* More Fresh snow in Western Canada
* Another Foot of snow in the French Alps and Pyrenees
* Up to 80cm of New Snow in Italy This Week, Snow depths Up To 6.5 metres (22 feet).
* A metre more snow for resorts in Austria, Germany and Switzerland.
* Scottish Ski area re-opens Thanks to New Snow.
While spring conditions have become the norm at some ski areas, winter is yet to release its grip on many parts of the Alps and Western Canada.
In Austria many ski resorts still have great snow depths right in time for the Easter holidays. Nassfeld received another 50cm (20 inches) and Bad Gastein 40cm (16 inches) of fresh snow. The Fellhorn/Kanzelwand area on the German-Austrian border ( the top can be reached from both countries) received a metre of fresh snow in the past seven days, the most in the country although Lech Zürs am Arlberg got another 80cm (nearly three feet).
In Switzerland eight resorts including Laax received 100cm or more fresh snow during the last week. Andermatt has five metres (17 feet) of snow, Engelberg 410cm (14 feet) and Zermatt 408cm (14 feet).
In Germany the Zugspitz has the most snow with 460cm (over 15 feet) lying.
In France snow coverage in many French resorts is very good for the start of April. Big winners on Sunday included Serre Chevalier in the Southern Alps with 23 cms (nine inches) of snow and Avoriaz in the Northern Alps with 30cm (a foot). Cauterets in the Pyrénées continued its spectacular Spring with another 30cm of fresh powder taking its upper slopes bases to 4.6 metres (over 15 feet) – one of the deepest in the country.
Italy saw heavy snow at many Northern resorts, particularly around the Sella Ronda area of the Dolomites. Arabba Marmolada has received the most in the past week with 80cm (nearly three feet) of powder with the Monterosa Ski area including Alagna adding 60cm (two feet) and Bormio and Cortina d’Ampezzo 50cm (20 inches) each.
In the Pyrenees the spectacular winter is still not over with at least a dusting of fresh powder in Andorra and at Spanish resorts where snow depths are typically still at least two metres (seven feet) on upper slopes.
In Scandinavia where the summer skiing season begins in Norway next month there have been some small new snowfalls. In Sweden Kläppen got the most fresh snow in the past week with 18cm (Seven inches) more and Lindvallen 17cm (six inches).
In Eastern Europe it has been a mix of sunshine and very cloudy days meaning sometimes poor visibility but good snow and on other days warm sunshine but rather sticky snow.
Scotland’s ski areas have had a dusting of fresh snow although conditions are not yet as great as last April when snow cover was excellent but few people bothered turning out meaning those that did had the empty slopes under blue skies to themselves. However it has been enough for The Lecht to re-open.
In North America Western Canada continues to perform well with fresh snow falling in Alberta in recent days at Sunshine, Mt Norquay, Lake Louise and Marmot Basin. It’s particularly good news for Sunshine which has some of the best snow of the season to date at present and is open for nearly two months more, while most other Canadian and US resorts closes in the next few weeks.
South of the border the weather has been warmer, especially on the East Coast, with snow cover suffering as a result. However North Westerly US states like Utah have performed better and of the resorts that are typically open in to June are, fortunately, the major beneficiaries of several feet of new snow (60cm+) – amongst them Snowbird in Utah and the near year-round operator Timberline in Oregon.