
• Up to 45cm of fresh snow in the French Alps where season continuing to late-May.
  
• Very warm in the Alps this past week, but getting colder this weekend.
  
• All five Scottish areas open, still, subject to demand, and winds dropping, except Nevis Range which is now weekends only.
  
• Breckenridge, Copper, Vail to re-open this weekend, joining still open Aspen and Winter Park.
  
• 4m+ upper slope base depths still reported at Alpe d’Huez, Engelberg, Gstaad, Passo Tonale, Mammoth, Niseko and others.

www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast

Europe

Austria

Around three-quarters of Austrian ski areas have now closed for the season, perhaps marginally the highest proportion in the Alps. But for those that are still open there’s a battle for market share with big name stars at festivals (Deep Purple heading to Ischgl for the last weekend of the month) and events like ‘ win a luxury car’ in an on piste treasure hunt for the keys at Obertauern). Solden has piste bashers pretending to be elephants in a glacier wide recreation of the story of Hannibal. As to snow, not much, although Ischgl, Kitzbuhel, Obergurgl and Obertauern each reported 5-10cm falling at the end of last week. Piste depths at the open resorts still look very healthy though, topped by Pitztal with 3.8m (nearly 13 feet), but with 2.5m (over 8 feet) lying at Solden and Obertauern and 2.2m (over 7 feet) at St Anton.

France

Most French ski areas remain open at least until this weekend, and a good number including Tignes, Val d’Isere and Val Thorens open in to May. Val Thorens, which still has a month of the season to run, is looking good with another 40cm of fresh snow this week, including a foot (30cm) on Sunday and has a base just below 4m – so some snow will probably last now to winter 2013-14 there. It’s not the deepest in the country though, Alpe d’Huez still has a 4.1m base. Tignes, open to 12th May, posted the biggest snowfall this week though with another 45cm (18 inches). Its 3m (10 foot) base on the Grand Motte glacier sets it in good stead for summer skiing from June to August. Elsewhere across the French Alps snowfalls typically in the range of 5-20cm (2-8 inches) have been recorded, including 10cm at la Plagne, 15cm at La Rosiere and Meribel, and 20cm at Les Arcs.

Italy

Unlike France, but rather like Austria, most Italian ski areas have now closed for the season. But many of the few dozen that are still open, will be staying open a week or two more in to May, and in some cases in to June. Passo Tonale, with a 4m (13.3 feet) base still, is in that latter category. Ion the former, Cervinia with a 3m (10 foot) base, is the only resort in the country to report fresh snow 20cm (eight inches) in fact. Also open in to May is Cortina with a 1.5m (five foot) base.

Switzerland

Around half of Swiss resorts are still open and with many of those offering skiing above 3000m, they’ve been perhaps the best placed to see minimal impact from the double digit temperatures in the Alps at times this week. The biggest snowfall, 20cm, was reported by Verbier which still has 3.6m (12 feet) lying on higher slopes and hopes to be the venue for the new speed skiing world record in the next few days. Andermatt, Engelberg and Crans Montana are among those still looking good with 3-4m upper slope base depths. Gstaad now has the deepest reported snow base in the world at 4.8m. Saas Fee and Zermatt both reported 15cm (6 inch) snowfalls at the weekend.

Pyrenees

In Andorra temperatures have been hitting +12C but Grandvalira say they’ll be open for another fortnight to the 28th and although there’s no fresh snow, more than 140km of runs are still open and upper slope base depths are up to 2m at Pas de la Casa. Spain’s Baqueira Beret is still open too and will be at weekends through to May 5th. It reports 3.2m on upper slopes and says the golfing season opens this weekend down in the valley. Sierra Nevada in the south of Spain is also open in to May with a hefty snow depth to rely on.

Scandinavia

“It’s still like February here,” a spokesperson for Are, the region’s leading resort, told J2ski this morning. Good news with the season still having a fortnight to run there and at several other leading Scandinavian resorts including Hemsedal over the border in Norway, and which reported 7cm of new snow this week, maintaining the 60-110cm base it’s had, more-or-less for most of 2013 to date. Are’s base is 83cm. In Lapland, Ruka, which normally stays open to June has a 65cm base, but Levi is the only centre to report fresh snow – 5cm of it.

Scotland

With the Easter Holidays over and a return to more normal lukewarm Scottish temperatures with some gale force winds and rain thrown in, Scotland’s excellent 2012-13 ski season seems like it may end sooner than expected by the most optimistic. That said, snow on the top of Cairngorm does normally last and there’s still top-to-bottom skiing, just about, at most of the five areas. Nevis range has announced it will only open at weekends due to lack of demand, rather than lack of snow, and gale force wind closed Glencoe at the start of the week, while the thaw looks to be affecting The Lecht the most from the webcam images.

North America

Canada

The vast majority of Canadian ski areas are now closed although the snow is still falling in Alberta and BNC. Fernie reports nearly two feet more snow since it closed last weekend. However whistler will be open for another five weeks, and then there’s summer skiing, and in Alberta Banff, Sunshine, Lake Louise and Marmot Basin will be open for up to a month more. Over in Quebec, Mont Ste Anne is still open, but at weekends only. In terms of snowfall, Whistler has had another foot (30cm) of snow and currently has a 2.4m (8 foot) base. There’s also been 24cm (8 inches) for Banff/Lake Louise and 10cm for Marmot Basin – so all looking good for mid-Spring skiing.

USA

Most US resorts are now closed but that doesn’t mean the snow has stopped falling. It seems bizarre that Colorado resorts opened in mid-late November and went a month with no significant snowfall, but have now nearly all closed but up to 90cm (three feet) of snow has fallen on the state’s ski slopes in the past week, some of the biggest accumulations of the season. But that’s how it’s always been and to be fair there are rumours of areas reopening at weekends (Which have just been confirmed for Breckenridge, Copper Mountain and Vail as we ‘go to press’). Currently three areas in the state remain open Arapahoe Basin (57cm/23 inches in past 72 hours), Aspen Highlands (60cm/24 inches in past 72 hours); Loveland (82cm/33 inches in past 72 hours) and Winter Park (62cm/25 inches in past 72 hours). It’s snowing elsewhere in the West too, if not quite so much. Timberline in Oregon, the closest thing to year-round skiing in North America with a 49 week season (just closing briefly in September usually) has one of the deepest bases in the country at 4.3m (a good sign) and 30cm of fresh snow. There’s also been new snow in Utah where Snowbird and Alta remain open and looking good and in California where Kirkwood will re-open this weekend after a 25cm fall and Mammoth still has one of the deepest bases in North America at 4.3m. A few resorts remain open on the east coast too and Killington reports receiving 5cm of fresh snow on Monday.

Construction work on a giant gondola lift for the Stubai ski area near Innsbruck in Austria is due to begin with a two year construction period.

The Leitner built lift will ascend nearly 1150 vertical metres over its two-stage, 4km+ length, travelling at a high speed of seven metres per second.

Each giant cabin will have floor to ceiling glass and seating for more than 20 people as well as additional standing space giving a capacity of 3,000 people per hour.

The first stage of the lift, which will operate year round, is 1852m long and will carry 20 cabins, the second stage is 2240m long and will have 23 cabins.

Stubai is one of Austria’s eight glacier ski areas and is typically open from September to June for snow sports.

The new lift is due to open on October 31st, 2015

Skiers and snowboarders at one of the five new Olympic venue resorts above Sochi last winter were surprised to be told that the centre was closing down as snow needed to be preserved for the Olympics in 10 months’ time.

According to a report on Bloomberg, the $2.2 billion Rosa Khutor ski area, which had been, the website said, closed for two months during February and March for competitions, re-opened very limited terrain in late March and then for the use of hotel guests and season pass holders only with the reason for limited access given being, “in order to store snow for the Olympics.”

How the snow is to be stored was not explained although snow storage under piles of earth, wood chippings and/or tarpaulins as well as summer glacier protection by hi-tec reflective ‘blankets’ has been employed by resorts in Europe and North America.

While most Western Canadian ski areas have closed this weekend, there’s still more than a month of 2012-13 snowboarding and skiing to go at Whistler in BC and Sunshine near Banff, with two more Alberta ski areas – Lake Louise and Marmot Basin, open in to May.

Whistler Mountain closes next weekend on April 21 but Blackcomb Mountain will offer skiing and riding until May 27th, with the lifts not opening until 10am each day from April 22nd.

“Guests can après a little harder the afternoon before, and have some extra time to sleep in the morning,” says the resort.

At The Lake Louise Ski Area the resort will remain open until May 5th and has announced it will be open longer each day to the end of the season – the lifts now running to 4.30pm. “It’s been another banner year for snowfall, chairlifts will run an extra half hour (daily),” said Mike Moynihan, Senior Sales and Marketing Manager.

The resort is offering a ‘Kids ski free’ deal for children aged 12 and under, when accompanied by an adult with a valid Adult day ticket, Louise Plus Card, or Lake Louise Season Pass.

Details have been published on Les 2 Alpes’ summer ski programme for 2013 which will run from 22nd June to 31st August. The resort is one of less than 20 in Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, Canada, Norway and the USA still opening in the summer months for snow sports – around half the number that opened in the 1990s, partly due to receding glaciers, partly due to consumer trends.

Les 2 Alpes has now offered summer skiing for over 40 years, having originally started its operation, which it believes covers the largest summer snowsports area in the northern hemisphere, having been encouraged by ski clubs and major national and international teams, especially from Italy.

The ski area has 700m of vertical between 2,900 and 3,600 metres and does not just open in summer without much planning and snow harvesting during the preceding winter. Snow is held in special holding areas within the glacier then spread out over the slopes in summer.

Around 1,500 skiers use the area every day in summer (compared to 10,000 in winter) with professional and national teams and ski clubs training on the glacier from 7am in the morning.

The ski slopes cover 90 hectares and include 2 green, 4 blue and two red runs as well as a beginners’ zone, a Freestyle zone and an Off-Piste zone. The slopes can be reached from the village in less than 30 minutes via the Jandri Express cable car and 16 ski lifts operate in summer (compared to 51 in winter) including two gondolas. the cable car, two chair lifts, nine drag lifts, and a funicular. Ski school lessons and summer camps are available.

Around 40% of skiers are there for the Snowpark, first created in 1993 and constantly improved since it now covers 18 hectares with beginner to advanced lines, has two dedicated lifts, two pipes (one an Olympic-size super pipe) as well as hips, quarters, modules, whoops, rails, big airs and a big air bag. There are 9 members of staff managing it daily along with 30 volunteer shapers.

The ski slopes cover 90 hectares and include 2 green, 4 blue and two red runs as well as a beginners’ zone, a Freestyle zone and an Off-Piste zone. The slopes can be reached from the village in less than 30 minutes via the Jandri Express cable car and 16 ski lifts operate in summer (compared to 51 in winter) including two gondolas. the cable car, two chair lifts, nine drag lifts, and a funicular. Ski school lessons and summer camps are available.

Saalbach Hinterglemm in Austria has announced a new high-speed detachable six-seater chairlift will be installed there for next winter.

The new lift, which will probably be called the “Rosswaldbahn” will replace an old T-bar lift.

Saalbach Hinterglemm is already one of the world’s biggest operators of this type of high-speed, high capacity lift with 11 six-seater chairs, a total matched only by fellow Austrian resort Ischgl and La Plagne in France.

Saalbach Hinterglemm also operates more high capacity gondolas than any other resort, its total of 15 matched only by Meribel.

Saalbach Hinterglemm’s uplift capacity of approximately 94,000 skiers per hour from 55 lifts is better than any other ski resort for that number of lifts.

At least three ski areas in Western USA look set to open to at least early summer 2013 thanks to healthy snow bases in the region.

In 2011 record snow bases at a number of Californian ski areas led to more than half-a-dozen staying open until, or re-opening for, the US independence day holiday weekend in July, but last year the picture was very different with almost no snow remaining after a poor winter.

This year Crystal Mountain Resort in Washington state has already announced it intends to stay open at weekends from late April until at least June 16. The resort has had more than 10 metres of snow fall this winter and currently has a base of around 2-3m.

In Canada, both Whistler and Blackcomb mountains in BC will remain open daily until April 21st after which Blackcomb Resort will be open until May 20th then the Blackcomb glacier will be open daily from noon to 3pm from June 22 to July 28 for summer skiing.

Mammoth Mountain in California is yet to announce its summer opening plans but has more than a 4m base at present and has stayed open in to August in the past.

Elsewhere, in Oregon, Mount Bachelor has announced it will be open to at least May 26th The resort’s Pine Marten, Skyline and Summit lifts will operate to 2pm daily. And back north of the border in Alberta, Canada Marmot Basin, Lake Louise and Sunshine ski areas will all be open in to May.

As the season heads into its final months, snow depths are actually hitting their peak before the rate of thaw starts to overtake the rate of snowfall.

The usual suspects are in there with bases around the 5 metres-or-more mark (17 feet+) but for the past two months Cauterets in the French Pyrenees has claimed the ‘snowiest skiing spot on the planet’ position, peaking at 5.9m (just under 20 feet) after huge January and February snowfalls in the Pyrenees.

In the past few weeks its snow depth has finally started to diminish while some resorts that are usually the world’s snowiest, are still climbing.

Currently five resorts worldwide report bases of 5m or more.

The current position is (reported depths at top of the slopes):

• 550cm Cauterets, Pyrenees, France
  
• 536cm Mt Baker, Cascades, USA (officially world’s snowiest resort)
  
• 525cm Niseko, Japan
  
• 510cm Gstaad, Alps, Switzerland
  
• 500cm Sierra Nevada, Spain

Niseko, which consistently ranks among the top three ski resorts in the world for snowfall volume, has passed the 15m cumulative total for snowfall this season.

The first snow hit the slopes of the famous Japanese resort on November 15th, kick-starting the 2012/2013 winter season, then living up to its reputation, Niseko has barely seen a day without fresh powder since the season began. Four months in to the season on March 16th the resort hit a cumulative snowfall total of 1504cm. The current snow depth at the peak of 525cm is again in the world top three, and at resort level at the base the depth is 260cm.

The Niseko tourism market is booming according to property developers in the resort, who report that the resort has received a record number of guests this year and 2013 has seen bookings remain strong well into Easter.

“The majority of our guests are family oriented visiting from Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore with emerging markets coming out of Indonesia and Thailand,” said a statement from the property developers, “ Visitors are being driven by the consistent world class snow, great food and the charm Niseko offers. In other news the brand new iconic sushi shop Hanayoshi has also opened its doors in Niseko town. It is already a popular tourist hot spot and the new owners have promised to take it forward for another 20 years.”

Powdery natural snow, ridges, chutes, and cliff jumps - with five off-piste routes next to the lifts and an extensive information system make Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun one of the most popular freeriding destinations in the Austrian Alps.

Now the resort has launched ‘Freeride Monday’ as a special day when participants can learn freeriding technique- and safety tips from professionals with a choice of "Start Up" and "Advanced" tours depending on ability level.

The guided tours are offered every Monday from 10:00 - 12:30 and snowboarders and skiers from the age of 13 can sign up and guiding costs €79 per person excluding lift ticket.

• Up to 50cm of new snow in Quebec
  
• More heavy snow at Scottish areas, access road temporarily blocked by snow.
  
• Niseko, Japan, has now had more than 15m of snow fall this season.
  
• Resorts in France, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the US report 5m+ bases.

www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast

Europe

Austria

The period of heavy snowfall in Austria 7-10 days ago eased off towards the latter half of last week and over the weekend when temperatures went above freezing and a minor thaw set in. Most Austrian ski areas are due to close over the next 2-3 weeks so the thinning base depths are not a huge issue in most places, but lower slope base depths are near 30cm now at many Austrian areas. Temperatures have cooled again this week and fresh snow – albeit 3-8cm falls, have been reported in the past 48 hours at resorts including Ischgl (30-150cm) which still has a month of the season to go; Kitzbuhel (60-160cm) and Obergurgl (70-200cm) – also open for another month. Ischgl has had the most overall snow in Austria over the past 7 days at 22cm whole Pitztal still has the deepest snowbase at 3m, it’s open in to May.

France

In a similar set of circumstance to Austria, as indeed is the case across the Alps this past week, heavy snowfall which ended a week ago in France was followed by a few days of warmer temperatures right up to the highest altitudes over the weekend, but it is now getting colder again with more pre-Easter holiday snow. If not huge amounts so far – resorts in the 3 Valleys, Grand Massif and Espace Killy have reported 5-10cm of fresh snow in the past week. Snow cover is largely good across the French Alps however with at least a metre of snow on lower slopes at most areas and 2-3m on upper slopes at many resorts, the deepest Alpe d’Huez with over 4 metres lying following more than a metre of new snow in the first half of last week.

Italy

Italy has had the same pattern of heavy snow at the start of last week, a warm weekend and now a return to snowier conditions as elsewhere in central Europe. Sauze d’Oulx and Cervinia are among the resorts reporting limited fresh snowfall in the past 48 hours. Cervinia is one of Italy’s resorts scheduled to remain open for more than a month more in to May so the fresh snow and its healthy base of nearly 3 metres (10 feet) at the top of the slopes are good news, although with little over a foot left lying at resort level it may get tricky to maintain runs right to the bottom in the latter half of April unless more substantial snowfalls arrive in the meantime. Passo Tonale with 3.6m (12 feet) now on the glacier gas the deepest snow in Italy still, which is good news again as it is likely to remain open for another two months to late June, upper runs at least.

Switzerland

The snow is back in Switzerland, perhaps more than any other Alpine country, in the last 48 hours following the warm spell at the end of last week and in to the weekend. Swiss resorts have some of the best bases in the Alps too, with Gstaad having the mountain range’s deepest reported base at 5.1m, equalling Niseko and up there with Mt Baker in Washington state, in fact only beaten by one French resort in the Pyrenees. But the list of resorts with fresh snow – 8-15cm (3-6 inches) of it, includes Davos, Saas Fee, Verbier and Murren. Bases are generally good for the remainder of the season across Switzerland with typically 60-150cm (2-5 feet) on lower slopes and 1.5-3m (5-10 feet_ on upper slopes, although several have deeper bases still. Resorts including Engelberg, Saas Fee and Zermatt will be open in to May.

Scotland

Scotland is having its best season since 2010-11 and arguably one of the three best this century as although there have been the usual issues with centres being closed due to strong winds or inaccessible due to blocked roads at times over the past four months, almost all five centres have been able to stay open almost every day. As the Easter Holidays approach at the weekend the snow that has been making news headlines for the problems it has been causing in parts of the UK mean that Scottish ski slopes are in good shape with fresh cover on well established bases. In fact Scotland’s five ski areas have had more snow that most other parts of Europe in the past seven days. East Coast resorts were inaccessible with blocked roads at the weekend and West coast resorts were stormbound by gales, but in the past 48 hours they’ve been re-opening as roads have been cleared and winds eased.

Pyrenees

It’s been snowing again the Pyrenees, freshening up the big bases still lying from the huge January and February snowfalls. Andorran ski areas saw 5cm of fresh snow cover on Wednesday – bases in the country are still at 2.1-3.1m, although it’s deeper still over in Spain where Baqueira Beret still has more than 4m and in France where Cauterets’ still tops the world with a claimed 5.5m base – although it is finally declining.

Eastern Europe

There’s been some fresh snow in Eastern Europe where upper slope bases are typically 80-160cm but getting rather thin (20-50cm) at resort level in many areas. Bansko and Borovets in Bulgaria both say they’ve had 10cm (4 inches) of new snow in the past few days.

Scandinavia

Very little new snowfall has been reported on Scandinavian ski slopes where cold weather has maintained bases. There remain at 80-160cm across the region as they have been most of the winter. Of the few snowfalls reported, Are in Sweden got just an inch of snow yesterday.

North America

Canada

There’s been snowfall in east and western Canada. The former is the slightly more unusual with resorts in Quebec proclaiming up top 50cm of new snow during a 72 period up to last weekend. Tremblant added more than a foot to its base aft5er a long largely dry spell and Mont Ste Anne, further East had a similar accumulation. In BC there have been falls of up to 50cm too (less unusual but still good to see!). Fernie’s 51cm, the biggest reported accumulation in Canada over the past week, has also taken it past the 3m/10 foot base mark to 3.1m – the first major Canadian resort to do that this season.

USA

As with Canada, Eastern US resorts saw some serious snowfall last week, however as it largely arrived just as we were compiling last week’s report and stopped again in most places by Thursday, it’s now well skied out, although it has helped bases and local media in the region is full of reports on how this ‘final blast’ has revived the end of the 12-13 season in the area. Anyway 20-40cm falls were reported at many resorts in the area.

In recent days the snow has been falling in Western states, particularly Colorado with Breckenridge, for example, reporting 55cm in the past week, 10cm (4 inches) of that in the past 24 hours. Many other Colorado ski areas including Arapahoe basin and winter park have added at least a foot of snow in the past week, as has Jackson Hole in Wyoming, which only has a week of the season left after the coming weekend, always one of the first of the world’s major resorts to close each season, even though it has a 224cm/8 foot base.

Leading Swiss ski area Zermatt has announced it plans to spend 1.2 million Swiss Francs (£835 million/$1.27 billion US) in an initiative called "Strategy 2018".

Meeting on the resort’s Gornergrat, key partners of Destination Zermatt-Matterhorn have signed an action plan committing to an investment plan, the focus of which will be constant upgrades to the quality of the resort’s tourist attractions and infrastructure as well as creating "new tourist experiences and communication".

"Large and long-term investments secure our competitiveness," said Daniel Luggen, director of Zermatt Tourismus.

Who stressed that the secret of the success was everyone in the resort working together for the success of Zermatt

Already Zermatt has had a slogan for successful cooperation within the village: "Wagaguz", meaning: "Wir arbeiten gemeinsam am Gedeihen unseres Zermatt" which translates as "We work together for the success of our Zermatt".

The signatories of the Strategy-Charter are the representatives of the municipality, the Matterhorn Gotthardbahn, Zermatt Bergbahnen AG, the Zermatt Hotel Association, the Chamber of Commerce and Zermatt Tourismus.

Full details of major capital projects resulting from the investment have not been published however while stressing the need for sustainable development the resort has spoken of creating a World Cup ski run, creating a ‘spectacular ski jump run’ over the Gornergratbahn tunnel, strengthening and securing its heliski business and expanding its ‘summer ski‘ offering – Zermatt is one of only two resorts worldwide that tries to open 365 days a year, weather permitting as well as boosting non-snow based summer activities and sports around the resort according a ‘stellarium’ and observatory on the Gornergrat. The golf course will be extended to 18 holes and existing sports facilities will be improved and made available for indoor and outdoor use and a medium-sized events centre added.

This Week’s Headlines:

• Big Snowfalls Return to The Alps – resorts in Austria, Italy and France post up to 80cm in 24hrs.
  
• Heavy snow at Scottish areas, access road temporarily blocked by snow.
  
• Big snowfalls in Western Canada, up to 80cm in 75 days.
  
• A foot of new snow in New England.
  
• Snow depth reaches 5m at Europe’s most southerly mountain resort – Sierra Nevada in Spain.

www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast

Europe

Austria

There have been big snowfalls in Austria with up to 75cm of fresh sow reported in the past seven days with the biggest falls from Sunday to Tuesday. A large number of ski areas received at least a foot of new snow on Sunday/Monday. Kaprun had that biggest snowfall, with 40cm of it falling over Sunday/Monday. Lech Zurs reported 45cm and a large number more resorts reported 30-40cm of new snow including Filzmoos, St Anton, Solden and St Wolfgang. Pitztal has had 35cm of new snow and still has the country’s deepest snow base at 365cm. The snow is still falling but has slowed to 5-10cm per day.

France

French resorts have reported the biggest snowfalls of the past seven days, with Alpe d’Huez claiming the biggest snowfall in the world this week – 135cm (4.5 feet) over seven days and 80cm of that falling in 24 hours on Sunday/Monday. Although that accumulation was double nearly everywhere else in the country (and indeed the world), other resorts did report huge accumulations too, 90cm at La Plagne for example, 85cm at Les Arcs and 80cm at Val Thorens. But nearly every major resort in the French Alps has had 30-40cm of new snow, and the snowfall has been healthy right down to the south in resorts like Pra Loup and Vars. The deepest snow is around the 4m mark at Alpe d’Huez (420cm) with Flaine and Tignes on 390cm.

Italy

There have been big snowfalls right across northern Italy with Arabba in the Dolomites reporting a huge 124cm (four foot) accumulation and on the opposite side of the country, La Thuile on the French border, reporting just a few cm/inches less with 115cm over the past week. In common with the rest of the Alps, the biggest snowfalls for many resorts were on Sunday/Monday but Arabba reports another 80cm of snow on Monday/Tuesday. Other reports with big snowfalls include Cervinia (80cm over the week, 50cm of that on Sunday/Monday; Cortina 75cm over the wee k, 45cm of that on Sunday/Monday and Bardonecchia (70cm during the week, 50cm of that on Sunday/Monday). However as with the rest of the Alps, most ski areas have had at least 30cm of new snow and often as much as 50ccm in recent days. Passo Tonale has had the deepest snow in the country all year and after another 25cm this week its base is up to 4m.

Switzerland

Gstaad has overtaken Engelberg as having the deepest snow in Switzerland for the first time this year after receiving 70cm in the past week. Much of the new snow has fallen in the past 72 hours with Sunday/Monday a particularly snowy 24 hour period. Numerous Swiss resorts reported at least 30cm (a foot) of new snow in 24 hours to Monday and Tuesday, with St Moritz, Villars, Les Diablerets and Adelboden among those reporting big falls. Along with Gstaad, resorts reporting big snowfalls over the past seven days (although in fact mostly in the past 72 hours) Zermatt has received 60cm (two feet), Murren 65cm, Klosters 45cm and Adelboden 48cm.

Scotland

There have been excellent snow conditions in Scotland following heavy snow at all five areas. The snow which hit the westerly resorts of Glencoe and Nevis Range at the weekend caused some operational problems due to strong winds and then consistent heavy snowfall in the East at the other three areas from Sunday to Wednesday (and still on going) led to the closure of access roads to The Lecht and Glenshee, but once open conditions are reported to be excellent with fresh snow on the well established bases at all five areas.

Pyrenees

Although the focus of snowfall may have been in the Alps to the north this week, the Pyrenees have been the snowiest mountains in Europe in 2013 so far and that hasn’t changed this week with resorts on the French and Spanish sides of the mountain as well as in Andorra in between reporting 30-60vm of new snow in the past seven days, albeit mostly more evenly spread through the week than the larger-falls of Sunday/Monday in particular which made up the majority of the past seven day’s snowfall figures in the Alps. Baqueira Beret reported 60cm of new snow and has a 4.5m base – one of the 10 deepest in Europe, while Cauterets with a foot of fresh snow this week is still claiming the world’s deepest at 5.9m (nearly 20 feet) as it has for nearly two months now. To the south-west of the Pyrenees, Spain’s Sierra Nevada, Europe’s most southerly major resort, is claiming a 5m base now.

Eastern Europe

There’s been fresh snow in Eastern Europe too if not in quite the same volumes so far as in the Alps. Bansko and Kranjska Gora both reported 10cm of fresh snow and have healthy bases of 1.8 and 1.2m respectively on upper slopes. Other areas reported smaller falls and smaller bases but as these are typically still 90cm-1.2m (3-4 feet) it’s not bad for the time of the season.

Scandinavia

Although a lot of the snow that has arrived in north eastern Britain over the past week is reported to have come down from Scandinavia, resorts in the region have not been reporting more than a few centimetres of fresh snow from northern Finland to southern Norway. Most resorts in the region do have good base depths however – typically in the 80-120cm range, so there’s no snow cover shortage. Are in Sweden, the largest resort in the region with 35% of the total market, has a 115cm (nearly four foot) base and Hemsedal, Norway’s biggest ski area, has a 1.1m base.

North America

Canada

There’s been some serious snowfall again in Western Canada. Fernie has had the most new powder and has the deepest snow in the country still with a 2.8m base and 75cm new snow in the past seven days. But other resorts including whistler in NC and Banff/Lake Louise and Marmot Basin in Alberta have reported 40-50cm of new snow too and also have bases well over 2m. The snow is still falling but has lessened and smaller accumulations of 10-30cm are more likely over the coming week.

USA

No huge snowfalls in the US over the past week, but plenty of smaller falls still, helping accumulations to build to 30cm or more. The biggest falls in the past 48 hours have been in the Eastern states where resorts in Vermont including Killington and Stowe are reporting a foot of new snow since Tuesday. It’s still snowing in Colorado too where resorts have added another foot of snow too, although over a longer period – Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Aspen have had 20-25cm in total. Mammoth’s 4.8m base is still the deepest of a major US resort if down a bit on last week.