WORLD SNOW ROUNDUP #190
Issued: 5 May 2021
By Patrick “Snowhunter” Thorne
European Roundup
North American Roundup
Asia Roundup
Southern Hemisphere
WORLD OVERVIEW
Moving into May, the six months of debate over whether or not thousands of ski areas can operate in the Northern Hemisphere (due to different pandemic restrictions in different countries) begins to seem less important as more than 99% of ski areas have now closed anyway as a result of the natural end to the season.
Indeed, May is normally one of the quietest periods in the global ski year anyway as the Northern Hemisphere’s season winds down but the Southern Hemisphere’s has not yet started and 2021 is looking no different. Actually, there may be just slightly more ski areas open than usual.
So we start the month with about a dozen ski areas still open in North America, perhaps double that number in Europe, mostly the Alps and Scandinavia, and then a handful of others scattered across Asia.
It is getting later into spring so whilst there’s still fresh snow reported in the Rockies, the Alps and Scandinavia at times, the biggest factor is the thaw, which means the best skiing is at higher altitudes and far northerly latitudes and in the morning on most days.
South of the Equator, we are quickly moving towards winter and the autumn snowfalls in the Andes of South America, the mountains of Southern Africa and in Australia and on the ski slopes of New Zealand and Australia appear to be arriving more frequently and getting heavier with the first ski areas due to open in just a month’s time, all being well.
EUROPE INTRODUCTION
It’s the start of May and almost all European ski resorts outside of the Alps and Scandinavia are believed to have now closed for the season.
The exception is Jasna, which was allowed to re-open a few weeks ago due to an easing of pandemic restrictions in Slovakia. It is extending its slope opening by another week to the 9th of May. There are about 8km (5 miles) of runs open, about a fifth of its full winter terrain.
Scottish ski tourers, who can now use re-opened lifts to reach the remaining snow patches at centres (but with no in-bound groomed ski runs possible this late in the spring), did get a treat with some fresh snowfall on higher slopes in the latter half of last week. More snow fell this week turning the mountains white again. One example is Glencoe, where a chairlift is running to ease the uphill bit for tourers.
ALPS
ALPS REPORT| Ski areas continue to be closed in France, Germany and Italy where otherwise a handful might still be operating for a final weekend. But pandemic restrictions are easing leading to hopes that glacier areas could re-open later this month in France (Les 2 Alpes) and Italy (Passo Stelvio), all being well.
The mood is also positive in Austria with the news that the country’s hospitality industry can finally re-start in less than a fortnight’s time. That has led to the Kaunertal glacier saying it will re-open on the 15th May, and the Molltal a week later, both having been closed all year because they could not break even without enough visitors with hotels being closed. They’ll join the already open Kitzsteinhorn (0/310cm / 0/124”), Pitztal (317/412cm / 127/165”) and Hintertux (15/410cm / 6/164”) glacier ski areas which have been open through the winter. The latter has the most terrain open as we enter May, still with 30km (19 miles) of slopes groomed. The Stubai, which had most recently planned its season end last Sunday, has now extended its opening to the middle of May, opening Friday-Sunday for the next two weekends.
Switzerland, however, had the most areas open for the start of the month at seven. But we’re now down to four and will drop again to two from next Monday. One of these, Zermatt (0/160cm/0/66”), is celebrating a year of operation since the first lockdown ended, later this month. It has 49km (31 miles) of runs open at present, the biggest area in Europe and one of the biggest open in the world at present.
Three other Swiss ski areas are open as we move further into May. Adelboden, Laax and Murren made it to the 2nd, last Sunday, which means Austria will overtake with their three meaning it becomes 3-2 to Austria growing to 5-2 by the time Molltal re-opens. But for now the Diavolezza glacier (30/150cm / 12/60”), near St Moritz, and Glacier 3000 (50/303cm / 20/121”), near Gstaad, are still open. The other still-open Swiss area is the Titlis glacier above Engelberg (0/600cm / 0/240”), the only open area in the world still posting a 6m/20-foot base. It has got a fortnight more of its season to run.
Right over at the eastern extreme of the Alps in the Julian Alps of Slovenia, several ski areas decided to re-open when permitted to following a lockdown easing in mid-April. Of these, Krvavec (0/80cm / 0/32”) has so far confirmed it is staying open at least to next Sunday the 9th. There are about 10km (6 miles) of runs open, around a third of the total possible in mid-winter there.
As to the weather, well it’s still quite changeable with snowy flurries up high at times, and temperatures on the glaciers rarely getting above freezing still and when they do, only by a degree or two. Much warmer down in the valleys, typically 5 to 15 degrees above freezing, but all ski areas still open now require a long lift ride up over the green valleys from the base. It has been a sunny start to the week in many areas but clouds are now building again.
ALPS FORECAST| There are actually quite a few snow showers expected on European glaciers through the latter half of this week, temperatures well below freezing above 3,000m altitude for much of the time. Warming up and skies clearing at the weekend.
SCANDINAVIA
SCANDINAVIA REPORT| It’s all change in much of Scandinavia with most ski areas in Finland, Norway and Sweden now closed for the season. Last weekend was a big one with a public holiday that many of the region’s largest resorts like Sweden’s Are and Norway’s Hemsedal stay open until.
This year was no different, but not everywhere has closed following the holiday weekend …and several glacier ski areas are actually lining up ready to open over the next few weeks.
Centres still open include Europe’s most northerly, Sweden’s Riksgransen (121/240cm / 48/96”), which normally runs its lifts for an hour around midnight on a few nights each week at the time of year, offering skiing under the midnight sun to its guests.
Also still open to May 9th are the northerly Lapland centres of Levi (35/40cm / 14/16”) and Ruka (40/70cm 16/28”) in Finland. Both have been open since the start of October so have now posted seven month ski seasons.
As to the weather over the past week, it has been classic freeze-thaw with temperatures in the north still well below freezing overnight but going up to positive numbers and thawing conditions in the daytime, which is now getting longer and longer and rapidly approaching 24-hour daylight in the far north, in fact. There has been a little rain/snow for some areas but it has been predominantly dry.As the remaining ‘winter’ areas, Norway’s three glacier ski areas are prepping to open, the first, the Fonna glacier as soon as this coming weekend on the 8th. Then Galdhoppigen next Wednesday 13th and finally Stryn says it will open on May 27th at 10 am.
SCANDINAVIA FORECAST| It is looking fairly benign in northern Scandinavia for the rest of this week with a mixture of sunshine and cloud but little or no precipitation in the forecast. Temperatures continuing to fluctuate between 190 degrees below and 3-7 degrees above freezing.
NORTH AMERICA
NORTH AMERICA REPORT| May in North America started with nearly 20 ski areas open but about a third of those closed after the first weekend and the list of survivors is not a lot more than a dozen now. But that’s close to what we’d normally be seeing for this point in the season.
The good news has been that winter came back with a vengeance to the Rockies in the final days of April with some centres seeing as much as a foot (30cm) of fresh snow in the latter half of last week, in some cases following similar falls the week before. For many, April proved a much snowier month than March.
There was also snow in Vermont at the weekend although it has got warm again since.
Last weekend saw the closures of Lake Louise, Mt Norquay and Marmot Basin (in Alberta), Grouse Mountain in BC and eastern Canada’s single still-operating ski area Summit At Sauveur in Quebec. This leaves only Banff’s Sunshine area (50/198cm / 20/79”) to soldier on alone for another fortnight as Canada’s only still-open ski area.
South of the border, Mt Hood Meadows, in Oregon, Alpental (part of the Summit at Snoqualmie), in Washington State (which had been posting the world’s deepest base at 21 feet/6.3 metres for much of this winter) and Jay Peak, in Vermont, also ended their 20-21 seasons. Mt Baker, famously the world’s snowiest resort on average and looking pretty good this winter with about 15 feet/four metres still lying, is due to close Wednesday 5th May as we publish this week’s report. Next up, this coming weekend, the extended seasons at Loveland (32/62” / 80/155cm) and Winter Park (24/80” / 60/200cm), in Colorado, as well as Crystal Mountain (99/143” / 248/358cm), in Washington State, are due to end too.
So what are we left with next week? Well, both Arapahoe Basin (26/60” / 65/149cm) and Breckenridge (16/67” / 40/167cm), in Colorado, are aiming to stay open at least to the end of the month, as is Snowbird (46/97” / 115/243cm), to the north in Utah, the only area still open in that state. Over in California, where it has been warm, Mammoth (27/57” / 68/144cm) and Squaw Valley have the same hope, but Squaw Valley (22/70” / 55/175cm) has already said it is unlikely it’ll make it due to the often warm, dry weather this season, meaning it hasn’t the usual snow reserves to rely on at this point in the year.
Mt Bachelor (42/112” / 105/280cm) and Timberline (72/156” / 180/390cm), in Oregon, both expect to be open all month. Timberline has recently opened its Palmer summer ski snowfield so has a big vertical on offer. Snow depth is down a few inches compared to a week ago but still looking promising for snow cover survival into summer.
Ski areas that are still open have mostly cut back what’s operating and sometimes operating hours to reflect the fact that cover is better up high and in the morning. For example, Mt Bachelor has switched to its spring operating mode and has cut back operations to its Summit, Skyliner and Pine Marten lifts from 8:30am to 1:30pm through the remainder of the season, which is currently due to last until the end of May.
Similarly, Killington (0/30” / 0/76cm), the only ski area still open in the east, has piled snow high on its Superstar trail in order to try to keep operating snow-sports through May. This typically softens into a huge mogul/bumps field.
NORTH AMERICA FORECAST|After a cool and snowy few days the Rockies will see a sunny latter half of this week with warm daytime temperatures although still dropping below freezing overnight. There’s the chance of some fresh snowfall at the weekend when colder temps and precipitation are forecast. Further east it is looking warm and sometimes wet in Vermont but it may be cold enough for a little overnight snow up high at Killington at the weekend.
ASIA
ASIA REPORT| The end of the season has arrived for most ski areas in Japan, with closing day for the last slopes open in Niseko (20/335cm / 8/134″) and at other larger resorts generally set for Wednesday, May 5th. Niseko did hit 12 metres of snowfall in total this winter, almost double last season’s total and the best for quite a few years, in fact. But not all Japanese areas are closing though, Happo One (58/110cm / 23/44”) has extended its season to the end of the coming weekend, saying its lifts will now be open through to Sunday 9th ; however, snow depths are getting low and are down by a third on a week ago. The country’s summer ski area, Gassan (450/1000cm / 160/400”) has begun its 2021 season in the past few weeks and is already posting the world’s deepest base after more than 10 metres (400 inches) of snow accumulated there over the winter.
ASIA FORECAST|There’s not much of a change in the forecast from the usual weather for this time of year (climbing ever higher into the teens above freezing). There could be some cloud and possibly a little rain and murk, but mostly a clear weather forecast.
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE INTRO|We’re probably just a month away now from the first ski areas opening in Australia, New Zealand, the Andes of South America and the mountains of Southern Africa and so far what signs there can be, are positive. The first official opening dates are at the start of June.
All four regions have reported autumnal, pre-season snowfall, most of them several snow coverings in April in fact. Lesotho’s Afriski posted one of the biggest yet coming into last weekend with around 10cm (4”) of snow there. Ski areas in Australia and New Zealand as well as in the Andes have also reported more dustings of snow over the past week.
Along with snow cover, the concern after last winter, when several leading ski areas in Australia, Argentina and Chile failed to open at all due to pandemic lockdowns (or only for a few days), is whether resorts will open. Again at present, the signs are fairly positive, obviously in New Zealand but also in Australia. Cases have been surging in South America but seem to have peaked in Argentina and Chile and centres there appear to be positive about opening on schedule next month if only to locally based skiers.
AUSTRALIA
AUSTRALIA REPORT| Several ski areas in Australia (Corin Forest and Mt Buller) have already been making snow this year with all-weather snowmakers and April saw several natural snowfalls covering ski slopes and resort bases. There’s currently optimism that with low infection rates at present, resulting in the opening of the travel bubble with New Zealand, ski areas will be able to open for the season on schedule next month and operate all winter, snow permitting (albeit with pandemic limitations on operations in place). The past few days have seen changeable conditions but temperatures a little too warm for more snow.
AUSTRALIA FORECAST| More changeable weather with midweek precipitation likely to fall as rain on Australian ski slopes, then a drier period to end the week. The weekend could see temperatures dip with the possibility of snow (although it may be rain) to start next week.
NEW ZEALAND
NEW ZEALAND REPORT| New Zealand ski areas too have seen several snowy periods in April already and subzero overnight temperatures helping to raise anticipation levels ahead of the ski season. The country remains the only ski nation in the world that has, to date, successfully suppressed the virus and been able to operate ski areas relatively normally. This winter is currently looking still more promising than last with skiers allowed to visit from Australia, which will help areas cover operating costs and open for longer.
NEW ZEALAND FORECAST|After some low weekend temperatures, it is looking quite warm for New Zealand over the coming week with temperatures well above freezing even overnight. Sunny weather forecast through the remainder of this week rather than precipitation. At this stage, looking like rain at the weekend.
ARGENTINA
ARGENTINA REPORT| Although there has been a surge in virus cases in Argentina ski centres there seem positive about opening on schedule. Las Lenas, which at this point last year had already announced it wouldn’t attempt to open in 2020, this year is in full pre-season sales mode. The weather is also starting to look promising for the season ahead, raising anticipation. South America’s largest ski area by uplift, Catedral near Bariloche, reported a large snowfall on the upper mountain at the weekend.
ARGENTINA FORECAST| The week ahead looks largely dry and sunny in Argentina, although temperatures will be dropping away below freezing overnight in the mountains; however, daytime highs will be 10-15 degrees above freezing in mountain valleys.
CHILE
CHILE REPORT|It is likely to be six weeks or so until the start of the season in Chile. Ski areas there are hoping they will be able to start on time this year. Unlike last season, when they couldn’t operate until August, which was too late for many resorts including some of the big names. Several areas, including La Parva, reported fresh snow down to low elevations and cold temperatures in the past week, further raising expectations.
CHILE FORECAST| Rather warm again now in Chile with daytime temperatures in the mid-teens above freezing and well above freezing still at night too. Generally dry conditions. The chance of some precipitation at the weekend but it may well be rain.
SOUTHERN AFRICA
SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT| The main excitement in Lesotho (home of Afriski) following two pre-season snow dustings of the slopes, was the news that the border with South Africa, where many skiers arrive from, was able to re-open for leisure travel. This will hopefully mean a better ski season this winter. Afriski is usually one of the first ski areas in the Southern Hemisphere to open each year. For 2021 they’re targeting June 10th. It reported its third pre-season snowfall of autumn 2021 at the end of last week with a 10cm accumulation last Friday. Currently, all is quiet from South Africa’s Tiffindell ski area which is not responding to enquiries. It was not allowed to open last year due to the pandemic in the country.
SOUTHERN AFRICA FORECAST|After last weekend’s snow, this week is sunny with daytime highs of +20C, although it is getting close to freezing at night. More changeable at the weekends with precipitation in the forecast again.
