The Snow Keeps Falling

* Yet more heavy snowfall in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Western Canada and USA, France and Switzerland.
* Heavy snow in Alberta and British Columbia
* More resorts announce seasons extended in to May.
* Fresh snow today in Belgium.

Heavy snow ifs falling, yet again, across large parts of the Alps.

Snow depths have continued to build with Ehrwald in Austria reporting 125cm (four feet) of fresh snow in the past seven days and Meiringen in Switzerland 75cm (2.5 feet).

Still more snowfall is expected for the rest of the week, especially tomorrow (Thursday 26 March) in Austria.

Several ski areas in the the region are now reporting accumulated snow depths in excess of five metres (17 feet) on upper slopes with the Dachstein Gletscher at 490cm (over 16 feet) and the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun at 455cm.

There has been a foot (30cm) of fresh snow in leading resorts in the northern French Alps yesterday. Chamonix and neighbouring Argentiere as was resorts around Flaine in the Grand Massif were beneficiaries. Chamonix now has some of the deepest snow in the French Alps with a 330cm (11 foot) base on upper slopes.

Italy has had a largely dry week with sunny days and Spring like conditions although there were some snow showers in the north and centre of the country last weekend. The biggest snow falls of the past week have touched 50cm (20 inches) with Campo Felice near Rome accumulating 35cm (14 inches) and Limone Piemonte in the Alps 20cm (eight inches). Sella Nevea still has the most snow in the country and possibly Europe with 640cm (over 21 feet) . The Presena glacier, which will remain open through May and in to June has 530cm (over 17 feet).

The Pyrenees have had dry sunny weather for the past week but that’s due to end this weekend with fresh snowfalls and wintry temperatures forecast. In the French Pyrenees Gourette and Cauterets have the most snow in France with over 450cm (15 feet) each. Snow depths for Andorran and Spanish resorts remain between 150 and 250cm (five and eight feet).

In eastern Europe Bulgaria received more snow with Bansko in Bulgaria now building up top touch four metres (13 feet) – it’s deepest snow yet this season , in contrast to resorts in the alps and Pyrenees where the peak appear to have past . More snow is falling this week.

In Scandinavia there have been occasional snowfalls over the past week, some of them heavy. In the last seven days Ramundberget in Sweden got 21cm (eight inches) of new snow, Vemdalen 15cm (six inches) and Åre 10cm (Four inches). The most snow is in Storlien at the moment with 130cm (over four feet). The weather forecast shows more snow in the southern part of the mountains later in the week and during the weekend.

In North America the best of the fresh snow has been in the west of the continent with resorts in Alberta and British Columbia, reporting plenty of fresh, plus low temperatures to keep it in good condition. The opposite effect – warm weather, had been plaguing some Western US resorts last week but Colorado has benefited from heavy snow in the past few days which follows on from a three foot (90cm) fall over Lake Tahoe last weekend.

Copper Mountain this morning reported having received 16 inches (40cm) of new snow in the past two days . Eleven inches (25cm) have fallen in the past 24 hours and the best part is. More is expected all week. Mt. Bachelor in Oregon is the latest ski resort to announce an extended ski season, through to May 17th.

The US Clif® bar, an organic-certified energy bar, is introducing the first iPhone application to combine ski resort snow conditions with environmental steps the resorts are taking to combat global warming.

The unique, portable and playful Clif Bar Save Our Snow (SOS) iPhone App can be downloaded free from iPhone or iTouch App Store (search “Save Our Snow”) or from www.clifbar.com/sosiphone.

Scientists predict that global warming will lead to more drought and shorter ski seasons due to unseasonably warm weather. Colorado College has said in its annual State of the Rockies Report Card that as conditions worsen, snow sport participation in the Rocky Mountain West may become entirely unviable by the year 2050.

“Global warming threatens skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports more than any outdoor activity,” said Ricardo Balazs, sports marketing experience manager at Clif Bar, “As skiers and riders ourselves, we want to help others who share our passion get a glimpse of what individual resorts are doing to help Save Our Snow.”

The Clif Bar SOS iPhone App enables you to find snow conditions at any of the more than 500 ski resorts in North America. You can learn current powder, temperature and wind conditions, the percentage of lifts open, a three-day weather forecast and the resort’s phone number. For extra fun, you can blow into your iPhone microphone and cause your screen to “ice over.” You can use your fingers to brush away the ice or just watch it melt away. If it’s snowing at the resort you choose to view, “snowflakes” fall across your iPhone screen.

Icons on each resort’s screen page also allow you to see what ski resorts are doing to combat climate change in the areas of renewable energy, transportation, waste reduction, and education and outreach. In addition, you’ll learn if a resort has received a Clif Bar Golden Eagle Award, which annually honours North American ski resorts for their overall environmental achievements.

“We hope the new Clif Bar SOS app helps winter last longer for skiers and the planet,” said Balazs. “It’s the only app that gives you environmental info when you choose a place to go play in the snow. It’ll be available on iTunes indefinitely, so you can use it now to extend the current ski season, this summer to dream about snow and again next winter when you head back out to the slopes.”

Clif Bar has, for the past three years, helped raise the awareness of winter athletes and enthusiasts about global warming’s impact on the ski industry. From mounting veggie-fueled mobile tours with top skiers like Alison Gannett and riders like Jeremy Jones to providing carbon offsets for chairlift energy use, the Clif Bar SOS campaign has informed thousands of winter resort-goers about the need to quickly address global warming if they want to continue to enjoy outdoor winter activities.

Celebrating its 20th Birthday this year, Europe’s longest established winter festival of its kind, The BRITS kick off in Laax, Switzerland on 28th March for the week to 4th April and boasts it’s biggest ever music line-up.

Headliners include DJ sets from The Go! Team, Vadim, Mickey Finn, and Bonobo with live sets from Gentleman’s Pistols, Kandi Coded, Kovak and a very special guest to be announced. The BRITS music line-up looks set to offer something for every musical taste covering, Rock, Hip-Hop, Funk, DnB, Electro Pop and some good old Cheesy 80’s classics for the BRITS 20th Birthday Bash.

Each day DJ’s will be positioning themselves in snowy strongholds around the mountain to blast out tunes across the slopes and Championship action.

Off the hill it’s into the bar for a spot of après with live daily DJ and acoustic sets from the likes of Ben Howard and Joel Erith, then home, wash-down, and back out in time for one of nightly club sessions. Just remember, it’s a marathon…not a sprint!

To celebrate 20 years of the BRITS, Switzerland Tourism will be flying over very special guests, which will soon be announced to host the BRITS fancy dress 20th Birthday Bash! (Come as anything beginning with the letter “B”). Firmly grasping the party reins on the last night of the BRITS at the Riders Palace, the BRITS ‘B’ Party will top off the week with a night of classic 80’s tunes and flash dancer fever moves.

As well as a celebrated winter festival, The BRITS plays host to the prestigious British Snowboard and Freeski Championships that unites kids, rookies, pros and Olympians. The Championship action comes courtesy of the Trespass Snowboardcross/Skiercross, Quiksilver Big Air, Animal Slopestyle and SNO!zone Halfpipe.

BRITS packages start from £269 which includes seven nights’ accommodation, six days lifts pass and most importantly your BRITS event pack and wristband, which gives you access to event clubs and bars. So to join the 1000 or so revellers that will be hitting the BRITS for a week full of freestyle, music and mayhem and for a full music line-up.