World Snow Wrap, December 3 – Excellent Early Season in Lake Louise, Japan and Europe Kicking into Gear, Dry Weather Pattern Set to Change in the USA.

December 3rd, 2021

 

Lake Louise yesterday. The Banff resorts have had the best early season conditions n years. Photo: @philipforsey

Mountainwatch | Reggae Elliss

Well, it’s the first week of December, the start of winter in the northern hemisphere and time for our first World Snow Wrap for the 2021/22 northern hemi season. Hopefully the travel windows to Canada, the US and Europe will stay open and Japan won’t be far behind.

As for the snow north of the equator, the past month has been pretty quiet, a mild and dry November in most countries, the exception being interior British Columbia and Alberta in Canada where there has been a heap of snow. So much snow that Sunshine Village in the Banff was closed yesterday due to avalanche danger.

It has also snowed in Japan and Europe over the past week with more resorts expected to open next week. Here’s the around-the-grounds update.

 

Extreme avalanche danger in Sunshine Village yesterday. Photo: Banff Sunshine Village

USA

After a bit of excitement and early openings thanks to a couple of decent storms in the Sierras and the Rockies in late October, the past month has been disappointingly dry. The result is many resorts delayed opening due to lack of snow, while the open resorts are operating with minimal terrain open in snowmaking areas. However, there was some snow in the Rockies last week, resorts in Colorado reporting 10-15cms while Jackson Hole received 20cms.

 

Bernie Rosow, finding some dry snow on the upper slopes in Mammoth last week. Photo: Christian Pondella

In California it has been very dry, but Mammoth is open with 25% of its terrain skiable thanks to a couple of smaller top ups since the big one-metre dump in late October and good snowmaking conditions. There has been precipitation the Pacific NW, but temps have been too warm, delivering a lot of rain to the Cascades.

Fortunately, a change in the dry weather pattern is on the way with colder temps and snow due for the Cascades late in the weekend while snow is looking likely in Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and the Sierras next week, Hopeful this is the start of a wetter, colder weather pattern.

Canada

It may have been warm and wet in Canada’s coast mountains but further east, resorts in Alberta and Interior BC have seen plenty of snow. As mentioned in the intro, Sunshine Village was closed yesterday due to avalanche danger but will reopen tomorrow – with plenty of fresh tracks to be had.  It has been the same story in nearby Lake Louise which is enjoyed some of the best early season conditions in recent years, with a very healthy 116cms in the past seven days.

 

Another photo from Lake Louise this week – enough to get you booking a flight to Canada. Photo: Lake Louise

Kicking Horse is set to open tomorrow for a “preview weekend” after the upper mountain received three metres during November. Revelstoke also saw some heavy snow this week with 90-cms in the past week which required avalanche mitigation yesterday, Further west it has been wet down low in Whistler Blackcomb, which is now open, but a colder storm is due this weekend with 25cms forecast by mid-week.

Japan

After a dry start to November the storm window opened last week with good snowfalls across Honshu and Hokkaido. Lifts are open in some resorts in Hakuba Valley with some early season pow turns on empty slopes for those lucky enough to be there.

 

Hakuba Valley under its first winter coat on November 29.

In Hokkaido, there has been 95cms over the past week and Niseko Village opened today with two lifts running although it did warm up a little and there was some rain yesterday. Hirafu and Annapuri are due to open tomorrow, but much colder temps will ensure some snow over the weekend ahead of a fine but cold week. In Furano some mid-week rain has turned to snow, but there are just two lifts opening the Furano Zone accessing a limited cover on the upper slopes.

Stay tuned for our daily snow reports from Niseko, Furano and Hakuba which will start soon. The Grasshopper will kick off his weekly Japan forecasts on December 16.

Europe

Fingers are crossed for a return to a “more normal” winter this year in Europe after resorts in most countries did not open last winter due to Covid lockdowns. However, Austria is into the second week of a three-week lockdown and while resorts are open for locals only as per last season, the resorts need to be open for tourists to make up for last year.

 

Val d’Isere today after a mid-week top up and another 60cms is forecast this weekend. Photo: Val d’Isere

As far as the weather goes, it has been a slow start to the winter in the Alps although some resorts in France, Switzerland and Italy have opened lifts at higher elevations. More resorts are set to open this week after good snowfalls last weekend left 40-70cms across some regions.

Another storm is expected this weekend, set to drop widespread snowfalls across the Alps, Verbier and Val d’Isere in line for over 60cms while St Anton should see 30cms.

 

Opening day preparations in Kicking Horse yesterday after 82cms in the past week. Photo: Kicking Horse Mountain Resort

Where We’d Like To Be This Week

Kicking Horse. It is opening weekend, it has a good base after November’s snowfalls, there is some snow on the way next week and it won’t be crowded.

If you’re thinking of heading overseas this winter, head to Mountainwatch Travel for our latest packages to Canada, the US and Japan.