J2Ski Snow Report - February 20th 2025
J2Ski Snow Report - February 20th 2025
Published : 20-Feb-2025 06:33
Keystone, Colorado, got the goods this week...
Some big snowfalls in the US this week, Colorado and The Rockies in general looking good. Mild and sunny in the Alps, with cold and snow expected next week for parts.
The Snow Headlines - February 20th
- Up to 140cm (4.5 feet) of snowfall in 48 hours in California.
- Sweden's Riksgransen opening for its 2025 season.
- Ski areas in the Rockies enjoy snowiest week of the season, up to a metre reported.
- Biggest snowfall for a fortnight in the Alps, up to 30cm in 24 hours.
Snow forecasts worldwide.
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World Overview
After the snow showers that ended last week, it's been a largely sunny picture across much of Europe since the weekend. Temperatures have also been on the rise, most noticeable at lower elevations with afternoon highs reaching +10C in valleys, giving an early spring-like feel, although a return to cold looks likely next week.
It's been similar across the Alps, Dolomites, Pyrenees, Eastern Europe and even up in Scandinavia and it looks like it will continue that way through the weekend for most areas. Most slopes are open across the continent.
In North America, it's probably been the best week of the season, so far; ski regions across the continent have been getting substantial fresh snowfalls, leaving great conditions and everything open.
Japan continues to post the world's deepest snow depths this season so far, at up to 6 metres.
Europe
Austria
It was a sunny week in Austria after unsettled weather at the end of last week. With temperatures reaching +11C in valleys in the afternoons, the snowline is creeping up valley sides, and lower slopes are white lines in the lowest areas.
Despite these early spring challenges, most areas are fully open with resorts like Saalbach Hinterglemm, St Anton / Lech (The Arlberg), Ischgl-Samnaun and the Skiwelt (Soll, Westendorf, Ellmau et al) reporting their slopes 95-100% open.
France
Sunny skies across French ski slopes since the snowfalls at the end of last week brought accumulations of up to 30cm for ski areas including Chamonix and Flaine; which are now posting Europe's deepest snowpacks at about 3.3 metres (11 feet).
It's been busy on French slopes with the half-term holidays but most areas continue to report all of their slopes open, enabling the crowds to disperse across the mountains each morning.
The 3 Valleys and Portes du Soliel both have more than 95% of their 600km or so of slopes available.
The forecast is currently for it to stay dry through the weekend, with plenty of sunshine but a little more cloud than there has been. A return to cold looks likely around the middle of next week, although that's quite uncertain as we write this.
Italy
Sunshine has also dominated the weather in Italy this week after the unsettled conditions in the first half of the month. Temperatures have also been climbing with daytime highs getting close to +10C in the afternoons in valleys. Overnight lows continue to drop well below freezing under the clear skies though, allowing resorts to make more snow as required.
As it is, on the groomers at least, conditions remain excellent with most slopes open across the country. The vast Dolomiti Superski with its 1,200km of slopes reports there are more than 90% open, with several sectors, including Val Gardena, at 100%.
Switzerland
As with the rest of Europe, it's been a mostly sunny week on Swiss slopes. Here too daytime temperatures have been climbing with valley highs topping +10-C and the freezing point climbing up above 2,000m altitudes.
Most of the large ski areas including Verbier's 4 Valleys and the Zermatt-Cervinias cross-border pass are at 90% or more open, the most of the season. And here too it is expected to stay dry through the weekend, with a mix of sunshine and cloud, temperatures dropping a little but staying rather springlike.
Scandinavia
Scandinavian ski stats have changed little on seven days ago after plenty of sunshine and just the odd light snow shower across the region.
The main difference, not published in many resort snow reports, has been fast-increasing daylight hours at northerly latitudes, with the Arctic Circle ski areas of Bjorkliden (last weekend) and Riksgransen (this weekend) opening for their 2025 seasons as a result.
The amount of open terrain has grown a little this week at most Scandi ski areas with Sweden's Are resort posting the most, around 75km/80% of its slopes.
The forecast is a little more unsettled with slightly more snow falling over the coming week.
Pyrenees
After a fortnight of colder, snowier weather than they had in the first few months of the season, it has been back to sunny skies in the Pyrenees with temperatures climbing up to +12C at resort level, setting back some of the snow gains of the last few weeks.
Ski areas report the most terrain they've had open all season thanks to that snowfall in the first half of February with the biggest, Andorra's Grandvalira (Soldeu, Pass de la Casa etc) at 90% open with nearly 200km of slopes available.
More unsettled weather is expected for the rest of this week with temperatures set to drop; a front should bring 10-20cm accumulations by Monday.
Scotland
Familiar frustrations for Scottish ski areas and skiers with a fortnight of very cold, but dry weather when little was open due to the previous thaw, ending with a decent snowfall that could have been the start of base re-building, but temperatures are set to hit +12C over the weekend making that seem unlikely.
Currently, Glencoe and Glenshee have had a little natural terrain on top of the small all-weather snowmaking machine-maintained areas but it remains to be seen how much of that will survive the coming warm spell.
Cairngorm and The Lecht also have small areas open, Nevis Range is yet to open this season.
Eastern Europe
Bulgaria, which had had dry and sunny but generally cold weather for much of the past month finally saw some snowfall earlier this week, giving a good slope refresh for ski areas like Borovets, Bansko and Pamporovo.
They have all slopes open and it's a similar story further north with the big names in Cezchiua, Poland and Slovakia like Jasna also fully open, although it's been dry and sunny here.
North America
Canada
Remaining very cold with some light snowfall in Western Canada; conditions are generally excellent here with deep cover and resorts reporting every slope open.
There's been a bit of a holding pattern with those conditions for 3 or 4 weeks now but there are finally signs of change with more significant snowfalls, potentially 40-80cm of snow, expected through the weekend.
On the East Coast, the snow has kept falling in Quebec and conditions are the best they've been all season. It's looking a little drier there over the coming week, temperatures remaining sub-zero but not quite as cold as they've been – down to -20C instead of -30C!
USA
Some big snowfalls across the US this week with all ski regions of the country seeing some significant snowfalls.
California got the most as a 48-hour storm last week ended up dumping up to 4.5 feet (135cm) by Saturday morning.
Mount Rose (Lake Tahoe) posted the most, but almost everywhere got at least two feet.
Inland, The Rockies also saw some of their biggest snowfalls of the season, Utah's Deer Valley and Steamboat in Colorado among areas adding half a metre of snowfall to their base depths.
Even the country's East Coast scored too, with more snow for New England.
The bigger accumulations took some digging out and Californian centres delayed opening to do so, but overall conditions are excellent across the country with lots of fresh snow and everything open.
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