A Phoenix Rising From The Ashes
WeLove2Ski Snow Report
In today’s report we catch up on conditions across Europe, North America and Asia, with big snowfall in the United States and across Japan.
Jasper in the Canadian province of Alberta is back in business after the devastating Summer fires. Read on to hear the latest news.
And where’s the snow going to land this week? We’ve scoured the internet to give you the best recommendations.
Now on with the snow!
Latest Reports
In the Alps it’s been a mix of sunshine and warmer temperatures with freezing levels rising to around 2,500m.
Val D’Isere Snow Report, France
Ken Smith from Progression Ski reports sunshine and powder – if you’re prepared to work for it – from Val D’Isere.
Click here to book lessons with Ken and his team
Flachau, Austria
Franks reports very well groomed pistes under sunny skies in Flachau, Austria.
Erciyes Snow Report, Turkiye
It’s been a great start to the season in Erciyes Ski Resort, Turkiye
View this post on Instagram
In the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Wyoming, USA Luke got the goods earlier this week.
Sun Valley Snow Report, Idaho, USA
View this post on Instagram
The snow tap has stayed on across Japan with big accumulations in both the Hakuba Valley and the Northern island of Hokkaido.
Zao Snow Report, Honshu, Japan
The snow monsters are growing by the day.
View this post on Instagram
Niseko United Snow Report, Hokkaido, Japan
View this post on Instagram
SIGN UP TO THE WELOVE2SKI SNOW REPORT NEWSLETTER
If you’re out in resort please tag us in your social media posts and we’ll share your ‘on the snow’ experiences, photos and videos
@welove2ski on Instagram and Facebook #welove2ski
Where To Ski
The largest connected ski area in the world – Les Trois Vallees / The Three Valleys in the Tarentaise, France – retains its Number 1 spot in the World for open terrain with 274km of piste on offer (70/156 lifts; 274/600km piste; 85-130cm base). With significant snow forecast today through Monday we should see more of this area’s magnificent terrain open in time for the Christmas holidays.
Verbier / 4 Vallees (42/68 lifts; 210/412km piste; 30-60cm base); Ischgl, Austria (38/46 lifts; 199/239km piste; 20-50cm base); Zermatt-Matterhorn, Switzerland/Italy (38/51 lifts; 197/322km piste; 15-150cm base) and Aspen Snowmass, USA (12/20 lifts; 185/237km piste; 45-90cm base) round out the Top 5.
The Alps
Austria still leads the world with the total number of ski areas open at 125 – with 20 ski areas offering 50km or more of pisted terrain.
France now has 20 ski areas offering 50km or more of pisted terrain from a total of 52 ski areas open for daily operations.
Val Gardena, Italy (73/79 lifts; 175/181km piste; 50-50cm base) has the most terrain available in Italy, from a total of 67 ski areas open.
Switzerland now has 45 resorts open for daily operations with Andermatt offering the most of its available pisted terrain at 79% (11/13 lifts; 55/70km piste; 15-45cm base).
Skigebiet-Winklmoosalm (9/14 lifts; 35/42km piste; 5-60cm base) has the most terrain available in Germany which now has 20 resorts open for daily operations.
All three of Andorra’s ski areas – Pal/Arinsal, Grandvalira, and Ordino Arcalis – are open for the Winter with Pal/Arinsal (25/31 lifts; 58/63km piste; 40-80cm base) offering 92% of its pisted terrain.
Eastern Europe
Recent snowfall and temperatures cold enough for artificial snow making has allowed the following resorts to offer limited piste skiing, the exception being Bansko, Bulgaria which has 60km of pisted terrain open :
Bosnia and Herzegovina : Bjelasnica, Jahorina
Bulgaria : Bansko, Pamporovo
Czechia : Cerna hora–Janske Lazne, Certova hora–Harrachov, Horni Domky–Lysa Hora, Jested–Liberec, Keilberg, Pec pod Snezkou, Spicak, Spindleruv Mlyn, Zadov–Kobyla
Georgia : Bakuriani, Goderdzi
Liechtenstein : Malbun
Poland : Bialka Tatrzanska, Jaworzyna Krynicka, Szczyrk Mountain Resort, Szymoszkowa, Zieleniec
Portugal : Serra da Estrela
Romania : Arena Platos, Harghita Bai, Madarasi Hargita, Poiana Brasov, Roata–Cavnic
Serbia : Kopaonik
Slovakia : Bachledova/Jezersko/Frankova, Donovaly, Jasna, Rohace–Spalena, Strbske Pleso, Telgart
Slovenia : Golte, Kanin–Sella Nevea/Bovec, Kope, Kranjska Gora, Krvavec, Maribor, Rogla
Scotland : Glencoe, The Lecht
Spain : Baqueira/Beret, Candanchu, Cerler, Formigal, Fuentes de Invierno, La Molina/Masella–Alp2500, Sierra Nevada
Turkiye : Ejder 3200, Erciyes
The Nordic Countries
Regular natural snowfall and temperatures suitable for artificial snow making has enabled Finland’s Levi, Pyha, Ruka, Saariselka and Yllas, and Sweden’s Are, Dundret Lapland, Hemavan, Idre Fjall, Kabdalis, Klvosjo, Salen and Tarnaby to offer good but limited skiing.
Yllas, Finland leads the way with 22km of pisted terain available.
Norway is now up to 14 resorts open for limited piste skiing with Hemsedal offering the most terrain (14/21 lifts; 14/44km piste; 20-30cm base).
North America
Canada
Alberta has all of its seven resorts open for daily operations (Banff Sunshine, Canada Olympic Park, Castle Mountain, Lake Louise, Marmot Basin, Mt Norquay, and Nakiska) with Castle Mountain leading the way (5/6 lifts; 85/94km piste; 5-80cm base).
Whistler Blackcomb leads the British Columbia resorts for available terrain (21/27 lifts; 126/200km piste; 0-160cm base) with more terrain opening at the 14 open resorts by the day.
Thanks to recent snowfall and much colder temperatures on the East Coast Ontario’s Blue Mountain has opened for the Winter. Quebec has all five of its resorts open for the season (Le Massif, Mont-Sainte-Anne, Sommet Saint-Sauveur, Stoneham, and Tremblant).
USA
The USA returns to third in the world for open resorts behind Austria (125) and Italy (67), with 58 resorts the length and breadth of the country up and running this Winter.
ALASKA : Alyeska
ARIZONA : Arizona Snowbowl
CALIFORNIA : Diamond Peak, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Mammoth, Northstar, Palisades Tahoe, Sierra at Tahoe, Snow Summit
COLORADO : Arapahoe Basin, Aspen, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Copper Mtn, Eldora, Keystone, Loveland, Monarch, Powderhorn, Purgatory, Snowmass, Steamboat, Telluride, Vail, Winter Park, Wolf Creek
IDAHO: Lookout Pass, Schweitzer, Tamarack
MAINE : Sugarloaf, Sunday River
MONTANA : Big Sky, Whitefish
OREGON : Mt Bachelor, Mt Hood, Timberline
NEVADA : Mt Rose
NEW HAMPSHIRE : Attitash, Loon, Wildcat Mountain
NEW MEXICO : Taos
NEW YORK : Belleayre, Whiteface-Lake Placid
UTAH : Alta, Brian Head, Brighton, Park City, Powder Mountain, Snowbird, Solitude
VERMONT : Killington, Okemo, Smugglers’ Notch, Stowe
WEST VIRGINIA : Snowshoe Mountain
WYOMING : Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole
WASHINGTON : Crystal Mountain, Mount Baker
Asia
Japan
The Hakuba Valley Resorts of Tsugaike, Happo-One, and Goryu, along with Naeba, Nozawa Onsen, Shigakogen and Zao are the seven Japanese resorts on the main island of Honshu open for Winter operations.
On Hokkaido we’re up to 10 resorts open (Furano, Niseko United, Kamui, Kiroro, Kurodake, Rusutsu, Sahoro, Sapporo Kokusai, Sapporo Teine, and Tomamu) with heavy snowfall opening more and more terrain by the day.
Snow News
A Phoenix Rising From The Ashes
Wildfires tore through a portion of Jasper National Park and the town of Jasper in the Canadian province of Alberta in July 2024 with 30% the buildings in this quintessential Canadian mountain town affected.
Thankfully the Marmot Basin ski resort was unaffected by the fires and is up and running for the 2024/25 Winter Season.
The 4,600 locals are in the early stages of rebuilding their town and their livelihoods and are putting the call out for winter sports lovers to come visit and help them in that process.
Iglu Ski has a range of accommodation options from 3* inns up to the luxurious Fairmont Hotel ready and waiting to receive guests this Winter.
Simon McIntyre, MD at Iglu Ski said, ‘It’s great that Jasper is welcoming skiers with open arms. We’re keen to support efforts to revive Jasper, and our clients have always loved skiing there. We trust it will be a good season.’
For more information on holidays available please visit the Iglu Ski site.
And to see what Marmot Basin has to offer follow them on Instagram
Jasper Pony Express
For a different take on the Northern Lights head to Ruka in Finland for their Polar Light Ski Festival where the slopes are illuminated in multicoloured hues for night skiing
View this post on Instagram
Want to know how many layers you need for your day on the slopes? This will give you a good idea!
View this post on Instagram
World Snow Forecast For the Next 3-4 Days
A major storm system is hitting most of the Alps and parts of Eastern Europe from today which will continue through to Christmas Day next Wednesday.
Most resorts can expect 30-40cm of new snow with some resorts forecast to receive much more – Lech, Austria (1m); Flaine, France (1.1m); Campo di Giove, Italy (60cm); and Gstaad, Switzerland (95cm).
The Nordic Countries will see continued low temperatures with a storm system moving into Finland, Norway and Sweden bringing 10-20cm of new snowfall.
The Alberta and British Columbia resorts of Canada will see cloudy skies and cold temperatures with 5-10cm forecast.
Further west, Whistler Blackcomb is forecast to receive 30-40cm above mid-mountain but heavy rain at village level.
Temperatures have dropped on the East Coast with Tremblant and Sommet Saint-Sauveur expecting snow flurries through Monday.
Most of the western US resorts will see continued low temperatures, sunshine and light snow flurries.
The West Coast resorts of California, Oregon and Washington will the end of the freeze thaw cycle as freezing levels drop with 10-20cm of new snow forecast for the weekend.
On the East Coast, temperatures have dropped serving up great piste conditions across the region.
The resorts on Japan’s main island of Honshu will see continued snowfall through Thursday with 50-70cm forecast. Tsugaike Kogen in the Hakuba Valley is forecast to receive 1.3m
The Hokkaido resorts will see a storm system moving in from today with 25-40cm forecast. It’s Prime Powder Season up north.
Where to find a detailed snow report
There are so many great resources available on the internet for up to the minute information on snow conditions, lift status, and available terrain that this season we’re directing you to the best places to find that info and plan where to head for the best skiing.
Want to quickly know which ski resorts are open? Then head to skiresort.info. Narrow down your search by country and resort for more detailed information.
For in resort reports get the lowdown from the Ski Club of Great Britain’s reps skiclub.co.uk/snow-and-weather/
For worldwide snow forecasting start with Cardiff-based snow-forecast.com. With a massive database of resorts and free 6-day forecasts just type in where you’re going for the lowdown. Sign up for longer range forecasts and historical data.
Wepowder does what it says on the tin. Free, extensive 6-day forecasting for Europe, with a paid subscription for 14-day forecasts and Powder Alerts.
On Instagram our go to sites are Powderhounds and new ‘kid’ on the block instagram.com/imlukesnow/.
On YouTube get detailed weather analysis from https://www.youtube.com/@WeatherWatcher14
Add Comment