World Snow update 26th August 09

Wed 26 August 09

The heat closes the glaciers in France but many of the other Alp glaciers remain open

www.skiinfo.com reports that there has been fresh snow in northern and southern hemispheres this week as the Alberta Rockies got a healthy August snowfall, and it's now only 10 weeks until the first Canadian resorts will be opening for the 2010 Olympic Winter. South of the equator it's Australia that has the most fresh snow to shout about in the past 48 hours.

In Europe we're in to the last week of the summer ski season at France's two open glacier ski areas - Tignes and Les 2 Alpes, both due to close this weekend. Tignes has taken the opportunity to re-measure the depth of snow on the Grand Motte glacier which it has been reporting at 1.5m (five feet) all summer, and has found the depth is 10cm (four inches), about the same figure as Les 2 Alpes where the base depth had dropped more gradually over the past few months.

Throughout Europe the warm August has taken its toll on the snow depths on the continent's open glacier ski areas, and Austria has dropped from four areas open to two in the past week with the Dachstein (near Schladming) and Kitzsteinhorn (above Kaprun) glaciers now closed until fresh snow arrives.

The Molltal and Tux glaciers remain open however, with sunny weather predicted for at least the rest of the week.

At Tux, the glacier is holding steady with 165cm (5.5 feet) of snow, but the amount of runs open has been cut by more than a third to 15km (nine miles) with nine lifts running. Skiing at Molltal is also limited, down to 3km (about two miles) with a 170cm (5.6 feet) base, and temperatures on the glacier reported to be hitting a seriously melting 8 Celcius.

In Switzerland the neighbouring high-altitude, car free, resorts of Saas Fee and Zermatt are both open with about a metre of snow (over three feet) on each of their glaciers.

Saas Fee has the smaller area open, with just three runs to choose from, but the resort's summer terrain park and half pipe are still open.

In Italy there are still three ski areas to choose from, which thanks to the two closures in Austria, means the country now has more ski areas open than any other in the northertn hemisphere. The choices are Cervinia - which has six ski slopes shared with Zermatt, Val Senales and Passo Stelvio.

In Scandinavia, two ski areas are still open in Norway. Folgefonn is reporting a metre (just over three feet) of snow. Both it and Galdhoppigen, Norway and Northern Europe's highest mountain at 2,469m, have a single drag lift operating.

In the USA,  Timberline in Oregon the slop[es remain open for advanced skiers and boarders now, although the centre's terrain park and pipe remain closed and the annual September shut down is drawing nearer. Snow depths are just below a metre (three feet) and the weather largely sunny.

In the southern hemisphere, Africa's ski areas are still reporting low temperatures and good conditions. At Tiffindell in South Africa the resort reports 1.2km of piste open and a snow depth of 50cm (20 inches) with temperatures ranging between -2 and -7 Celcius. Afriski in Lesotho has not uipdated conditions since 15th August when it said it had a 1km slope open with a 40cm snow depth and temperatures below freezing, however the lack of an update for more than 10 days appears to indicate the centre may have closed for the season.

The end of the season seems much further off in South America, where the huge falls of lasat week have eased with skies and access roads cleared.

Portillo in Chile is still reporting some of the biggest accumulations with season-to-date falls of more than 6.8m (23 feet) and snow lying at the top of the slope nearing 3m (10 feet). It reports receiving about a metre (over 3 feet) of new snow in the past 7 days, although this was mostly part of a larger fall of more than double that volume which ran through last week.

Several other resorts in Chile have similar big snow bases, especially the 3 Valleys resorts around Valle Nevado close to capital Santiago. It's a more mixed picture over the border in Argentina but the two laregest resorts of Catedral and Las Lenas are both reporting healthy bases.

Back across the Pacific there's been fresh snow in the past 48 hours In Australia. Perisher, the country's largest resort, most recently reported 22cm (9 inches) of fresh dry flakes overnight with more at upper elevations.

"There are plenty of wind blown stashes and powder pillows to be found across the resort ready for guests to carve up." said a resort spokesperson. Mt Buller has had fresh snow too, reporting 12cm (5 inches) of new snow and temperatures staying below zero to keep the snow in great shape.

In New Zealand, Turoa has a 2.2m (7 foot) base but is closed today because of severe gales and rain. Mt Ruapehu neighbour Wakapapa, with a 1.8m (six foot) base, is also closed for the same reason.
 

Related Pages

  • Pitztal - Run 31 & 36 The Alps start to wake up - World Snow Update
    More fresh snow in the alps, Andes, Australia and New Zealand. Second Austrian Glacier Resort, Pitztal, Opens For 8 Month Ski Season, two more at weekend. Tignes the first French resort to open slopes next week. Last weekend of the season for Las Lenas. -15Sep10
  • Perisher, Australia. August 4th 2010 World Snow Update - 5th August
    Up to 8cm of fresh snow in the Alps. Big snowfalls – up to two feet/60cm in 48 hours - In Australia. More Snow In Chile and Argentina. Warming up in Africa -5Aug10
  • Valle Nevado June 2010 Heavy Snow in Southern Hemisphere
    Heavy snow in Australia. A dozen ski areas open in the Alps battle high temperatures on their glaciers. Deep powder in Chile. -18Jul10
  • Dachstein Glacier cable-car Heavy Snow For Europes Glaciers
    Up to 30cm (a foot) of new snow so far today around Queenstown's ski areas. Up to 50cm (20 inches) of fresh snow in the Alps. Second Californian ski area to open in July. Cairngorm in Scotland wraps up seven month season. Argentina's resort start to open and more snow in Chile and South Africa. -25Jun10
  • Fresh snow on Home Basin 8th June 2010 Southern Hemisphere Ski Season Underway
    Up to 1.3m base in New Zealand. Three ski areas still open in the US. Last weekend of the ski season in Finland coming up. French and Canadian glaciers re-opening next week. Australian ski season starts Saturday. Scotland still offering skiing indoors and out. -9Jun10
Related categories

:: Summer snowboarding stories
:: Turoa stories
:: Tiffendell, South Africa resort intro page stories
:: Perisher stories

News feed AddThis Feed Button Add to Google
Donate to Snow-camp

We've put a team together for the Everest Challenge on the 25th January in Morzine this year. Support team WSG by making a donation, and help us raise lots of money for Snow-camp

MORE INFORMATION
MAKE DONATION NOW!
Turoa, New Zealand
Simple but good resort
Related pages
Main headlines