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.