Snow in Europe!
After jeleously looking over the pond at the epic snowfalls that have hit N.America, Europe finally decides to get with the program and receives its first significant snowfalls in months.
Austria
The end of the weekend was the beginning of quite heavy snowfalls in Austria. In Pitztal and Soelden 21cm of new snow were reported. More resorts are glad to have 20 cm new snow now, like Kleinwalsertal, Silvretta and Gargellen. It is still snowing in some resorts, conditions for skiing are good. “We have a perfect winter panorama with the snow coming last night”, says Leopold Holzmann from the Oetztal tourism office in charge of Obergurgl and Solden. “Slopes are in a good shape and we hope to hold this quality till the end of the season in the beginning of May.” You can find here all snow depths in Austria.
France
Up to 75cm of new snow has fallen on French ski slopes in the past week, greatly refreshing snow conditions which were already still in good shape on most pistes over 1600m
The biggest falls were in the Pyrenees where between 35 and 75cm of snow fell including 75 cm at Formigueres, 50cm at La Mongie, 43cm at Gourette and 35 cm at Font-Romeu.
There was between 25 and 45cm of snow in the Southern Alps including 45cm at freeride centre la Grave, 35cm at Auron and 25cm at Vars and Risoul while the Northern Alps saw between 15 and 35cm on the northern Alps with 30cm at Valfréjus and Chamonix, 23cm at Tignes and 21cm at La Clusaz and Les Carroz). There were also powder alarms for 20-25cm of fresh snow at freeride centre Bonneval as well as St Gervais and Valfrejus on Sunday.
For the next few days, more new snow is expected, mainly over the Pyrenees and the Massif Central. Snow depth is around two metres at fifteen or so leading resorts.
Here’s a list of all snow depths in France.
Italy
Italy returned to wintery conditions over the past week and the country still boasts some og the deepest snow depths in Europe. There were good snowfalls across the north of the country, the largest last Wednesday, 16h February including in the Alps, Sestriere – Vialattea had 40cm (snow depth 140cm) and in the Dolomites the Presena Glacier got 50cm (taking its snow depth to five metres, the second deepest I Europe). The on the 17th Madonna di Campiglio received 55cm of new snow (taking snow depth 175 cm) and in Arabba Marmolada with 70 cm (taking the snow depth to 330cm). Most recently Cortina received 35cm on Monday, 21st February taking its snow depth to 170cm. Here are all snow depths in Italy.
Switzerland.
In Switzerland 41 ski resorts reported 20cm and more new snow from Sunday to Monday. That is next to a record and brings lots of skiers to the lift stations again. Ski-fans can test the new powder and definitely enjoy the white slopes.
On Monday Gstaad, Engelberg and Loetschtal measured 30 cm – 40cm of new snow on higher slopes. In the last week a dozen resorts had snowfall between 30cm and 60cm. After a couple of weeks with nearly no snow worth mentioning this is what skiers were looking for.
Pyrenees and Spain
There’s been fresh snow across the Pyrenees, in Spain there were powder alarms for Astun, Candanchu and other resorts on Saturday when more than 20m of snow fell.
Norway
The snowfall has slowed a little in Norway with only one powder alarm at Kvitfjell but conditions remain generally good.