- The heavy snowfall continues, resorts in the Pyrenees post new record for accumulations.

- Summer skiing canceled in southern hemisphere due to warm weather.

It’s now ten weeks since the first heavy snowfalls were reported in the Alps and the snow is continuing to come down by the bucket load in many areas. Apart from the duration of the snowfall obviously setting ski resorts up for a memorable season, what’s also unusual is that almost all of the world’s major ski regions have received well above average preseason snowfall. Usually one area will do better than another. However this time almost everywhere has above average snow.

Along with the Alps, there have been huge falls in the Dolomites, resorts in the Pyrenees have reported record accumulations for this early in the season.

In North America the East Coast has had a good start and while the Rockies, and most recently the West Coast, initially had more challenging conditions early on, they’re now rapidly gaining ground. Only parts of Eastern Europe are currently lagging behind.

Although great for skiers and boarders the snow has caused many practical problems in Europe however with villages cut off and without power for periods, airports and railway lines closed and on the mountains a high avalanche risk as some of the more recent snow has been heavy during a period of warmer temperatures. There have been deaths on the mountains already as a result and it is strongly advised that everyone stays on the marked runs and keep a close eye on avalanche warnings when in the mountains.

Does all this snow mean that global warming is a myth? We’ve noticed our weekly reports in recent weeks have been appearing on websites of organizations who believe they do! Well, alas, probably they don’t. The exceptionally heavy snowfall is great but fits the long term pattern of increasing extremes of weather rather than being any long term guarantee that the global warming projections are wrong. We can always hope of course and as it’s likely to take decades more to prove the matter one way or the other, we’ll have a while yet to wait and see.

France continues to receive heavy snowfalls in the Alps and Pyrenees with powder alarms of up to 60cm (two feet) of new snow at some areas. Montgenèvre got another 40cm (16 inches) and Val d’Isère 20cm (eight inches) more on Tuesday alone. But all the snow means there is a high risk of avalanche everywhere. The greatest snow depths are reported at Valberg 260cm (8.7 feet) and Isola 2000 250cm (8.3 feet), but many resorts have base depths of more than two metres (6.7 feet), including Méribel, where the Freestyle World Cup is being staged today.

In Austria, snowfalls and snow depth are even greater than France – although with everywhere in the happy position of having so much, why quibble over a few inches? The Mölltal Glacier reports 310cm (over 10 feet) and Obergurgl 255cm (8.6 feet). Fresh snowfalls totaling up to 1.2m (four feet) have been reported at some Austrian resorts over the past week with Nassfeld Hermagor reporting 120cm of new snow, Bad Gastein 95cm (over three feet).

Snowfalls in Germany to the north have been more modest with Balderschwang receiving 20cm (eight inches) more last Friday, taking base depths to 100cm (40 inches) on upper slopes, one of the deepest in the country.

Switzerland has once again received big snowfalls in the past week with Zermatt, once again, one of the leading beneficiaries, receiving yet another 85cm (nearly three feet) over the past seven days. Nearby Saas Fee got 65cm (26 inches) and St Moritz 50cm (20 inches) ahead of hosting the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Ladies Super Combined tomorrow 19 December, Downhill on Saturday 20 December, and Super G on Sunday 21 December. Disentis has the most snow with 350cm (nearly 12 feet) ion upper slopes. Saas Fee has 288cm (nearly 190 feet) and Zermatt 250cm (over eight feet).

To the south the snowfall, that has brought parts of Italy to a standstill, has not let up with the country’s north east getting the heaviest falls in the past week which has partially cut off some ski towns like La Thuile and Sauze d’Oulx. As a result Alagna in Monterosa has some of the greatest snow depths in the world at present with 420cm (14 feet) on upper slopes although Arabba in the Dolomites leads the way with 480cm (16 feet). Many other resorts now have three metres plus (over ten feet) bases.

The huge snowfalls in the Pyrenees have perhaps been the biggest snow story of the past month, because conditions have been rather lackluster there in recent seasons. In Andorra virtually all runs are open and snow depths have reached 170cm (nearly six feet) in VallNord, with similar conditions in GrandValira, which reported another 15cm (six inches) of snow on Monday.

It’s much the same on both the Spanish and French side of the chain with Spain’s Baqueria Beret reporting that the more than four metres of snow it has received in the past month is the most it has ever received this early in the season. It currently has 225cm (7.5 feet) on upper slopes. Many Spanish resorts have reached two metres (seven feet) of fresh powder snow depth.

Those who do think the heavy snow in the Alps means there’s no global warming will want to skip over the fact that in Eastern Europe conditions remain ‘challenging’ with only Bansko in Bulgaria open and with very limited terrain on largely machine made snow. Borovets reported light snowfall early in the week but needs much more.

In North America the one area that had been having serious problems with lack of snow – the West Coast to the rest of the Rockies, has at last had some healthy falls in many areas with most resorts finally opening or able to open more terrain,

“A strong cold North Pacific winter storm brought snow at a rate of 1 inch (2.5cm) per hour, with snow fall totals ranging between 22 and 36 inches,” Squaw Valley USA in California reported on Monday. “The US National Weather Service is calling for another 18-30 inches and continued snow showers are in the forecast through to Tuesday December 23rd.”

Other parts of North America have been having more good snowfalls too. In Colorado Jen Brill of Silverton sent a picture of the ski area shuttle bus buried in snow and reported, “The total from the last seven days is 55 inches (nearly 1.4 metres) of new snow. It continues to snow hard today so we have not been able to get a depth from the upper mountain but it likely exceeds two feet (60cm) of new snow.”

There’s been more snow in Canada too. Marmot Basin which was one of the first on the continent to open last month and has had consistently good snow since we received 55cm (22 inches) of new snow over the past week and a half and 20cm 9eight inches) of new snow last Friday alone. “This means we will be opening a whole bunch more runs and ski lifts this weekend as conditions are superb.” said the resort’s Brian Rode.

France, Italy and Switzerland are continuing to see huge snow falls for yet another week with many of Europe’s leading resorts reporting upper slope base depths above three metres (10 feet).

The excessive snow is continuing to cause practical problems with villages cut off in north west Italy which currently has some of the world’s deepest snow at 4.8m (over 16 feet) above Alagna.

The Dolomites and Pyrenees still have incredible conditions with more snow taking leading Spanish resort Baqueira Beret past four metres of snowfall in the past month, a resort record.

All the snow has brought spectacular ski conditions but also high avalanche risk with several fatalities already and authorities warning people to heed avalanche advice locally and stay on the open pistes.

In North America the West Coast has finally had some healthy snow falls of up to two feet (60cm) greatly improving the situation although some resorts say they still don’t have enough to open. It’s much better in the Rockies and on the East coast in Quebec and new England.

Conditions are also good in Scandinavia with 50 ski areas open in Norway and up to 60cm, (two feet) more snow expected by Sunday.

The only area now not doing well for snow is Eastern Europe with Bulgaria needing much more to fall.