J2Ski Snow Report - November 9th 2023
J2Ski Snow Report - November 9th 2023
Published : 09-Nov-2023 06:54
Ischgl, Austria, has plenty of snow for the piste bashers to play in already, and will open in 2 weeks time.
Heavy snow at altitude in the Alps, with lots more forecast for the week ahead.
The Snow Headlines - November 9th
- Number of northern hemisphere areas open doubles in a week to over 40.
- US overtakes Austria and now has most ski areas open in the world.
- Arosa, Grindelwald, Kitzbuhel, Schladming and Verbier opening this weekend.
- Heavy snowfall in the Alps, up to 60cm in 48 hours up high.
- More glacier ski areas open in Austria and Switzerland.
- Nowhere open in France; Tignes brings opening day forward a week to 18 Nov.
- Snowfall to valley floors for first time this autumn in the Alps.
Snow is forecast for Europe, America and Japan!
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World Overview
There was a significant change for the better in the Alps over last weekend with big snowfalls down to low levels.
Several resorts reported two feet (60cm) or more of snowfall in 48 hours on high slopes up towards 3,000m altitude, but the snow fell right down to valley floors at 1,000m too.
Totals have now passed the metre mark in the last 7 days for some ski areas. It was also widespread, with the Pyrenees, Tatras and other mountain ranges seeing decent dumps as well.
Across the Atlantic, it was a quieter week for snowfall but resorts have been opening in both Canada and the US from the handful we had open a week ago to more than a dozen now and 20+ by the end of the weekend.
So it feels like momentum for the start of the 23-24 season is gathering pace, we just need it to be maintained through November now.
Europe
Austria
All seven of Austria's glacier areas are now open with the first in Salzburgerland (the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun) and the first in Carinthia (Molltal) starting their seasons at the weekend - joining the five already open in the Austrian Tirol.
There's been lots of snowfall across Austria with snow down to valley floors below 1000m altitude and things looking good at centres like Ischgl, Obergurgl and Obertauern which plan to open later this month.
The Hintertux, Solden and Stubai glaciers are currently in the world's top three slots for most terrain open at present, the most with 27km. Solden though says that will double to 60km for them this weekend, moving on to non-glacier terrain.
The Stubai also posted the biggest snowfall accumulation in the country with 60cm in 36 hours last weekend.
Kitzbuhel and Schladming are opening for their seasons this weekend.
France
There have been some great snowfalls in the French Alps over the past week, heavy to higher slopes and continuing down to valley floors for the first time this autumn.
There remains nowhere open in France as yet, however Tignes announced on Wednesday that it will be opening a week earlier than planned, on November 18th, with 1300m of vertical from day one.
Val Thorens is still sticking to opening the last weekend of the month.
Resorts with slopes up high have posted up to a metre of snowfall and villages as low as 1000m altitude reported a decent dump on their streets at the weekend.
France is also in line for much more snowfall with temperatures staying low over the next few days.
Italy
Italy had a brief period at the weekend when there wasn't really anywhere open in the country. You could still take the lifts over from Cervinia to ski above Zermatt but Passo Stelvio has ended its five-month summer ski season as the road closed due to heavy snowfall (the irony...) and Sulden, the usual early opener, delayed its opening until Monday 6th because of the stormy, snowy weather (more irony).
The other Italian area usually open, Val Senales, is closed this autumn due to lift upgrade works.
Sulden is now open and benefitting from the great snowfalls across Italy over the past week. Madonna di Campiglio and the Pragelato glacier have both brought their opening date forward to 18th November after big falls here too. Livigno posted 95cm of fresh snowfall.
Switzerland
The number of Swiss ski centres open is quickly catching up with Austria although many are only open at weekends at present.
Zermatt is gearing up to host the world's first cross-border World Cup downhill ski races over the next few weekends, first the men this Saturday and Sunday, all being well, then the women's races the weekend after.
There's been plenty of snowfall on Swiss slopes so there should be no repeat of last year's cancellation due to snow shortages.
Besides already open Zermatt, Saas Fee and St Moritz's Diavolezza glacier, newly opened this week is Murren with Glacier 3000 near Gstaad.
This weekend will see Arosa, Grindelwald, the Parsenn slopes at Davos and Verbier opening for the season. So it's looking like at least eight Swiss areas will be open this weekend.
Pyrenees
Although the focus was on the Alps for 'big snowfall news' from Europe this week, the Pyrenees also saw some good snowfalls and low temperatures down to the valley floor and resorts have begun snowmaking and base building ahead of the season start, expected at the end of the month.
If the snowfall keeps up it's possible somewhere will open early, but a lot more snow is needed.
Scandinavia
Summer and winter operations overlapped in Norway at the weekend with Kvitfjell opening for its winter season but the Galdhøpiggen summer ski area still open. Both just have a kilometre or so of terrain open.
Up in Finland Levi and Ruka have both clocked up the first month of their 7-month 23-24 ski seasons now and are progressively opening more terrain.
Sweden is up to three centres open with Idre Fjall and Tarnaby joining Kabdalis up in Swedish Lapland.
Temperatures remain cold and there's been more fresh snowfall across the region.
Eastern Europe
There's nowhere expected to open in Eastern Europe before the end of this month or the start of December but it has been snowing on higher slopes across the region with Spindleruv Mlyn in the Czech Republic and Jasna in Slovakia both reporting new snow up high.
North America
Canada
Canada's 23-24 season was just getting started as we completed last week's report. Mont Ste Sauveur in Quebec was the first to open thanks to snowmaking as temperatures dropped and there was a little natural snowfall there. The camera there still shows a ribbon of white on a green/brown hillside.
It's more like winter in Alberta where Norquay, Lake Louise (opening a week early) and Nakiska are all open.
The first major snowfall of the season blanketed the Canadian Rockies just last week, dropping an impressive 29 cm in just 48 hours. In addition, cooler temperatures settled in, creating ideal conditions for snow-making to supplement the natural snow base.
The third Banff area, Sunshine, will open this weekend but Jasper's Marmot Basin have delayed a week.
USA
The US season was just starting last week with one of the world's highest ski areas at Arapahoe Basin opening a few miles of runs.
Since then, Keystone and Eldora resorts have joined A Basin to give three Colorado areas open and two big names, Breckenridge and Vail, are expected to open in the next day or two. Loveland says it will do too, taking the total up to six.
The snowfall has returned in the Rockies in the past few days after a dry and sunny period for much of the last seven days before that.
A few ski areas have opened in The Midwest along with Killington in Vermont, the first in the East, thanks to snowmaking. There's not much terrain open yet though and a need to hike from the access lift to the ski run at Killington, so good skiers only.
Mammoth and Mount Rose in California are expected to be the first US West Coast ski areas to open in the next few days.
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