May 2022

RoundupsSki ResortsWeather

Australian Area Opening For Winter 22 Early, This Weekend

A huge snowstorm currently hitting Australia has led the country’s largest ski area, Perisher, to announce it will open a week earlier than planned, this coming weekend. With perfect timing for the start of the 2022 ski season, the storm has already brought more than 30cm (a foot) of snowfall to Perisher’s slopes and another end of the week. Other Australian ski areas are reporting similar accumulations with Mt Buller describing the storm as, “A ripper start to the season.” The resort has announced that the Perisher Front Valley slopes served by the Village 8 Express chairlift, Mitchell T-Bar and Carpet #4 will be open and that lifts will begin loading at 8:30am. “Early season protocols are in place: Early…

Snowhunter 31st May 2022

Travel

Japan Re-Opening Borders

The Japanese Government has announced that the country’s borders will reopen to tourists from June 10th. Initially admittance will only be to members from organised tour groups working directly with Japanese travel agencies, rather than individual travellers, arriving from a chosen list of 98 countries and territories, including the U.S. and China. However the announcement has raised hopes that by next winter there will be more normalised travel possible for skiers and boarders from around the world to visit the country famed for its beautiful scenery, welcoming people, strong cultural values and exceptional, abundant powder snow. The 98 nations and regions include Australia, Canada and the USA were chosen based on low rates of positive cases. No COVID tests or…

Snowhunter 27th May 2022

Uncategorised

WORLD SNOW ROUNDUP #241

Issued: 25 May 2022 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne Southern Hemisphere European RoundupNorth American RoundupAsia Roundup World Overview Remarkables resort this week The biggest snow news of the past week came from the Colorado Rockies, where there was an unprecedented powder weekend at the few areas still open after 16” (40cm) of snowfall followed 90F heat 24 hours before. The other snowfall of note was in the southern hemisphere where first Australian slopes saw more snow than expected, then New Zealand was dumped on, ramping up anticipation levels with the 2022 season start less than three weeks away. Low temperatures followed on too and snowguns have been fired up in both countries.Elsewhere in the southern hemisphere Afrioski in Lesotho also reported…

MarcD 25th May 2022

Environment

New Hydro Electric Plant to Power New Gondola at Tirol Ski Area

The Austrian ski area of Axamer Lizum on the Innsbruck area ski pass in Tirol is installing a new gondola system next winter and has plans to build a hydro-electric system that will cover its electricity needs. The new hydroelectric power plant to be built on the Axamer Bach river near Axams will generate so much clean green electricity - 3.83 gigawatts – that it should cover all of the centre’s electricity needs. The new 10-seater gondola will be in operation from next winter of 2022/23, replacing three old lifts, the Schönboden and Hoadl I+II chairlifts, one of which dates back to 1969. The new Hoadlbahn gondola will feature 75 spacious cabins, each able to carry 10 people up to…

Snowhunter 24th May 2022

Weather

Late Spring Snowstorm Hits the Rockies

A huge snowstorm has brought over a foot of fresh late-May snowfall to the Rocky Mountains a week after several ski areas in the region ended their 21-22 seasons early due to poor snow conditions. Arapahoe Basin reported 16 inches (40cm) of fresh snowfall to start the weekend having staged a rail jam with skiers and boarders in T shirts and short a week ago. A week ago... The wider region had also seen temperatures hitting 90F (32C) just 24 hours before the snowstorm arrived. Winter Park also had its Mary Jane slopes open in Colorado for the final day of the season on Saturday, also reporting 16” (40cm) of snowfall. A third area, Breckenridge, which had originally planned to…

Snowhunter 22nd May 2022

Ski ResortsWeather

Only Summer-Only Ski Area in US Not opening in 2022

The Beartooth Basin summer ski area on the Montana – Wyoming state border won’t open this year. The area usually opens from late may or early June, once the access road that's buried for eight months of the year and then stays open so long as the snow cover lasts. The centre’s operators said earlier this month that, on a pre-opening visit, they were concerned to find low snow cover. At the time they said they would attempt to manage snow in order to be able to open but were not optimistic, and that picture has now been confirmed. Formerly known as the Red Lodge International Ski and Snowboard Camp, where athletes would train year-round, it was established in the…

Snowhunter 20th May 2022

Uncategorised

WORLD SNOW ROUNDUP #240

Issued: 19 May 2022 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne Southern Hemisphere European RoundupNorth American RoundupAsia Roundup World Overview Fonna resort this week We’re at a real turning point in the ski year with more centres currently closing than opening still but with that starting to change from next week on. The northern hemisphere’s season continues to wind down with the final area open in Italy joining Finland and France a week ago in closing down for 21-22. At the same time though the summer-ski season is starting to ramp up with the first of the Norwegian centres opening at the weekend and France and Italian areas due to be the next to open at the end of the month.In the southern…

MarcD 18th May 2022

Environment

Latest Huge US Wildfire Threatens New Mexico Ski Resorts

Taos is the latest major North American ski town to be threatened by wildfires following the evacuation of South Lake Tahoe in California last Fall. The nearby ski area of Angel Fire is also under threat and residents have been told to prepare for an immediate evacuation order for the past three days. The Hermits Peak Calf Canyon fire approaching Taos has burned a 45-mile long path consuming over 235,000 acres (95,000+ hectares) of up the Sangre de Cristo mountains towards the ski town, which is also one of North America’s oldest continually settled communities with a thousand years of recorded history. Nearly 2,000 firefighters are battling the blaze which is said to be about 35% contained. Much of Southwestern…

Snowhunter 16th May 2022 1

EnvironmentSki Resorts

Last US Ski Area Still Open on Vail’s Epic Pass For 21-22 Closing Early

The last US ski area on the Epic Pass is being forced to close two weeks earlier than hoped due to warm weather. Breckenridge in Colorado (pictured top in 2018) reported that after 185 days of skiing and riding this season they’ll end their 60th anniversary season on Sunday, May 15th, a little over a fortnight earlier than planned. “While our teams have worked hard to keep the skiing and riding rolling into mid-May, Mother Nature has the ultimate say. We’ve been experiencing warm daytime temps (in the 60s) and our night-time temps haven’t been dipping below freezing, so this has caused snow to begin to melt very quickly,” a statement from the resort explains. The centre had hoped to…

Snowhunter 14th May 2022

EnvironmentWeather

Will North America’s Sole Summer-Ski-Only Ski Area Open in 2022?

Beartooth Basin ski area on the Montana/Wyoming border has said it may not open this year due to inadequate snow cover, a final decision is due imminently. At the start of the month resort staff posted, “We made it to the Basin and were greeted by very low snow. Over the week, Mother Nature began to cooperate and has been snowing. A snowcat is heading up this week to help farm snow into Beartooth Basin. We plan to operate, but we cannot be certain of opening. No tickets are available until we are certain we are going to open. Fingers crossed!” Established in the mid-1960’s by Austrians Pepi Gramshammer, Eric Sailer and Anderl Molterer as an Alpine Ski Racing summer…

Snowhunter 12th May 2022

Uncategorised

WORLD SNOW ROUNDUP #239

Issued: 11 May 2022 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne Southern Hemisphere European RoundupNorth American RoundupAsia Roundup World Overview Mid-May is traditionally a low point in the year in terms of ski areas open – we’re down to a few dozen centres, fairly evenly divided between Europe and North America with a few in Asia too for the next week or so. Numbers get back into triple figures and expand across six continents in June when the southern hemisphere’s 2022 season kicks off and more summer ski centres open in Europe and North America. For now, though, there are more places in the world open to ski in giant fridges (snowdomes), than outdoors. It has been a fairly quiet week in both…

MarcD 11th May 2022

RoundupsWeather

Australian Ski Resorts Start Snowmaking as Snow Falls Before 2022 Season Starts

There’s excitement in Australia as cold temperatures have led to the first dustings of snow on ski slopes in Victoria and New South Wales. The country’s 2022 ski season is just over a month away, all being well. The country’s largest ski resort, Perisher, is reported to have fired up their snow guns to make snow on top of the light natural falls. Most Australian ski areas start their seasons in early June every year, coinciding with the Queen’s Birthday holiday long weekend in the country. They open whether there’s snow or not, although the arrival of all-weather snowmaking systems mean that several have some snow cover regardless of natural conditions. Hotham 4.5.22 Recent seasons before the pandemic also saw…

Snowhunter 5th May 2022

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