J2Ski Snow Report - October 18th 2012
J2Ski Snow Report - October 18th 2012
Published : 18-Oct-2012 09:12
The J2Ski October Snow Report - Week Ending October 20th, 2012This Week's Headlines
- Up to 50cm new snow reported at open ski areas in the Alps.
- Ruka expects to be the first non-glacier ski area in Europe to open, today, Thursday, 18th October.
- The snow in the Alps has covered an extensive area across much of the continent over the past few days.
- First Colorado ski area opens and Killington in Vermont expects to open this weekend.
- In Austria the Kaprun and Kitzsteinhorn Glaciers above Kaprun have both opened with fresh snow.
- Cervinia in Italy and Engelberg in Switzerland have also opened.
Already Open – 20 Glacier and Non-Glacier Ski Areas
Extensive fresh snow and cold-enough weather for snowmaking has allowed more resorts to open for winter 2012-13 including the first non-glacier ski areas.
Austria
With most of the ski areas in the southern hemisphere now closed, Austria can claim to have the most ski areas open of any one country in the world at present.
It now has seven glacier ski areas to choose from – almost half of the world total, thanks to the opening of the Kaunertal and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers at the weekend due to fresh snow. Both have terrain parks open, Kaunertal with a 48cm base and four lifts running.
They join already open Solden, Stubai, Pitztal, Molltal and Hintertux glaciers, the latter with probably the largest ski area open anywhere at the moment - 50cm of new snow has allowed the area to almost double terrain open to 38km between 2660m and 3250m with a dozen lifts operating.
Finland
Ruka began snowmaking on Monday this week and expects to open as planned, later today, Thursday, 18th October with the resort's main run open. It should then remain open until 9th of June 2013. It will be the first non-glacier ski area in Europe to open and it's hopefully a good sign after autumn 2011 when opening was delayed more than a month due to warm weather.
France
Despite the excitement of fresh snow widely reported across the French Alps, only Tignes is open daily until most of the other ski areas in the country begin opening in late November and early December. The only exception is Les 2 Alpes which will open its glacier, among the largest in the Alps, for 10 days of events, new season gear testing and 'fun' in a week's time before closing again until its season proper begins.
Italy
Cervinia opened last weekend and will re-open next (20th-21st October) then every day from 27th October to 5th May 2013. 23km of runs are open and the centre reported 25cm of fresh snow by the time it closed last Sunday. Passo Stelvio and Val Senales are both also open for glacier skiing.
Norway
The Galdhøpiggen summer ski area on Norway's highest mountain says it closed last weekend on October 14th due to lack of people wanting to ski or board there after that. If it gets more requests it may re-open. The only Norwegian slope currently reported open is a small fun slope at Trysil which has used snow saved from last winter preserved from the summer sun by a covering of bark chippings.
Switzerland
The choice of open ski areas in Switzerland is gradually growing and indeed expected to double shortly with the Diavolezza glacier near St Moritz in the Engadin as well as the Titlis Glacier above Engelberg both joining Saas Fee and Zermatt from this weekend (20th October).
Saas Fee and Zermatt both have their glaciers open for snow sports, although there have been closures due to bad weather (rain) on some days. Saas Fee has a 117cm base of what it describes as 'hard snow' with five runs open along with its terrain park and half pipe.
North America
USA
After Wild Mountain in Minnesota became the first North American resort to open last week, more ski areas have been opening in the US. Arapahoe Basin became the first in Colorado yesterday when it opened limited terrain on the 17th and Loveland expects to open soon having received four inches of natural snow topping up snowmaking efforts – although those were hampered by a power failure which stopped operations for a time.
Timberline at Mt Hood in Oregon which had expected to be first North American ski area to open has kept delaying doing so and now plans to open limited terrain this weekend.
However both have been beaten by, with only a 93m vertical and a top lift height more than 3,500m lower than Loveland, it opened on Sunday October 7th thanks to snowmaking.
On the East Coast little Woodbury Ski Area in Connecticut expects to open this weekend as well as the largest resorts in the region, Killington in Vermont, although it only expects to open two runs for season pass holders only.
Southern Hemisphere – Still Open
The only ski areas still open in the southern hemisphere are Turoa and Whakapapa on Mt Ruapehu in New Zealand. Both have just over 2m snow bases. Whakapapa will close this weekend (22nd October) but Turoa will have 'a limited area on the upper mountain' open 'on fine weather days' over a further fortnight until November 4th, weather permitting, when it will celebrate the rare southern hemisphere ski season phenomena: 'Snowvember'.
Opening Soon (subject to conditions)
Les Deux Alpes glacier will also be open for 9 days from the 27th October to 4th November 2012.
Killington in Vermont and Sunday River in Maine both aim to open 29th October.
Copper Mountain, Colorado, plans to open Friday, November 2nd, 2012.
Glacier 3000 above les Diablerets and Gstaad in Switzerland expects to open on 3rd November.
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