World Snow Wrap Up Vol. 2, 7 November – Pre-Season Waiting Game
Whistler has been leading the snowfall race for the past two weeks, this image is from 1 November. Image:: Doug Burnett/Whistler Blackcomb
Stormwatch:
The snowfall heros
It hasn’t been a heroic snow week around the world this week, no huge and awe-inspiring storms have popped up on the radar.
- Whistler with around 65cm this week
- Steamboat with 28cm in the past 48 hours
The snow forecast heros:
Finally the Northern Hemisphere resorts are starting to push New Zealand off the Next Snow widget on the homepage…
- Whistler is expecting 25cm in the next 7 days
- Mammoth should get 19cm in the next 48hours
- The Tyrol and Alberg regions of Austria can expect around 20cm of snow in the next day or so
- 18cm is forecast for Snowbird on Tuesday and Wednesday
- There should be significant falls of above 40cm over the French Alps in the middle of the week
Highlights this week:
1. Mammoth Mountain opening on 11 November
2. Breckenridge opening on 12 November
If we could pick anywhere this week, we’d be: Mammoth. Yep, it’s opening and it’s opening with a bang – concerts, movie premieres and a general canrivale vibe in the streets.
Expected Opening: 25 November – Aspen Mountain and Snowmass. 11 December – Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk.
Recent Snowfalls: 5cm in the past 7 days
7 Day forecast: 12cm forecast in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: 45cm (top of Aspen Mountain)
Things are just getting whiter at Aspen and with more snow on the forecast it should be a good season opener. Don’t forget, Just two days after the lifts start turning Aspen Mountain will play host to the 2010 Winternational Audi FIS Alpine World Cup. It’s a girls’ only race weekend in the slalom and GS disciplines and it includes the Bud Light concert series at the base of Aspen Mountain.
The without pause it’ll be straight into a round of NorAm GS races (men and women), also on Aspen Mountain.
Expected Opening: 12 November
Recent Snowfalls: Breckenridge had 3cm on 3 November
7 Day forecast: 9cm forecast in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: approximately 73cm on the upper slopes
Only a couple of days until open day! On 11 November Breckenridge staff will station themselves in local cafes to give away free coffees in Breckenridge collectors mugs.
Breckenridge Ski Patrol pre-season prep
Expected Opening: 24 November
Recent Snowfalls: about 28cm in the past 48 hours
7 Day forecast: about 12cm forecast in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: 56cm at mid mountain
Steamboat’s opening day is known as Scholarship Day as all ticket sale proceeds are donated to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Scholarship Fund.
Expected Opening: 19 November
Recent Snowfalls: about 4cm in the past week
7 Day forecast: about 14cm in the next week
Current snow depth: no measurements taken yet
No major snowfall in Vail the past week, but it’s looking more promising for this week coming. The resort will bring in the new season with a big breakfast feast of burritos, hot chocolates and giveaways, plus a concert at the base of the gondola.
Expected Opening: 20 November.
Recent Snowfalls: Nothing of note
7 Day forecast: 16cm in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: not yet measured
More snow on the forecast for Park City pre-opening day.
Expected Opening: 20 November
Recent Snowfalls: 98cm so far this winter
7 Day forecast: 16cm in the next week
Current snow depth: 53cm at mid mountain
A dry week has diminished the snow depth at Snowbird but next week is looking snowier.
Thirsty riders should enjoy Snowbird’s opening week. Although no events are planned, the weekly Martini Mondays, Whisky Wednesdays and Thirsty Thursdays happy hours will make for a jolly week at Snowbird.
Expected Opening: 19 November.
Recent Snowfalls: Snow is falling in Heavenly today! (Monday 8 November)
7 Day forecast: 15cm forecast
Current snow depth: not yet measured
After a dry-ish week Heavenly is receiving some snow blessings, with more expected. The snowmaking efforts over the last little while have also been boosting the snowbase.
Expected Opening: 11 November
Recent Snowfalls: Several cm in the past week
7 Day forecast: 20cm this week
Current snow depth: 5cm – 15cm
Snowmaking: Snowmaking has been underway for about a week now, with snowmaking activity on Wall and Broadway runs
Would Mammoth open any other way than with a bang? The opening week is jam-packed. The Big Winter Kick Off celebrations will include concerts, kids activities and a general carnivale feel. Mammoth’s new magazine Unbound will be Launched at Hyde on 12 November and Mammoth’s latest snowboarding movie, Another Day in Paradise will premiere on 13 November.
Expected Opening: 4 December.
Recent Snowfalls: a small snowfall
7 Day forecast: about 13cm forecast for the next 7 days
Current snow depth: nothing significant as yet
The Hakuba resorts are tentatively scheduled to open at the beginning of December, but good snowfalls will prompt an early opening, which means if you’ve got not much planned and can make last minute plans you’d do worse than a quick trip to Japan before Christmas!
Expected Opening: 28 November.
Recent Snowfalls: about 10cm this week
7 Day forecast: 13cm in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: approximately 25cm above mid mountain
Snowfalls last week and more expected. With nearly a month until opening Niseko is just warming up!
Expected Opening: 4 December
Recent Snowfalls: 20cm this week
7 Day forecast: 18cm
Current snow depth: 15cm
Sunny warm weather had a impact on the snow depth this week and 3cm was lost from the pre-season cover. However good snowfalls in the coming days should rectify that! In that first week of the season Big White will celebrate the holiday season with the Big White Light Up on 10 December – Christmas lights galore – and then get festive with the Big Reds at Big White wine festival on 11 December.
Expected Opening: 4 December.
Recent Snowfalls: 40cm of snow on 25 – 26 October, nothing significant this week
7 Day forecast: about 6cm towards the end of the week
Current snow depth: not yet measured
The late October snowfalls are still holding strong at Fernie. Snow flurries expected all this week, but nothing significant on the horizon as yet.
Expected Opening: 26 November. (Nordic trails 6 November).
Recent Snowfalls: 1cm in the past week, which fell Sunday!
7 Day forecast: 14cm in the coming week
Current snow depth: 15cm
Sunny days stole 2cm from the snow depth last week but this week is looking to be a sunny one!
Expected Opening: 20 November.
Recent Snowfalls: 3.8cm last week
7 Day forecast: about 14cm forecast for the next 7 days
Current snow depth: 17cm at mid mountain
Sun Peaks was snow blessed at the end of October, but warm weather last week brought the snow base down considerably. Not to worry, more snow on the forecast!
Expected Opening: 25 November.
Recent Snowfalls: Around 65cm
7 Day forecast: 37cm forecast for the next 7 days
Current snow depth: up to 1m on the upper slopes
Whistler has been sitting at the top of the most snow forecast list for two weeks now! In 2009 Whistler experienced its snowiest forecast ever, perhaps they’ll break that record again this year!
Whistler will put its Olympic bobsleigh track to good use on Opening Day when the first stop of the FIBT Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup comes to town. Of course, with this year a La Nina year, the Opening Day freshies may make it difficult to leave the slopes to go trackside at the Bobsleigh centre. Either way, a good week is promised.
Recent Snowfalls: 1cm in the last week
7 Day forecast: about 3cm for the coming week, spread across the 7days
Current snow depth: 15cm at mid mountain
Snowmaking: Snowmaking began on 17 October and has laid a good coverage across many area of the resort
Lake Louise is open! It’s early season yet but with the help of snowmaking the resort is up and running!
Going Global
France
Recent snowfalls: Snow fell across most of the French Alps on 1 November but measurements were not spectacular
Forecast snowfalls: it’s expected to by overcast all week with most precipitation falling as snow
Snow conditions: resorts not yet open
Switzerland
Recent snowfalls: Light dustings across some of the smaller resorts in the last week,
Forecast snowfalls: It will be a cloudy week in Switzerland with a moderate chance of snow
Snow conditions: early season
Austria
Recent snowfalls: Glacier skiing in Austria is the pick at the moment. Stubaier, Kaunertaler and Molltaler glaciers have all received November snow. The larger resorts are yet to open.
Forecast snowfalls: It’s going to be a cloudy week in Europe generally, Austria is also looking at precipitation for the next 7 days, with most falling as snow
Snow conditions: Fresh powder at the glacier resorts
Italy
Recent snowfalls: Italy is yet to register on the snowfalls lists with anything major.
Forecast snowfalls: Those European clouds may bless Italy with some of the expected snow
Snow conditions: n/a
Hakuba forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Lake Louise forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Heavenly forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Big White forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Whistler forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Vail forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Steamboat forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Fernie forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Snowbird forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Niseko forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Aspen Mountain forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Sun Peaks forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Park City forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Breckenridge forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Silver Star forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
Mammoth forecasts,
snow reports and
live snow cams.
