SKI: Fresh snow for Austria and Switzerland

Here’s the latest snow update from www.weathertoski.co.uk
 

Updated: 9.30am Wednesday 20 February 2013

Conditions remain good to excellent across most of the Alps in one of the busiest weeks of the season. There is even some fresh snow in places, especially in northern Austria and north-eastern Switzerland.

Austria

There is fresh snow in many Austrian resorts today including Lech (150/305cm) where every lift is open and conditions are superb from top to bottom. There’s fresh snow in too in Kitzbühel (75/165cm) where it continues to snow this morning and prospects are excellent for the foreseeable future.  The southern Austrian Alps have missed the latest round of snow but conditions in resorts such as Nassfeld (80/210cm), close to the Italian/Slovenian border, are still very good.

France

French resorts have missed out on the latest snowfalls but conditions remain excellent just about everywhere. All 79 runs are open in Val d’Isère (142/280cm) where the powder may be mostly tracked out, but the pistes are in prime shape for the busy half-term period. Lower resorts are also skiing very well including Les Gets (130/260cm), Megève (120/190cm) and La Clusaz (80/365cm) which continues to boast one of the highest upper snow bases in France.

Italy

Snow depths are more modest in Italy but, on the whole, conditions remain very good. In the far north-west, Courmayeur (80/190cm) and La Thuile (50/260cm) have had very consistent seasons with another dusting of snow in the forecast. Further east the Dolomite resort of Madonna di Campiglio (60/150cm) is also skiing well, and here some big snowfalls are expected over the weekend – especially Sunday.

Switzerland

There is fresh snow this morning in parts of the northern and eastern Swiss Alps including Engelberg (130/500cm) which continues to boast the highest upper snow base in the Alps. Further south, Zermatt (75/250cm) and Saas-Fee (80/268cm) have missed the most recent flurries but, on-piste at least, snow quality is still excellent at all levels.

Rest of Europe

Excellent conditions continue across the Pyrenees where Cauterets (465/580cm) still boasts the deepest snow depths in the world, despite no new snow for over a week.  Conditions are also good in Bulgaria where Bansko (90/240cm) saw a little fresh snow on Tuesday and there’s plenty more forecast for later this week. Most Norwegian resorts also have fresh snow, with some of the heaviest falls in the resorts around Lillehammer (90/120cm) where conditions are excellent at all levels.

USA

It’s been a while but it’s snowing again in California though operations in Mammoth (455cm upper base) may be affected by high winds today.  Over in Colorado, snow depths are still below where they should be but conditions in Vail (100cm upper base) are much better than they were earlier in the season thanks to recent snowfalls. The good news is that further snowfalls are expected over most western US resorts over the next few days.

Canada

Good conditions continue across western Canada with further (mostly light) snowfalls in Fernie (226cm mid-mountain) and Banff (165cm). Further west, Whistler (188cm) is also skiing well with heavy snow expected in the second half of this week. 

Next full snow report on Friday 22 February, but see Today in the Alps for daily updates