World Snow Wrap Up Vol. 7, 13 December – Yes, More Snow
Gabe Taylor at Mammoth. Image:: Mammoth
Stormwatch:
The snowfall heros
Can we be getting a little tired of always waxing lyrical about the blessings of La Nina? well we’re not tired of it yet, luckily because our favourite little sister shows no sign of letting up
- Breckenridge cracked the 1m of fresh for the week
- Italy – the Dolomites resorts are claiming snow bases of up to and above 4m
- Austria with up to 1m in the Tyrol
The snow forecast heros:
Same old story, try find us a place it won’t snow next week…
- 120cm for Mammoth yeeha.
- Niseko with 86cm
- Northern Colorado, it should snow each day this week
Last week’s highlights:
The US Halfpipe Grand Prix at Copper Mountain, featuring ski halfpipe for the first time. The USA dominated the snowboarding and the Canadians killed it in the skiing. Find out more here
Highlights this week:
- 15 December 2010 FREESTYLE WORLD CUP – Moguls, Meribel France, dual moguls. Telluride, USA
- 15 – 18 December 2010 SNOWBOARD WORLD CUP – parallel GS and snowboard X
- 16 – 19 December 2010 WINTER DEW TOUR Stop 1, Breckenridge, Colorado.
If we could pick anywhere this week, we’d be: Breckenridge. Dew Tour and 1m of fresh… yes please
Highlands Bowl on the opening day of Aspen Highlands. Image:: Jeremy Swanson
Colorado
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 27.94cm at Aspen Mountain in the last 7 days and 38.10cm at Snowmass
7 Day forecast: 31cm forecast in the next 7 days for Aspen Mountain
Current snow depth: 71.12cm
Current conditions: packed powder and man made
Highlands and Buttermilk are OPEN! With freshies all round, an ever growing terrain park at Snowmass and an ever expanding amount of terrain sweet to ride Aspen is cruising into Christmas in fine form.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 104cm in the past 7 days! – 60cm of that was over the weekend.
7 Day forecast: about 21cm for the coming week
Current snow depth: 1.5m that’s double last week’s 71cm…
Current Conditions: fresh powder
A stellar weekend of freshies was enjoyed by everyone at Breck this past Saturday and Sunday, more snow flurries are expected Monday and then Tuesday should dawn bluebird – can anyone say epic?
Steve Fisher in the Breck pipe last week. Image:; breckenridge
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 10cm in the past 48 hours
7 Day forecast: 20cm forecast in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: 101.6cm at mid mountain
Current conditions: packed powder
Life continues snowy at Steamboat this week where everyone is finding themselves earning some signature fresh tracks. Almost all of the mountain is now open, including most of the bowls and chutes. So it’s all go at Steamboat.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 68.58cm in the last 7 days
7 Day forecast: 24cm
Current snow depth: 80.28cm
Current conditions: packed powder and fresh powder
Vail is segueing from Snow Daze to Holidaze this week with a family focused holiday themed week of festivities that Mother Nature has thoughtfully provided a generous dose of icing sugar for. 95% of the resort is now open and it’s only a matter of time before we see that 100%…
And Colorado generally…
The Northern part of Colorado saw a good dose of powder over the last three days with around 30cm – 40cm at Copper Mountain, Crested Butte and Loveland. Down south in the San Juan Mountains sun was more the order of the weekend, though Telluride and Silverton received a nice dusting on Sunday. Northern Colorado is looking at a week of light to moderate snowfalls daily, poor things and the south can expect something similar, with perhaps a little more sun in there.
Almost everywhere is open now, with the exception of Powderhorn and SolVista.
Utah
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 20.32cm in the past 3 days
7 Day forecast: 30cm in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: 137cm
Current conditions: soft powder
The temps have been quite high at Park City this week, making for a slightly damp around the edges feeling at the resort but plenty of snow still fell across the resort on the weekend and PC is looking winter-fabulous.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: about 22cm over the weekend
7 Day forecast: about 22cm in the next week
Current snow depth: 1.77m at mid mountain
Current conditions: fresh powder
Ahhh Snowbird… holding true to the Utah champagne powder tradition, though there is a little rain on the forecast for Tuesday, when the freezing levels will rise to about 3000m before plummeting in order to produce a lovely weekend of freshies.
And Utah generally…
Utah’s had a white weekend, Deer Valley, Snowbasin, Alta, Solitude, all the resorts are sporting a healthy 20cm or so of fresh cover. There are lifts turning all over Utah now, with the Canyons opening to great fanfare on Sunday, resplendent with a new – heated – lift.
The state should enjoy some further freshies in the middle of the week but there may also be the occasional bluebird in there somewhere.
Snowbird snow. Image:: Snowbird
California
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 20cm in the last week
7 Day forecast: 87cm forecast for the week
Current snow depth: 114cm – 137cm
Current conditions: powder, man made and machine groomed
Heavenly’s getting in some much needed sunshine before the next lot of snow clouds descend over Lake Tahoe, Tuesday is looking at 40cm of fresh and the weekend should deliver somewhere in the vicinity of half a metre. It’s also quite warm out on the hill right now – a good melt freeze cycle is just what the resort needs to prepare a nice base for all that fresh. Tahoe here we come! (we wish…)
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 5cm since Friday
7 Day forecast: 120cm forecast
Current snow depth: 213cm at the summit
Current conditions: fresh powder, packed powder and machine groomed
Blue skies for the opening of Mammoth’s double acro bags – that’s twice the opportunity to launch yourself into an oversized jumping castle! But that bluebird won’t last long, Tuesday and the weekend will be freshies all round. Some for us thanks.
And California/Tahoe generally…
Not so much in the way of snow in the last 72 hours for ole’ California, the Tahoe resorts are chillin under a snow cloud as the week begins but the rest of the state is enjoying some sunshine. But not to worry, there’s more snow on the horizon, especially for the Tahoe area… thank you La Nina.
And the rest of the USA…
The East Coast is claiming snow-bragging rights at the moment with anywhere up to 83cm in the last three days across Vermont, the North West isn’t doing too badly either, Washington is looking nicely white. Wyoming saw about 22cm over the weekend.
Japan
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 35cm since Friday in the village, 70cm up high
7 Day forecast: 86cm
Current snow depth: 90cm at the summit
Current conditions: early season, a bit of fresh
Niseko is open at last! The temperatures are still a little warm at village level so the snow is, as they like to call it, soft and forgiving and there’s no ski outs possible but there are lifts turning at Hirafu and Annupuri and more snow is coming!
Expected Opening: imminent
Recent Snowfalls: nothing recent
7 Day forecast: a mix of rain and about 23cm of snow on the upper slopes
Current snow depth: 60cm or there abouts on the upper slopes
Snow is falling, it’s wet snow but hey, that will make for a good base when the pow pow does start coming down…
And Japan generally…
Both islands are looking much whiter than they did this time a week ago, Furano received a decent 21cm on Sunday night and there’ll be widespread snow throughout the week.
British Columbia
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 37cm this week
7 Day forecast: about 34cm in the next 7 days
Current snow depth: 99cm
Current conditions: fresh powder and machine groomed
Big White is looking big and white, as is the forecast for big white, with big white snow clouds predicted for Big White all week… phew, how many times can we say big and white?
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 37cm in the last 7 days
7 Day forecast: about 26cm for the week
Current snow depth: 121cm
Current conditions: powder and packed powder
A powder alert has been issued for Fernie! Um… news flash we don’t think so, Fernie folk have been alert to powder for several weeks now and they’re certainly not alarmed. It should snow every day this week and it’s going to get very very chilly on the weekend, so Fernie will remain fabulous.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 48cm in the past week
7 Day forecast: about 17cm for the week
Current snow depth: 115cm
Current conditions: fresh powder and machine groomed
Yep, we did read that right, Silver Star’s added some serious cms to the snow depth and they’ve cracked the 1m mark well and truly. With Christmas coming up the cute-as-a-button Silver Star village is looking oh so pretty and the families are loving it. Can anyone say fairytale wonderland?
Silver Star on 9 December. Image:: Silver Star
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 52.6cm last week
7 Day forecast: 17cm for the week
Current snow depth: 104cm
Current conditions: powder
27cm of snow on Saturday night made for a biblical Sunday at Sun Peaks – for all those who worship at the alter of powder of course. It’s going to be a chilly week, with night time temps down in the double digit minus degrees Celcius, which should get that snow base nice and firm for the next dump.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 86cm in the last week
7 Day forecast: 75cm coming up
Current snow depth: 158cm
Current conditions: Powder
So it most likely won’t ever stop snowing in Whistler, but bad weather can be a detriment, lifts on the upper slopes were closed on Sunday due to poor conditions – but just think of all the freshies accumulating up there (and the stampede to the lifts when the do open…). Ok, we don’t feel to sorry for them, though it is quite damp snow at village level. Oh, how sad…
And BC Generally…
BC is wearing a snow blanket right now, in some places up to 40cm thick, and the Vancouver resorts are open now, just in time for the holiday season. Snow should be widespread over the coming week.
OPEN
Recent Snowfalls: 30cm in the last 7 days
7 Day forecast: about 15cm for the coming week
Current snow depth: 71cm
Current Conditions: Early season and man made snow
Oh Lake Louise, you are catching up to the others at last. A cheeky 28cm overnight on the weekend and conditions are now being described as ‘amazing’ at the Banff resort. All the lifts are running, the back bowls are open and well, things are pretty good really.
And Alberta generally…
A little snowfall at the beginning of the week, then it’s blue skies again for Alberta until next weekend.
Going Global
France
Recent snowfalls: About 20cm of snow for Tignes and the surrounding regions and a few centimetres across the rest of the country means lifts are spinning all across France right now!
Forecast snow: About 12cm towards the end of the week at Meribel and Morzine and across the region
Snow conditions: Some powder
Top pick: Chamonix, the deepest snow base of all the open resorts
Switzerland
Recent snowfalls: Parts of Switzerland received snowfalls of around 70cm in the last 7 days and pretty much every resort is listing itself as open right now.
Forecast snowfalls: There’s a small snow front of around 10cm expected on Friday
Snow conditions: Fresh snow!
Top pick: Saas-Fee, snow depth of 215cm, hello?
Austria
Recent snowfalls: 70cm for Obergurgl this week, 1m for Zauchensee, 45cm for St Anton… yep Austria got snow
Forecast snowfalls: Austria should see light snowfalls through the week, nothing too major though
Snow conditions: Snow cover is improving and more resorts are opening daily
Top pick: Zauchensee – we’re not sure where it is, but we want to be there
Italy
Recent snowfalls: 100cm at Monte Grappa and decent snowfalls everywhere – 30cm at Val Gardena, 36cm at San Vigilio… you get the picture
Forecast snowfalls: After a few sunny days there should be some light snowfalls by the end of the week
Snow conditions: Apparently St Ulrich has a snow depth of 755cm… where is this we’re not sure and we think it may be a typo, but we’re pretty sure Ghiacciaio Presena – Adamello is telling the truth about its 420cm base
Top pick: This St Ulrich place, obviously
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.
