North America Weekly Snow Roundup #267

• US Ski areas are rapidly announcing opening dates, with several opening just a day or two after being announced.

• Fourteen areas are open across seven states, including eight in Colorado.

• More ski areas are planned to open in the coming days.

• The US recently surpassed Switzerland and Austria in the number of open ski areas.

NORTH AMERICA OVERVIEW

Things are moving quickly in the US, with ski areas announcing opening dates almost as fast as we can type. About half a dozen more decided to open at the weekend, but only announcing it a day or two before, after we published last week's edition. There were 14 areas open in seven states, including no less than eight in Colorado. Another swathe plan to open over the next few days, meaning the US, which already overtook Switzerland and Austria for areas open last weekend, will move way ahead of any other country from this weekend and North America, currently neck-a-neck with Europe, will move ahead for the next two to three weeks.  Cold and snowy weather into last weekend has boosted the mood in the West, with snowmaking systems fired up and another foot of snow reported in the Rockies and Pacific Northwest. As usual, the news isn't universally good, though, with East Coast centres seeing warmer pre-season conditions than they'd like.

ROCKIES REPORT

The Rockies had a strong start to December, with temperatures dropping to the teens Fahrenheit overnight and Colorado receiving another foot (30cm) of snowfall on Friday. Nine ski areas, including Breckenridge (20/60cm), Copper (20/60cm), and Winter Park (30/40cm), opened their seasons, some with just a few days’ notice. Breckenridge launched the BreckConnect Gondola, Colorado SuperChair, and Five SuperChair, offering mainly intermediate terrain, beginner slopes, and a small snowpark. Sunny weather persisted through the weekend, keeping conditions clear but cold. Wolf Creek currently boasts the deepest snow in North America (86cm) and has 70% of its terrain open—the most worldwide.

In Utah, Brian Head opened on Friday, marking its second-earliest season start in 60 years, followed shortly by Solitude (20/25cm). Arizona’s season began with Arizona Snowbowl celebrating its 85th anniversary amid abundant early snowfall. Brian Head offered top-to-bottom skiing with six trails serviced by two chairlifts. New Mexico’s Pajarito ski area opened with its best start in 40 years, receiving 70cm of snow, while Sandia Peak also welcomed skiers. Idaho’s Lookout Pass opened its 24-25 season, and more centres plan to follow soon. In Colorado, Vail is set to open shortly, while Brighton Resort plans to start on Thursday in Utah. New Mexico’s Sipapu aims to open on Friday.

ROCKIES FORECAST

It’s looking much sunnier than the past few weeks over the coming week. Still, temperatures will remain well below freezing on the mountain so that more snowmaking will be possible in already open areas and those aiming to open very soon.

WEST COAST REPORT

The season commenced on the West Coast at the weekend with Mt Rose (0/12” / 0/30cm) opening for 24-25 at Lake Tahoe, the second area in Nevada after Lee Canyon. Timberline (2/38” / 5/95cm) in Oregon also opened three months after its 23-24 season ended in August. It’s posting the deepest snow in North America right now. Mt. Rose - Ski Tahoe set its Lakeview Chair running with access to about 300 vertical metres of early-season terrain. There was also a beginners' area and terrain park available. For Timberline, Pucci and Molly’s lifts are up and running and open daily, weather permitting, but no beginner terrain is available yet.  As to conditions, they’re pretty marginal down in California/Nevada, where Mammoth Mountain expects to open later this week. There’s been plenty of snowfall further north in the Pacific Northwest, though, with several feet (60cm) more snowfall reported.

WEST COAST FORECAST

It was a mostly sunny remainder of the week in California, with temperatures five or six degrees on either side of freezing. Snowmaking should be possible on high terrain, and there's a chance of some natural snowfall to end the week, too.  It's looking more wintery further north, with Washington State ski areas only seeing temperatures a degree or two above freezing in the daytime and getting well below overnight, with moderate midweek snowfalls too. Mt Baker is in line to open this weekend.

MIDWEST REPORT

Ski areas that want to open in the Midwest have expressed frustration as overnight lows have hovered just below freezing, with some frosty mornings. Still, snowmaking systems aren’t quite cold enough to fire up, so nowhere remains open.

MIDWEST FORECAST

Unfortunately, there’s no significant change in the borderline temperatures forecast, with the numbers hovering around freezing. A dip of just a few degrees will allow resorts to fire up snowmaking and start the season.

EAST COAST REPORT

Although we have seen overnight lows getting into the 20s on high slopes, it’s been largely dry over the past week, and snowmaking opportunities have been limited, so it remains unclear which centres will open first. Killington, which posted a video of snow guns firing up over the weekend, remains a promising bet. In Massachusetts, Ski Ward, which had claimed to be the first in North America to open last month but doing so with just a tiny amount of snow from an all-weather snowmaking machine, said it couldn't maintain even the snow produced by this machine as temperatures peaked at 80F last week, so has temporarily closed too.  Over the past few days, it has had a much cooler and more autumnal feeling.

EAST COAST FORECAST

The colder weather is expected to continue through the latter half of this week, with lows down towards the mid-20s Fahrenheit in Vermont, which should enable more snowmaking to fire up. Some light to moderate natural snowfall is expected to sweeten the deal.

CANADA REPORT

Canada’s season got underway last week, with Lake Louise being the first in the country to open. It was joined at the weekend by fellow Banff ski area Sunshine and Jasper's Marmot Basin for what's sure to be an emotional winter as the region recovers from devastating forest fires. Nakiska, the closest centre to Calgary, also opened for its 24-25 season, although initially, it's just doing so at weekends.  Alberta had a sunny end to last week with temperatures reaching high single figures at lower elevations, which led Mt Norquay, which had been due to be the first in the country to open on the 2^nd and initially postponed to the 9^th to now postpone again to the 16^th. Since the weekend, though, it has been colder, mostly below freezing and snowier.

Further west, BC is gearing up for its season start, with Sun Peaks set to be the first to open this coming weekend. North America's largest Whistler Blackcomb opens the week after on the 22nd. "Our teams are planning to have 187 skiable acres ready across both mountains, but this number could increase pending additional snowfall and favourable snowmaking conditions," a resort spokesperson commented.

CANADA FORECAST

It looks like a cold and snowy latter half of the week in western Canada, with lows down to -10C overnight and highs not much above freezing in the daytime, with light to moderate snowfalls too. In the East, it will be drier and sunnier and a little warmer but still get down to p5 or -6C overnight in Quebec, making snowmaking viable. There is the possibility of a little natural snowfall to end the week, too.