WORLD SNOW ROUNDUP #295
Issued: 14th June 2023
By Patrick “Snowhunter” Thorne
World Overview
The Southern Hemisphere’s 2023 ski season has begun with five ski areas in Australia, Chile and New Zealand starting their lifts turning at the weekend. It was touch and go for most of them with marginal conditions after a warm start to June, but a temperature dip 36 hours before the planned opening day in Australia allowed three centres there to open and New Zealand’s Mt Hutt decided to go for it too, opening 24 hours later than planned. In the Andes, the most snowfall has been reported in the Patagonia region of Argentina. But it was Chile’s La Parva that was reported open at the weekend. Conditions are generally improving with lower temperatures reported in most areas.
In the Northern Hemisphere, even though we’re approaching mid-June, the trend of dropping numbers of ski areas open has stopped for now and we actually saw a fresh glacier area opening in the Alps. More are due to open over the coming week in both Europe and in North America ahead of hoped for 4th of July skiing and boarding next month. Conditions are reported to be great with cold temperatures and fresh snow dusting in the Alps, warmer but still good on North America’s still-open slopes.
Europe
EUROPE INTRO
The number of ski areas open in Europe is actually moving in the right direction with a second French option, Val d’Isere, opening for a short summer-ski season last weekend and taking the number of centres open across the continent to eight. We should reach double figures again in the next few weeks with a third French area, Tignes, aiming to open this weekend and then a second Italian choice, Cervinia, as well as, briefly, Sweden’s Riksgransen for midsummer later next week. As to the weather, well typical springtime mix of sunshine, cloud and showers, temperatures on glaciers in the -5 to +5C range meaning snow showers sometime and rain others.
AUSTRIA REPORT
In Austria, it remains just the country’s Hintertux (0/315cm / 0/126”) ski area is the only centre that’s still open for glacier skiing and boarding. The other six remaining glacier ski and board areas all plan to remain closed until mid-September or later. Hintertux is reporting good conditions with some light snow showers topping up the glacier cover, which is the deepest in the Alps as it is. The centre’s 18km (11 miles) of open runs is the most in Europe right now. Other Austrian glacier ski areas are open to ski tourers who know how to ski closed glaciers in summer safely, ideally with a guide. The Molltal glacier, which formerly opened in spring and summer has reported excellent conditions on its slopes but doesn’t appear to be planning to open its lifts for summer skiing this year.
AUSTRIA FORECAST
Continuing cool on the glacier with a -5 to +5C range with more light showers, hopefully snow, forecast, but mostly sun. +20C down in the valley.
SWITZERLAND REPORT
Swiss skiing remains available only on Europe’s highest slopes up on the Klein Matterhorn above Zermatt (0/200km / 0/80”), where the summer lifts climb to 3,899m (12,792 feet). It continues to report 12km (7 miles) of slopes open and great conditions for June, especially compared to this time in the hot spring-summer of 2022. That said it is now just over a month until neighbouring Saas Fee opens for its 23-24 season, scheduled for Jul 15th. The weather in the region has been hot in valleys but stayed around freezing at 300m+ on glaciers, with overnight lows around -6C, and daytime highs +2C. There have been light overnight snow showers so conditions are good.
SWITZERLAND FORECAST
No real change in the forecast. Mostly sunny, warm in valleys, cold on glaciers, with overnight snow showers always possible.
FRANCE REPORT
France is the only country in the Alps to have more than one glacier ski area open this month, thanks to Val d’Isere opening its small summer ski centre on Saturday for a four-week run. After Europe’s highest road pass was cleared of snow and re-opened last Friday, seven slopes on the Pissaillas Glacier opened last Saturday, June 10th and aim to stay open until Friday, July 7th. Val d’Isere joins Les 2 Alpes (0/130cm / 0/52”), which has been open for spring-summer glacier skiing for 6 weeks now and plans to stay open until the end of the month. A third French area, Tignes, which was posting the deepest base in Europe at over 4 metres (13 feet) on its glacier when it closed at the start of May at the end of its 22-23 season, is due to open this coming weekend for summer skiing and boarding. Although there are seven runs open at Val d’Isere, four of these are reserved for race team training, leaving three open to all. Conditions on French glaciers are similar to further east, although perhaps a little less propensity to snow showers building up overnight, although some light falls have been reported to keep things fresh in the mornings.
FRANCE FORECAST
Sunny for the week ahead, with temperatures in the -5 to freezing range.
ITALY REPORT
Passo Stelvio (24/104cm / 10/42”) has completed its first full week of operations for 2023 and reports good conditions as well. About 85% of the terrain is open including the Valley Run and there are quite a few famous skiers here for training at the moment. A second choice for Italy’s skiers and boarders, Cervinia, is due to re-open for summer skiing and boarding at the end of next week. There’s added excitement here with the second stage of the alpine crossing, linking the Klein Matterhorn to Cervinia’s ski area, due to open July 1st. However, there’s some debate as to whether Cervinia has any remaining summer skiing of its own or just opens lit access to the year-round slopes accessible anyway from Zermatt on the Swiss side of the border.
ITALY FORECAST
Quite a promising picture with overnight lows dipping towards -8C and highs up to +5 in the afternoons. Light snow showers bubbling overnight, best condition in the mornings of course.
SCANDINAVIA REPORT
Norway still has the most ski areas in Europe and is joint second with Australia behind the USA for most centres open worldwide, with three glacier resorts to choose from currently open. The Galdhopiggen glacier (200/500 cm / 80/200”) is currently posting the deepest snowpack of any open area with Folgefonn (Fonna) (200/400 cm / 80/160”) not far behind. Stryn (290/300cm / 116/120″) also has a healthy snowpack lying and continues to offer cat-skiing as an alternative to its chairlift. Conditions remain good on the three glaciers’ slopes despite temperatures in the +5 to +10C range and almost non-stop sunshine reported. Sweden’s Riksgransen will re-open next week for a few days of summer skiing. The centre will offer skiing and snowboarding under the midnight sun along with some special midsummer fun for those venturing up north for the celebrations.
SCANDINAVIA FORECAST
More changeable weather for the week ahead with lots of sunshine continuing. But also some periods of rain showers expected and low clouds too at times.
USA REPORT
Temperatures have been climbing in the US but conditions are still reported to be excellent, especially in the mornings, on the still-open slopes. California has two areas planning to be open into July and there’s a spring party vibe at both. Mammoth Mountain (112/164″ / 279/409cm) says it will stay open through this month and next, The Palisades (12/80″ / 30/200cm) is targeting the Independence Day holiday weekend as their final one of a nearly nine-month ski season. Elsewhere, the Palmer snowfield above Timberline (14/57″ / 35/142cm) in Oregon remains open, although its base is dropping fast, as does the Beartooth Basin summers ski area in Wyoming. The number of ski areas open in the US may get back up to five from next weekend with Utah’s Snowbird planning to re-open from Friday for weekend skiing so long as the snow and enthusiasm lasts. Skiers and boarders will also have the novelty of being able to ascend to the slopes in an outdoor ‘balcony’ on the resort’s new tram cabins.
USA FORECAST
Sunshine and showers are expected in the west with temperatures in the mountains typically around the 70s Fahrenheit although getting down to the 40s overnight. Mostly sunny weather forecast with just the odd rain shower.
Asia
JAPAN REPORT
The ski season continues at Gassan (35/150cm / 15/60″) near Nishikawa in Jaan. The weather has been changeable with warm temperatures, heavy rain and strong winds all impacting the snowpack and skiing conditions over the past week. However, all 10km of slopes are reported to remain open and all three lifts are still operating with the best conditions in the early morning.
JAPAN FORECAST
Temperatures are creeping up towards 20C in the valley so the fast thaw of recent weeks is expected to continue and it remains to be seen if the slopes will stay open into July this year.
Southern Hemisphere
AUSTRALIA REPORT
The 2023 ski season got underway in Australia on Saturday with several areas managing to open limited terrain after up to 10cm (4”) of wet snow and colder temperatures arrived less than 48 hours before the expected opening day. Most centres decided to hold a while longer but the country’s biggest resort, Perisher, opened some terrain as did Mt Buller, which has several TechnoAlpin Snow Factory all-weather snow-making machines. There was also a small patch of snow skiable at Mt Baw Baw. “Phew! That was a close one. Mother Nature really did put the ‘no’ in snow the past few weeks, but she has delivered overnight! We’ve woken up to a blanketing of white, with 8cm falling since yesterday. Thanks to the snowfall, we can safely operate a skier conveyor at the base of Front Valley over Opening Weekend,” a Perisher statement explained. But most of the bigger resorts, including Falls Creek, Mt Hotham and Thredbo decided to open to visitors but without any skiable terrain available. The weather has turned cold and snowy again in the past 24 hours with ski areas reporting 10cm (4”) of snowfall as we complete this week’s report with more snow falling.
AUSTRALIA FORECAST
The forecast is looking more promising than it has done for a few weeks with temperatures staying low, especially overnight when we could regularly see -5C on ski slopes. Good news for snow-makers and there are some continuing snow showers in the forecast too.
NEW ZEALAND REPORT
New Zealand’s ski season is underway with Mt Hutt (10/20cm / 4/8”) opening on Saturday, a day later than its target date. So not quite ideal conditions but better than last year, when the opening day had to be delayed by 10 days. There were half a dozen runs open on the mid and upper mountain totalling around 8km (5 miles), around a fifth of the potential lift-served terrain. Everywhere else counted as off-piste skiing. Along with warning of ”many unmarked hazards!” off-piste, Mt Hutt issued the following statement, “We are running on a very thin snowpack at the moment so please be extra careful when riding and remember it’s the first weekend of the season so don’t push yourself too hard, there will be plenty of great riding in the coming few months!” Temperatures are cold and skies are mostly clear now allowing for more snow-making. So far Mt Hutt is the only ski area open but Cardrona, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables are all aiming to open this coming weekend.
NEW ZEALAND FORECAST
There are just light snow showers in the forecast but temperatures are expected to stay low, down as low as minus five and daytime temperatures generally in the lower single figures Celsius.
ARGENTINA REPORT
Argentinian ski resorts have posted some of the biggest snowfalls of the pre-season in South America, with several centres reporting more than a metre (40″) of snowfall in the past few weeks. However, no centres are reported to have opened there so far this season with centres including Las Lenas and Cerro Bayo saying they plan to open for 2023 this coming weekend. The country’s largest centre, Catedral, says it also hopes to open. Recent days have seen some very low temperatures in the mountains and temperatures down to double digits below freezing overnight, along with more snowfall, so currently it appears to be a promising picture.
ARGENTINA FORECAST
Low temperatures continue through the week, particularly overnight and on higher slopes staying subzero around the clock, although reaching 4-6 degrees in valleys in the afternoons. More snowfall for the next few days and then, probably, a drier weekend.
CHILE REPORT
Chile’s La Parva (15/45cm / 6/18”) was the first ski area to declare itself open for the 2023 season in Chile and South America (although webcam pictures don’t seem to match the terrain the centre is reporting open). It reports around a third of its terrain open already, which is actually one of the three largest amounts of terrain open anywhere this week with ski areas in the Northern Hemisphere only having small glacier areas remaining and not much open yet in Australia and New Zealand. It’s a mixed picture across Chile at present without any reports on the big falls reported lover the border in Argentina, but still some decent pre-season dumps giving a basic covering, hopefully, enough to open for some areas. Others, like Valle Nevado, are reported to be in need of more before the lifts can start turning. Currently, only Portillo is confirming they plan to join La Parva next weekend. Others may join them or wait until later this month.
CHILE FORECAST
Cold and dry sums up conditions in Chile with clear skies dominating meaning sunny days but temperatures rarely getting above freezing and dropping to 5 to 10 degrees below zero overnight. Little snow in the forecast although some light showers may bubble up down south.
SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT
There’s been confusion and some frustration with social media posts from Lesotho’s Afriski, the only centre that has operated in southern Africa since 2019 when South Africa’s Tiffindell is thought to have last run its snow-making and lifts (but a re-opening at some point is still a possibility according to some local reports). Afriski had said no snow-making and no skiing this winter due to power and/or water supply issues but then posted last Friday that snow-making was not working, but only for tubing. Normally the southern African ski season would be underway by now, typically running from the end of May to the end of August.
SOUTHERN AFRICA FORECAST
It’s a non-stop sunshine forecast with temperatures getting as low as -10C up at 3,000m in Lesotho overnight, low single figures in the daytime …so great snow-making conditions.
