J2Ski Snow Report - August 22nd 2024
J2Ski Snow Report - August 22nd 2024
Published : 22-Aug-2024 06:14
Blue Moon at sunset, Hotham, Australia (they have snow too!)
Decent snowfall in New Zealand, lighter and warmer in Australia, with fresh snow again for some South American ski resorts.
The Snow Headlines - August 22nd
- New Zealand receives more weekend snowfall than expected, around 50cm.
- Southern Africa's Lesotho enters final week of 2024 season from Sunday.
- Mount Hutt first in Australia or New Zealand to pass 2 metres base depth in 2024.
- North America's 23-24 Season ends but 24-25 likely less than 3 months away.
- St. Anton, Austria damaged by flash floods.
- First snowfall of 24-25 on Canadian slopes.
- Two more glaciers in the Alps close due to snow conditions.
Snow forecast for New Zealand, and South America
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World Overview
The 2024 season is entering its final month for most ski centres south of the equator and for one, Lesotho's Afriski, its final week. Conditions are good to great almost everywhere though with most centres in Argentina, Australia, Chile and New Zealand fully open, or nearly so.
Conditions have been more springlike in Australia, but there's been fresh snow here too. New Zealand has posted the heaviest snowfall this last week, some areas reporting over half-a-metre of snowfall up high, although some had rain early on.
Ski areas in the Andes continue to report the world's deepest snow cover and the most terrain open anywhere right now.
North of the equator, we're down to only 4 ski areas aiming to be open to the public, and skiing is now possible on just one continent and in total less than 30km of slopes, all the lowest stats of 2024 to date. In fact, two of the four centres have been closed by warm, weather this week.
More glacier areas are due to open, conditions permitting, in around one months time. Actually, numbers could increase slightly sooner, potentially, as the two small glacier areas still operating in Scandinavia - but currently only for race teams - Fonna and Galdhopiggen, could re-open to the general skiing public.
Timberline in Oregon, USA, the last area that had been open still for the 23-24 season in North America ended its season last Sunday, but Wednesday evening saw what could be considered the first snowfall of 24-25 on high slopes in the Canadian Rockies at resorts including Sunshine near Banff.
More snowfall is forecast on high slopes in California and Colorado this weekend too.
Southern Hemisphere
Australia
There was some light snowfall for Australian slopes this week, although temperatures have also been climbing so we're getting warm, springlike conditions in the afternoons.
Conditions remain excellent overall and at the highpoint of the season to date really with most centres posting 80-100% of slopes open, including most big-name resorts including Falls Creek, Hotham, Thredbo and Perisher, which has the most terrain open in the region, around 60km of slopes.
Upper slope depths are healthy by Aussie norms too, most with over a metre lying up top.
New Zealand
Another week of yoyoing temperatures and everything from hill fog, gales, rain and, yes, snow hitting Kiwi slopes.
The best news was a larger-than-forecast snowfall at the weekend with some centres posting 50-60cm accumulations and snow down to low levels, so the week started well for most with plenty of powder to enjoy once slopes were made safe and access roads clear.
Mount Hutt passed the 2 metre base depth mark with their new snow too, the deepest in the southern hemisphere away from South America.
It and most other NZ centres are currently fully open. Skies have cleared for much of this week but its looking like more snowfall, expected to be light, at the weekend.
Argentina
There's been more light to moderate snowfalls across Argentinian ski slopes and they're forecast to continue for more southerly resorts through the weekend, drier up north.
Catedral ski area near Bariloche continues to post the largest ski area open at one resort in the world at present with about 100km of slopes available there. Las Lenas, to the south, has what's currently the world's deepest snowpack at 3.3 metres,
Chile
Chilean centres saw snowfall at more northerly resorts this past week, with Portillo one of those still posting its slopes 100% open and one of the country's deepest snow depths at more than 2.2 metres.
The snow-bearing front is now moving south so resorts in the southern half of the country will see more snow into next week.
Valle Nevado and its neighbours La Parva and El Colorado are posting the deepest snowpacks in the world at 2.5 metres, as is Nevados de Chillan to the south.
The three linked areas in the Tre Valles near Santiago have about 100km of slopes open between them.
Southern Africa
We are nearly into the final week of the season at Lesotho's Afriski, the only operational centre in the region. Temperatures have been rising and are now generally above freezing, but webcam images show the main run still fully intact, along with beginners area and terrain park ahead of the season-ending WinterFest in a week's time.
Europe
We are down to just four centres officially open in the whole northern hemisphere, all in the Austrian, Italian and Swiss Alps with the season-end of North America's only still operating areas at the weekend.
As has been the case for the past month, the Alpine glaciers are struggling with the heat even at their altitudes with temperatures generally above freezing even at night and daytime highs touching +10C at times so snow depths are falling fast and open terrain likewise. Rain has also been reported on the snow.
Officially Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland remain open (Zermatt's glacier also accessible from Cervinia in Italy), along with Hintertux in Austria and Passo Stelvio in Italy.
The first three have approximately 10km of slopes open each, Stelvio about half that, best conditions first thing in the morning, of course.
The impact of the warm temperatures varies with heavy, slushy snow the main result, but Hintertux warns that their slopes are extremely icy at times. Both they and Saas Fee have been closed most days over the past week although both say opening decisions are being made daily, Saas Fee reporting the snow has been too soft in the mornings due to the warm temperatures.
The decision at Hintertux may have been due to torrential rain in Austria this week which led to flash flooding damaging cars and buildings in St Anton among other places.
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