There’s So Much Snow Everywhere Even Indoor Skiers Move Back Outdoors
* Unusual snowfall in Europe’s city suburbs lead indoor skiers to ski
outdoors.
* Huge snow falls means resorts save on snowmaking costs but face big bills
for snow clearing.
* Avalanche risk remains very high off-piste in many areas due to the high
snow volumes.
* Zermatt tops seven metre snow depth at the top.
* Scottish snow conditions reported best for 20 years.
www.Skiinfo.com reports that recent snow in urban areas has led to ski
instructors who work indoors year round in the growing number of indoor
snow centres in Europe have been coming outdoors in their lunch hours to
check out the natural snowfall in the car park! The enclosed pictured is of
a staff member from SNO!zone indoor ski centre at Castleford in North
Yorkshire, England, enjoying his lunch breaks doing what he does best -
riding!
Back o n Europe’s conventional ski slopes, snowfalls have been continuing in
France throughout the past week with accumulations of up to 110cm (44
inches) over the past seven days and both the Northern Alps and the Pyrenees
doing well. Sunday February 8th was a particularly snowy day across the
country with www.Skiinfo.fr issuing 30 powder alarms. , in particular in
Pyrénées and North Alps.
Fresh snowfall yesterday (Tuesday February 10) included 15cm (six inches) at
Montgenèvre and 10cm (Four inches) at Val Thorens.
Val d’Allos 1800 la Foux currently claims the greatest snow depth in France
with 360cm (12 feet) of snow lying on upper slopes.
Gilles Gravier manager of the local tourist office there told
www.skiinfo.com,
“We have not seen a 360cm snow depth since the winter of 1975. On the night
of Friday, February 6th alone we received another metre of snow. These very
big snowfalls require a lot of work clearing the snow and through January we
have spent 120,000 Euros just on snow clearing in the resort. This quantity
of snow means the avalanche risk off-piste is very high at level 4 on a
scale up to a maximum of 5. ”
The German speaking parts of the Alps have experienced great snowfalls in
recent days with heavy falls in many areas at the weekend and more than 40
powder alarms issued today (Wednesday, February 11th) in Austria and Germany
alone.
In Switzerland more than a metre of fresh snow fell in St.Moritz (120cm/four
feet) and also in Zermatt (116 cm) and Saas Fee (90cm) in the past week.
Zermatt is by far the snowiest place in Europe, the mountain top lies buried
under more than seven metres (23 feet) of snow. Andermatt has reached the
four metre (13 feet) mark.
As a result the risk of avalanches is high and The WSL Institute for Snow
and Avalanche Research in Davos says the danger for the whole Swiss Alps
area is considerable (3) and that avalanches can be unleashed by just one
person. They expect more snow in the north and west of the country tomorrow
(Thursday 12 February).
In Austria many leading resorts got fresh snow over the past seven days and
11 resorts now have snow bases of two and a half metres (eight feet) or more
on top now. Sölden has received 39cm (16 inches) in the past seven days
with Seefeld adding 22cm (nine inches) and Kaprun - Kitzsteinhorn 20 cm
(eight inches).
In Germany there are a dozen resorts that have had 30cm (12 inches) or more
of fresh snow in the past week and many more with 10-20cm (4-8 inches) more.
Nebelhorn got 30cm (112 inches) and Kleinwalsertal – Fellhorn 20 cm (eight
inches). The Zuspitzplatt ayt Garmisch has the most snow in the country
with 230cm (nearly eight feet).
In Italy it has been the north of the country that has received the most
snow this week with San Martino Di Castrozza reporting another 60cm (two
feet of snow) and Courmayeur 20cm (eight inches). Several resorts have now
moved above a total maximum snow depth of five metres (Nearly 17 feet) with
Colere the first to claim six metres (20 feet) of snow on upper slopes.
The Presena glacier above Passo Tonale is close with 550cm (over 18 feet).
All the snow means the avalanche danger remains high in many parts of the
country with the avalanche danger typically at level 3 on a scale of five.
Two climbers died this week in an avalanche at Cogne in the Aosta Valley
where five and a half metres of snow has fallen this season so far.
Scotland currently has some of the best conditions for years thanks to snow
falls of up to 24 inches (60cm) of snow. Almost all lifts and runs are
operational at the country’s five ski areas and at the weekend two of the
ski areas had to turn-away skiers arriving at mid-morning as they reached
operational capacity. There were about 12,000 people skiing each day.
After the snow temperatures dropped very low, down to a low point of -18
Celcius on Monday at Aviemore which has meant the snow has been maintained
And in a light, powdery condition that is very rare on the Scottish
mountains, more used to a heavier, wetter snow. Thus the resorts are
describing the snow as ‘Alpine.’
Elsewhere in Europe Sierra Nevada continues to have the greatest snow depth
in Spain and is now reporting more than four metres (over 13 feet) on their
upper slopes. But also all Pyrenean ski resorts in France, Spain and
Andorra have reached snow depths of more than two metres.
Formigal has depths of up to 2.5 metres (over eight feet) and a minimum of a
metre in the valley. The snow has been falling heavily since the weekend,
with a whole metre falling in just 24 hours.
Reports claim that it is the heaviest snowfall the area has received in 15
years. Yolanda Julian, commercial manager at Formigal told www.skiinfo.com,
“The quality of the snow is exceptional both on and off-piste. It’s just
fantastic! All the lifts are open to allow clients to enjoy Formigal’s 137km
of slopes.”
In Scandinavia the skiing remains good in Norway and Sweden. “This past
weekend have been truly amazing with snow, snow and more snow.” said
Christer, Skiinfo.com’s Sweden manager. “The remarkable thing is that it
has been really cold too, between - 12 and -20C, and still snowing. Now we
are talking light powder - I got 40cm on my car that I had to wipe off
before I went skiing on Saturday, and then got some really nice turns.”
12 Swedish resorts have reported 20cm (eight inches) or more snow in the
last seven days with Vemdalen in the lead with 44cm (18 inches).
The upcoming week there is a ”winter vacation” in Norway, and the ski
resorts are doing their best to keep as many slopes as possible open, and to
give the best possible ski conditions. The forecast is mostly sunny with not
much new snow, but there is lot of snow right now, and it is steadily cold
in most of the ski resorts. Some snow is expected in the western part of
Norway, but not more than approximately 10-20cm (4-8 inches) in the next
four days.
There’s been little new snow in Eastern Europe where skies have been clear
and sunny. Some resorts such as Pamporovo in Bulgaria, badly need some
fresh and snow is expected in the next few days. Bansko still has the most
with a little over a metre of coverage.
In North America cover remains good on the east Coast with fresh powder on
the west coast providing a much needed top up of increasingly scant
cocverage at some areas there. In The Rockies its a mixed picture with
Colorado resorts receiving a few inches of new snow, again very welcome
after limited fresh snow in recent weeks. Similarly in Alberta to the north
there’s been new snow at Banff.
