J2Ski Snow Report - October 10th 2024
J2Ski Snow Report - October 10th 2024
Published : 10-Oct-2024 05:43
The Kitzsteinhorn, Salzburg, Austria had cracking skiing under blue skies last Sunday...
More ski areas are now open in the northern hemisphere than the southern, with ten (mostly glacier-based) options available in the European Alps. Cooler weather and snow at altitude in the forecasts.
The Snow Headlines - October 10th
- Finland's 24-25 season underway with Levi and Ruka opening.
- More heavy snowfall in the Alps on high slopes, up to 50cm reported.
- Austria moves to top spot for country with most centres open: 6.
- More snowfall in Canada. A warm October continues in US.
- First snowfall in Gulmarg, India.
- Northern hemisphere back into double figures for areas open for first time since May.
- Number of centres open in southern hemisphere drops to single figures.
- Argentina's 2024 season is over with last centre closing.
More snow forecast for the peaks in Europe and light snow for North America.
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World Overview
Europe, particularly the Alps, has been the main focus this week as we build up to the start of the main 24-25 season. Two more glacier ski areas are open taking us to 10 choices now in the Alps - and there was the added bonus of another pre-season heavy snowfall at the end of last week with up to 50cm of fresh snow reported down to about 1500m altitudes.
In Scandinavia, Finland's 2024-25 season got started under sunny skies with Ruka and Levi opening a mile or so of runs each as well as cross country tracks.
Across in North America though the main excitement for skiers has been up in Canada where there's been fresh snowfall on mountains in Alberta and BC.
There was also a dusting of snow in New England midweek to raise excitement levels.
Some high centres in Colorado also took advantage of a brief weather window to make a little snow overnight but otherwise the US remains unseasonably warm so there's no clear sign yet of which will be the first area to open.
In the wider Northern Hemisphere there's been the first snow in the Indian Himalayas with the leading Indian resort of Gulmarg posting images of its mountaintops turned white.
In the southern hemisphere the season is about over with Argentina closed now, joining Australia and Lesotho and leaving fewer than 10 resorts still open; with most of those planning to close this weekend.
That means that there are now more centres open in the northern hemisphere than the southern for the first time since May, with Austria leading the way with six centres open so far.
Europe
It has been quite the week in the Alps with higher slopes again seeing a fairly decent early-autumn dump, with up to half-a-metre of fresh snowfall reported and two more glaciers opening for their 24-25 seasons, taking the total to 10.
More than half the open ski areas, including the two new openers, are in Austria.
Solden, as well as the Stubai and Hintertux glaciers each have around 20km of slopes open plus terrain parks already. You can also ski now at the Kitzsteinhorn and Kaunertal glaciers which joined the highest area Pitztal, and the other three, at the weekend.
A seventh Austrian glacier, the Molltal, plans to open from Saturday.
There's also skiing available at Italy's Passo Stelvio summer ski area, which reported 40cm of fresh snowfall on Friday and at Val Senales.
Switzerland's Saas Fee and Zermatt are also open, although access to Zermatt from Cervinia remains closed until near the end of the month.
After last weekend's snowfall conditions have generally been drier, brighter and sunnier but it does look like colder, snowier weather will be here again to end the week and some centres have been posting pics of more fresh snow up high since Thursday.
In Scandinavia the season got started last weekend at Finland's Levi and Ruka, using snow they recycled from last winter to create about 2km of slopes each. However, there's now been fresh natural snowfall turning everything white. Norway's Galdhopiggen glacier ski area is also open and reporting fresh snow.
North America
There remains nowhere open yet in North America and the unseasonably warm temperatures in the western US mean that snowmaking systems have not been able to fire up yet.
It's looking more promising north of the border with cooler temperatures and more coverings of fresh snowfall on the mountains of Alberta and BC with Banff, Big White and Whistler amongst centres reporting snow.
There have been snowfalls on ski slopes on the US side of the border too, in northerly states like Montana and Wyoming, and a dusting was reported up high in New England in the east on Wednesday, with Stowe and Whiteface amongst those benefitting.
Some high centres (Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain) in Colorado reported a little snow-making overnight early in the week but it felt a little like a token gesture/system test at this point rather than a serious start to base building.
If all goes to plan, Banff's Mount Norquay should be the first centre to open there (and possibly all of North America) on 1st November. But US ski centres will open earlier if they can.
So far it remains stubbornly sunny and too warm for snowmaking on high slopes in Colorado with no obvious change in the immediate forecast.
Southern Hemisphere
The southern hemisphere's 2024 season is nearing its conclusion with just two ski areas still open in Chile and half-a-dozen in New Zealand, with some only now opening at weekends.
Most are expected to close this coming Sunday unless there are any last-minute changes.
As you'd expect for mid-spring, temperatures have been climbing in most areas, although centres in Chile and New Zealand have continued to post overnight lows well below freezing and reported some late snowfalls.
Everywhere would usually be closed in South America by now, except Chile's Valle Nevado has announced a two-week season extension as the snow is still lying deep.
Southerly Antillanca also plans to re-open this weekend for a final hurrah.
All centres in Argentina are believed now closed for 2024 though.
So most of what's still open in the southern hemisphere is in New Zealand. That includes a number of centres where they're into the final few days of the season like Cardrona, Mount Hutt and The Remarkables as well as North Island ski areas Turoa and Whakapapa on Mount Ruapehu which are hoping to keep going to later in the month, although Turoa is now only open Fridays to Mondays.
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