Europe Weekly Roundup #242

Norway's Fonna Glacier Boasts World's Deepest Snow as Summer Skiing Begins

• Europe now has eight ski centers open, with Austria leading the pack and Italy's Passo Stelvio set to open for summer skiing on June 1st.
• Norway’s Fonna glacier resort has opened to all, boasting the world’s deepest snow, while Sweden’s Riksgransen prepares for its final week before a midsummer reopening.
• Conditions on Alpine glaciers remain favorable with temperatures around freezing, light snowfalls, and plenty of sunshine.

World Overview

We’re into the latter half of May and we’re reaching that point in the year when the number of operational ski areas in the southern hemisphere overtakes the number open in the northern. We’re not quite there yet though, despite another drop in the numbers still operational in Asia, Europe and North America and more centres opening early for the 2024 season in South America. We are also seeing the weather finally becoming more springlike in North America and Europe, although fortunately remaining close to freezing still up on Alpine glaciers. In the southern hemisphere, although the weather has continued to be wintery with most areas now seeing temperatures dipping down below freezing overnight, some even seeing -10C on high slopes. There's also been more snowfall in the Andes as well as fresh falls in Australia and New Zealand. Actually, it has been snowing on mountain ranges on both sides of the world, with fresh snowfall reported on high slopes for Canada’s final weekend of the 23-24 season as well as on glaciers in the European Alps. Although we lost two more glaciers to the 23-24 season end in the Alps, a centre opened for its 2024 summer ski season in Scandinavia. Immediately posting the world's deepest snow at over 13 metres (40 feet) lying on its higher slopes, it claims. In Asia, Japan’s Gassan (80/350cm / 32/140”) summer ski area remains open with temperatures in the +5 to +18C range. So the snow continues to thaw away but it reports all 10km (6 miles) of slopes still open for now.

EUROPE

EUROPE INTRO

We lost two more glaciers in the Alps to the season end last week, but gained a summer opening in Norway, leaving us with a grand total of eight ski centres currently open in Europe. Snow depths on glaciers are little changed on a week ago with temperatures mostly staying low up high, and even some light snowfalls reported.

THE ALPS REPORT

Austria continues to have the most skiing open in Europe with three glaciers planning to operate into June. It did though lose the Stubai, which had been posting Europe’s deepest base at nearly 6m/20 feet, and Kaunertal at the weekend. So it’s the Kitzsteinhorn (0/325cm / 0/130”) above Kaprun, Molltal (0/260cm / 0/104”) in Carinthia and Tirol’s year-round Hintertux (0/505cm / 0/202”) that are still open. Elsewhere in the Alps the other year-round centre between Zermatt and Cervinia, the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (0/150cm / 0/60”), remains open of course and is still posting 40km (25 miles) of slopes open including some terrain on the Italian side of the border for now. In France, there’s a small part of the glacier at Les 2 Alpes (0/395cm / 0/158”) open to all, with the majority reserved for race team training. Conditions have remained good on glaciers this week with temperatures in the -3 to +3C range some light snowfalls and plenty of sunny spells too, so ideal late spring conditions really. Obviously much warmer, around 20C+, down at 1000m altitudes in the valleys below. Before the next currently open alpine glacier is due to close, a new one is due to open for its 2024 summer ski season, Italy’s Passo Stelvio, from June 1st – just over a week. Interestingly the Giro d’Italia cycle race which had been due to make a stage over the famous Passo Stelvio is now to take a different route, it has just been announced, due to high avalanche danger. It's unclear if that same issue may impact slope opening, a base hotel has delayed its opening by a week but currently the centre itself is still showing June 1st as its target opening date. The centre has been posting pre-season images of snow piled up to second-floor windows on the area's base buildings, so it is looking promising for the snow lasting through its planned five-month season through to early November. Well, at this point at least.

THE ALPS FORECAST

Conditions are expected to continue much as the last week, with the freezing point largely between 1000 and 3300m in the Alps, temperatures on glaciers a few degrees on either side of the freezing point, some light snow showers and plenty of sunshine.

SCANDINAVIA REPORT

Things continue to change in Scandinavia, with a second glacier resort, Fonna, opening to all after three weeks of operations just for race team training. Fonna (1150/1360cm / 453/535“) immediately posted the world’s deepest snow by some distance. How long the snow lasts will be interesting to see as the past few days have been sunny with temperatures in the +5 to +15C range. It joins the Galdhopiggen glacier (100/200cm / 40/80”), which opened a fortnight back and the third Norwegian summer glacier area, Stryn, had a delayed cat skiing weekend ahead of its opening for its 2024 season. That had been 1st June but it has now moved the day forward a week to May 25th, saying warmth in the area means snow has been melting fast and that it’s going to be a short season again. Meanwhile, over the Swedish border, we're into the last week of Riksgransen’s (30/90cm / 12/36”) 2024 run. It closes this weekend but will re-open next month for some midsummer skiing in late June, all being well.

SCANDINAVIA FORECAST

A little cooler and a little more unsettled than it has been the past week. Temperatures at Fonna dropping to freezing overnight by the weekend, with daytime highs around +9C, at Galdhopiggen the chance of rain/sleet, although mostly sunny, and a similar temperature range.