J2Ski Snow Report - May 2nd 2024
J2Ski Snow Report - May 2nd 2024
Published : 02-May-2024 08:03
Last call for Val d'Isere, France, open until May 5th
Many of the few northern hemisphere ski areas still open, will close this coming weekend, with fresh snow. Meanwhile, some decent early snow fall is reported from the other side of the world.
The Snow Headlines - May 2nd
- Final weekend of the season coming up for the last open areas in Finland.
- More fresh snowfall over the last week in the Alps, but more areas close as May 1 passes.
- Cold and fresh snowfall on high slopes in Scotland weeks after last area closed for season.
- A foot of snow reported in the Rockies for final powder weekend of April.
- More pre-season snowfall reported in the southern hemisphere in the Andes and NZ.
- US resorts reopening for first May weekend incl. Lee Canyon, Arapahoe Basin and Jay Peak.
Yes, even more late snow...
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World Overview
The northern hemisphere's season is in full wind-down mode now with only about 50 centres still open in Europe, North America and Japan, while the start of the southern hemisphere's 2024 season is less than a month away.
It has finally warmed up a little in the Alps this week but the snow kept falling into last weekend, leaving some very healthy bases.
Although most areas still open are now in the Alps or Scandinavia, Sierra Nevada down in Spain was open at the weekend and may open again next. Jasna in the Tatra mountains of Slovakia has said it does expect to re-open this weekend and had fresh snowfall to offer skiers last Saturday/Sunday.
There was cold weather and snowfall in Scotland too, which some tourers took advantage of. All ski areas there have closed for the season but Glencoe is running its Access chairlift to get tourers up high faster and easier.
In North America, we're down to about 20 centres still open, mostly in the Rockies or mountains further west, but there was a good snowfall perfectly timed for the last April weekend bringing over a foot of powder to the delight of the still-open centres' skiers.
In the southern hemisphere, we're now four weeks away from the expected start of the season with Lesotho's Afriski probably first to open on the 1st of June. The past week has seen some good pre-season snowfalls right across South America with big resorts Cathedral by Bariloche and Las Lenas reporting heavy falls down to resort level and there have been falls to low levels in New Zealand too.
Europe
Austria
After Ischgl, Solden and Obertauern closed on May 1st, we have six Austrian glaciers still open, the most of any European nation. It'll be down to five after this weekend when Pitztal closes, but the Stubai – currently posting Europe's deepest base at more than 5.5 metres – along with the Kaunertal glacier are going to stay open to the latter half of this month.
For the Kitzsteinhorn and Molltal glaciers operations continue into June and Hintertux is open year-round.
The fortnight of cold, snowy weather finally eased at the weekend with temperatures in valleys getting up to +15C or higher in the afternoon and the freezing point moved up to 3000m or higher. The result was some glorious sunny days on the fresh snow of recent weeks.
We're back to more changeable weather now but the trend is definitely for rising spring temperatures.
France
The French ski season is coming to an end with the Grand Montets ski area in the Chamonix Valley above Argentiere closing on Wednesday (yesterday), leaving just Tignes, Val d'Isere and Val Thorens planning to stay open through the coming weekend to end the French winter season.
And that would have been it except that Les 2 Alpes has opened for 'summer skiing' on its glacier throughout May and June, whilst making the point that most of what's open will be reserved for ski teams training. But, there'll be a few blue runs open and you can even learn to ski there.
As to the weather, well the fortnight of cold and snowy weather finally ended at the weekend and sunnier, warmer conditions arrived. That's breaking down again now with cooler temperatures and rain/sleet/snow showers but not so cold as before.
Italy
There were half a dozen ski areas open in Italy at the weekend still, and they reported up to a foot of fresh snowfall too, but four of these, Cortina, Livigno, Macugnaga and Sulden all closed at the start of May leaving just year-round Cervinia (with its shared glacier area above Zermatt) and the Presena Glacier above Passo Tonale which will close after the coming weekend.
Cervinia is reporting good conditions after more than a foot of new snow this week. It's changeable with more showers in the forecast (snow up high, rain below), overnight freezing of the snowpack still and low visibility a problem at times with the clouds rolling in.
Switzerland
Swiss centres also saw the snowfall ease off in the latter half of last week and sunshine and warmer temperatures took hold at the start of this week, although it's since turned more unsettled.
Moving into May, more ski areas have ended their season but a handful are continuing on. They include year-round Zermatt with its altitude Glacier Paradise ski slopes which the resort says will be expanded, in terms of terrain open to the general public, this spring and summer.
Adelboden, Glacier 3000 and Samnaun have all now closed but you can still ski, at least until the end of this coming weekend, on the Titlis glacier above Engelberg or the Diavolezza Glacier near St Moritz.
Scandinavia
About a dozen big-name Scandinavian ski areas made it through to May 1st this week, including the biggest, Sweden's Are, and others like Norway's most popular Hemsedal.
However, most of these have now closed leaving only a handful open this coming weekend and from next Monday, it'll really just be Sweden's famous Arctic Circle spring-only ski area of Riksgransen, a week away from beginning its fortnight or so of offering skiing under the midnight sun as 24-hour daylight returns at its northerly latitude.
Finland's Levi and Ruka ski areas complete their 7-month ski seasons this weekend.
The weather still feels quite wintery with temperatures largely remaining below freezing for a few more weeks yet and even the odd fresh snow shower.
North America
Canada
Canada's ski season is winding down with just a handful of areas still open; two of these – Lake Louise near Banff and Marmot Basin near Jasper – reporting fresh snowfall and "mid-winter-like conditions" for the final week of their seasons, concluding Sunday.
Marmot Basin reported 10cm over the past three days.
The higher slopes at Whistler Mountain and Sunshine near Banff will be the main survivors for a further fortnight to the latter half of May.
You can also still ski or board, at weekends, on a small area of snow remaining at the sheltered top of Sommet St Sauveur's ski area in Quebec in the East.
USA
The number of ski areas open in the US has dropped to about 20 now, most on the West Coast or in the Rockies but with Killington soldiering on in Vermont in the East despite a poor season there.
That said, some centres are actually re-opening, including Vermont's Jay Peak, Arizona's Snowbowl (which posted 19"/47cm of snowfall at the weekend, the most in the US), Nevada's Lee Canyon and Sugarloaf in Maine, for one more (?) weekend.
Mammoth and the Palisades in California, Mt Bachelor and Timberline in Oregon, Arapahoe Basin in Colorado and Snowbird and Solitude in Utah all plan to stay open at least through May and in some cases longer, although some are dropping to weekend-only operations.
Breckenridge and Winter Park are also still open and yet to name closing days whilst Copper, Loveland and Brian Head will close this weekend.
The weather in the west has been and looks set to continue to be classic springtime freeze-thaw with a bit of a powder weekend in the Rockies after some fresh snowfall to end last week.
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