More Heavy Snow In Europe and the US
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009
Although the ski season is over for 90% of ski areas, heavy snow has been falling again in Italy and in Colorado, USA in the past few days. Resorts ion France, Spain and Switzerland have also seen up to another foot of snow.
Italy’s Monterosa Ski area in the Valle d’Aosta reporting up to 1.5m (five feet) of new snow in the past week to snow reporting agency www.skiinfo.com
The Presena glacier above Passo Tonale in the Adamello ski area, which is open through May and probably in to June, has five metres (nearly 17 feet) of snow on upper slopes.
Other resorts in the Alps open in to May include Chamonix , Tignes, Val d’Isere, La Grave and Val Thorens in France and Saas Fee and Zermatt in Switzerland which both added 30cm (a foot) of snow or more to their totals of 400 – 470cm (13 – 16 feet) of snow on upper slopes in the past week.
Spain still continuers to be one of the big snow success stories of the 08-09 season with falls that begun six months ago continuing even now with Europe’s most southerly resort, Sierra Nevada, receiving another 30cm (foot) of snow on Sunday. Six ski areas have now extended their ski season in to May.
San Isidro, Leitariegos and Alto Campoo are all open to May 3rd, Boà Taüll and Masella to May 10th and Sierra Nevada – which has the most snow in the country at present with three metres (ten feet) still on upper slopes.
In Andorra, where the lifts will run until May 3rd at GrandValira, there was another 6cm (three inches) of snow yesterday.
In Scandinavia the northerly latitude of resorts in Finland, Norway and Sweden mean that they’re well placed to take advantage of the best late season conditions. Major events are underway or coming soon at leading resorts such as Norway’s Hemsedal and Sweden’s Are.
In the US, Colorado, where ironically many resorts closed last weekend if they had not already, received the kind of big snowfalls that would have been useful last November when they were opening for the season. Loveland, which is still open, had one of the best falls with two feet (60cm) of new snow.
Arapahoe basin also scored big time and Echo Mountain and Aspen Highlands, which are open for the next few weekends, likewise.
In California, Squaw Valley USA is once again offering the longest ski season in Lake Tahoe, as the resort plans to stay open for skiing and riding through to May 10th. Squaw Valley’s annual snowfall of 450 inches (1130cm) and mountain topography featuring acres upon acres of upper elevation North-facing terrain are among the natural attributes that enable the resort to remain open through the middle of May each ski season.
Base depths currently measure 125-135 inches (325 – 355cm) on upper elevations.
In Canada the four West coast resorts still open are Jasper, Lake Louise and Sunshine in Canada and whistler in British Columbia. All but Jasper are open in to May and all have had more fresh snow in recent days with low temperatures helping to maintain snow integrity.
On the East Coast Killington in Vermont and Mont Sainte Anne in Quebec are both still open.
Although it’s May next week, more fresh snow is forecast for Western North America and for the Alps in the next few days.
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