RUSS HENSHAW – World Championship Slopestyle Bronze
Rod White in Rusutsu, Japan. Image:: Randy Wieman/Hotshots
Stormwatch:
The snowfall heros
It was all about Colorado last week. With some record cold days, getting down to about minus 30 degrees Celsius in most of the state, and some pretty good snowfalls. In fact, dropping temperatures were a bit of a trend. Japan lost some degrees and gained some snow quality, Whistler also saw the freezing level go south.
- Vail, Colorado – with 73cm last week, the top for North America
- Silver Star, BC – 22cm on the weekend
- Niseko, Japan – 65cm – and colder temps too
The snow forecast heros:
Niseko, Niseko, Niseko. It’s going to be cold and dry there so the nice metre of so of snow that’s coming will be deliciously light. Same story in Whistler, Colorado…
- 112cm for Niseko, Japan
- Hakuba, Japan with 57cm
- Whistler, BC, with 39cm and a low freezing level
Last week’s event highlights:
- Our own freestyle queen Anna Segal claiming the inaugural slopestyle World Champion title at the FIS Freestyle World Championships in Park City. Russ Henshaw grabbed the bronze in the men’s slopestyle.
Event highlights this week:
- 7 – 9 February 2011 SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP – parallel GS and snowboard X. Yongpyong, Korea
- 8 – 13 February 2011 ASPEN/SNOWMASS OPEN, Snowmass, Colorado.
- 8 – 13 February 2011 NESCAFE CHAMPS LYSIN, Leysin, Switzerland.
- 10 – 13 February 2011 WINTER DEW TOUR stop 3 – Toyota Championship, Snowbasin, Utah.
- 11 February 2011 FREESTYLE WORLD CUP – Skier X. Blue Mountain, Canada
- 12 February 2011 FREESTYLE WORLD CUP – aerials. Moscow, Russia
- 13 February 2011 SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP – Halfpipe. Yabuli, China
- 14 – 19 February 2011 OAKLEY ARCTIC CHALLENGE – Oslo Norway. TTR World Tour 6Star
If we could pick anywhere this week, we’d be: Niseko thank you very much!
Gordon Bronson in Aspen this week. Image:: Jeremy Swanson
Colorado
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 38.10cm at Aspen Mountain in the last 7 days
7 Day forecast: 16cm forecast in the next 7 days for Aspen Mountain
Current snow depth: 124.46cm at Aspen Mountain, 172.72cm at Highlands
Current conditions: powder and packed powder
Nice snowfalls for the beginning of the week, followed by some days of perfect sunshine, all the better to enjoy that pow with.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 50.8cm in the past 7 days
7 Day forecast: about 13.6cm for the coming week
Current snow depth: 220.98cm
Current Conditions: powder and packed powder
Coming off the back of those ridiculous cold days last week, the snow is as dry as the sand on a Whitsunday beach. There’s a little more to come before some sunshine for the end of the week.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 48.26 in the last 48 hours
7 Day forecast: about 19.6cm forecast in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: 203.2cm at mid mountain
Current conditions: powder and packed powder
Similar story in Steamboat, Sunday through to Tuesday will be snowy – with a nice 15cm on Monday, then blue skies to see out the week.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 73.66cm in the last 7 days
7 Day forecast: 16.01cm
Current snow depth: 185.42cm
Current conditions: packed powder
Not as much snow on the forecast as some of the rest of the state, but Vail did receive a good 20cm more than most other resorts last week.
And Colorado generally…
There was about half a metre of fresh snow right across the state over the weekend and thanks to really very low temperatures all that snow is dry, dry, dry. There’s a little bit more left in the snow clouds but they should be burnt off by the middle of the week for a gorgeous sunshine filled weekend.
Utah
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 10.16cm in the last three days
7 Day forecast: 9.8cm on the forecast
Current snow depth: 213cm
Park City had a good snow week, but the real focus was the FIS Freestyle World Championships, starring our very own Anna Segal and Russ Henshaw. Anna claimed gold in the inaugural women’s slopestyle event and Russ grabbed the bronze in the same event.
Russ Henshaw in Park City for the FIS World Championships. Image:: Park City
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 15.4cm in the last three days
7 Day forecast: 6.5cm
Current snow depth: 279.1cm at mid mountain
Current conditions: powder and packed powder
There’s been some nice snow in Snowbird this past week, a good top up on what is a solid base. It’s a bit of a groundhog day for the coming week, more of the same snowflakes and occasional sunshine.
And Utah generally…
Utah wasn’t as snow blessed as Colorado last week, but there were a few flakes going around, to the tune of about 12cm or so. A really good storm wouldn’t go astray, unfortunately there’s nothing on the horizon as yet.
California
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 5cm in the last week
7 Day forecast: maybe 1cm or so for the week
Current snow depth: 228cm at the summit
Current conditions: packed powder, man made and machine groomed
If last week seemed a little devoid of snow, well this week is a desert. this is most certainly the calm after the storm, now it would be good if we could have another storm.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: no snow in the last week
7 Day forecast: only blue skies, again
Current snow depth: 441.96cm at the summit
Current conditions: packed powder and machine groomed
It’s been a snow free week but that huge base is holding on strong. Luckily Mammoth has plenty of parks to entertain the masses cause it looks like another bluebird week ahead
And California/Tahoe generally…
Last weekend California had some great snow but the storms seem to have fled with the start of February and it looks like nothing but sunshine for the sunshine state this coming week.
And the rest of the USA…
Colorado was the big snow winner this week, though the biggest snow total for the past 72 hours has to go to Jay Peak in Vermont with a handy metre over the weekend. We’re all hanging out for a big storm that should be passing through Colorado in the middle of the week, the rest of the west coast may have to wait a little longer for it though.
Randy Wieman on the other side of the lens in Hirafu. Image:: Ace Wieman/Hotshots
Japan
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: about 65cm this past week
7 day forecast: 112cm
Current snow depth: 380cm at the Grand Hirafu summit
Current conditions: powder
A relatively calm week last week with clear skies on Wednesday and Thursday but a little more snow across the weekend. The coming week should be another big one, snow wise and with the temperature staying below zero the whole week the snow condition should be excellent!
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: about 20cm this week
7 Day forecast: 54cm for the week
Current snow depth: 310cm at the summit
Current conditions: powder and packed powder
It was a generally sunny week last week, a welcome reprieve from all the storms, however it’s back to business again this week, snow every day and tops of around minus 1 degree Celsius, ideal snow weather really.
And Japan generally…
Temperatures are back down again this week and the snow clouds should be in residence for the duration across both Islands.
Snow in Hirafu Village. Image:: Randy Wieman/Hotshots
British Columbia
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 28cm this week
7 Day forecast: 14cm this week
Current snow depth: 214cm
Current conditions: powder, packed powder and machine groomed
Big White is ticking along just fine at the moment, nice little top ups of snow every couple of days, interspersed with days of blue sky. Perhaps a little too warm to be ideal, but all in all a pretty nice place to be!
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 18cm in the last 7 days
7 Day forecast: about 15.7cm for the week
Current snow depth: 258cm
Current conditions: powder and packed powder
Fernie, we love your steep, steep slopes, we love your long, long runs, we love your back bowls and your back country and we love that your snow is consistent, dry and plentiful.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 22cm last week
7 Day forecast: 12.4cm and a little rain
Current snow depth: 190cm
Current conditions: packed powder and machine groomed
A little too warm in Silver Star again this week, with a mix of sunshine, snow and rain it should be a fair repeat of last week.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 22.6cm last week
7 Day forecast: 9.8cm for the week
Current snow depth: 140cm
Current conditions: packed powder
Not a bad weekend for Sun Peaks, with a handy 20cm-ish storm to cover up some of the slushy, rain corrupted cover. Unfortunately those temperatures are staying stubbornly above zero again this week and next weekend will most probably see a little more rain.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 23cm this week
7 Day forecast: about 39cm this week
Current snow depth: 228cm
Current conditions: packed powder
Light snow to start off the week, then some sunshine before the storms set in next weekend. The really good news is that the freezing level is going to go right down and it should snow all the way to the village.
And BC Generally…
There was snow across most of the state again this weekend. Apex Mountain recorded the highest measurement with 35cm, Revelstoke had about 16cm. The Vancouver resorts largely missed out however. This week will be a mixed bag of sunshine, snow and in some parts a little rain.
Alberta
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 29cm in the last 7 days
7 Day forecast: 13.1cm for the coming week
Current snow depth: 183cm
Current conditions: powder and packed powder
It started slowly, but the season at Lake Louise is still gathering momentum. There have been some really very good snowfalls recently and after a couple of clear, cold days this week there should be some more great snow on the weekend.
Going Global
France
Recent snowfalls: It really hasn’t snowed in France since the end of January apart from a few dustings in some of the lesser known resorts.
Forecast snowfalls: There’s a small snow window on Saturday, other than that, clear skies for France again this week
Current conditions: More spring like than January like
Top pick: Alpe d’Huez
Switzerland
Recent snowfalls: Sunshine on the Swiss Alps all last week
Forecast snowfalls: It looks like sunshine until Saturday, when the whole region can expect some snow clouds. how much they’ll hold it’s hard to say as yet
Snow conditions: The snow base is holding up ok, but like France, Switzerland needs some new snow, soon.
Top pick: Verbier
Austria
Recent snowfalls: Again, no snowfalls in Austria last week, just sunshine all round
Forecast snowfalls: Austria may be a little luckier than its western neighbours, snow should begin on Friday and last the weekend
Snow conditions: In need of a top up, though the glaciers are keeping cold
Top pick: any glacier
Italy
Recent snowfalls: It was clear skies for Italy too last week
Forecast snowfalls: No snow until Saturday, then a dusting across the entire North of the country
Snow conditions: packed powder
Top pick: Livingo
