WORLD SNOW ROUNDUP #293
Issued: 31st May 2023
By Patrick “Snowhunter” Thorne
World Overview
It’s winter…if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere and follow the meteorological changes of the seasons that is. If you’re in the Northern Hemisphere it’s summertime by the same measure. If you prefer to measure seasons the astronomical way, we still have three weeks to go.
Happily, it has been feeling pretty wintery this week in most ski regions of the Southern Hemisphere. After the big snowfall in Argentina last week, the snow has kept falling and it has been very cold, rarely getting above freezing on ski slopes. Australian ski areas too have been posting pictures of decent dumps almost daily and Kiwi areas as well have had more snow.
If no one breaks ranks and opens early though we still have just over a week until the first resorts are expected to open in Australia and New Zealand. So, for now, if you want to ski or board an outdoor area with an operating ski lift, it still has to be in the Northern Hemisphere. The number open in Europe, North America and Asia dropped by about a third again after the Memorial Day in the USA/end of May holiday weekend. But there are still just over a dozen areas open (pretty evenly divided into both sides of the Atlantic, plus one in Asia), some still going from autumn/fall 2022 openings. But a growing number of summer glacier destinations have started their 2023 seasons. We have new openings in Norway and the USA this week in that category with Italy due to join in a couple more days. Most areas have seen summer sunshine and warm weather but winter has been making a bit of a comeback in Scandinavia and on North America’s East Coast.
Europe
EUROPE INTRO
With two more alpine glaciers as well as Riksgransen, in Sweden, ending their seasons at the weekend, we are down to just half a dozen ski centres still open. But that number is expected to increase this coming week with Italy’s Passo Stelvio aiming to open for its 2023 season and bring lift-served skiing back to Italy just over three weeks after the last Italian centre that had still been open, Cervinia, ended its 2022-23 season. There are three ski areas open in Scandinavia, the same as the Alps now until Stelvio opens on Friday. But here the glacier ski areas have been reporting very wintery weather with sub-zero temperatures and snowfalls, so much so that the Stryn glacier decided to delay opening its lift for the season for three days until Sunday when it was finally clear enough to open. One unexpected bit of snow news this last week came from Europe’s most southerly major resort, Sierra Nevada in Spain, which posted images of its slopes deep in snow last week after an unexpectedly heavy late May snowstorm.
ALPS REPORT
With Austria’s Molltal and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers closing at the end of last weekend, we have dropped to just three centres left open in the Alps. However, Italy’s Passo Stelvio expects to open for its 2023 season on June 2nd, meaning there’s be a choice of four centres, one from each of the four main alpine ski nations, open through June.
So the four choices this coming weekend are expected to be year-round Hintertux (0/315cm / 0/126”) in Austria and Zermatt (0/200cm / 0/80”), with Europe’s highest lifts serving 17km (11 miles) of slopes currently open in Switzerland. There’s also Les 2 Alps (0/130cm / 0/52”) with some terrain open in France and new-to-open Passo Stelvio in Italy, currently posting pictures of deep-lying snow around base buildings ahead of the season start, hopefully a good sign.
Snow depths continue to be much healthier than they were this time last year after a cool and often snowy spring right through April and May. Hintertux is posting the deepest snowpack in the Alps and the most terrain open in Europe at present, 27km (17 miles) of slopes.
The last week has seen temperatures continue to remain close to freezing 24-7 on glacier ski slopes with some light snow showers but plenty of sunshine too. Verbier announced it was delaying the start of its summer sports season as despite heroic efforts by staff, there’s still too much snow lying on the ground like mountain bike trails.
ALPS FORECAST
It’s looking like a largely sunny latter half of the week with temperatures in the -2 to +3C range up at 3,000m glacier level and getting into the +20s down at 1000-1500m resort level. So that should mean fabulous ski and board mornings on glacier slopes.
It has been a quite wintery week in Scandinavia with Norway’s Stryn Summer ski area (290/300cm / 116/120”) finally opening its lift on Saturday, having to offer cat skiing for most of May, but having to delay full opening for 48 hours due to wintery weather impacting access. Meanwhile, the country’s Galdhopiggen glacier (200/600cm / 80/240”) has warned skiers and boarders to expect wintery weather for the next fortnight and to ensure they have snow tyres or chains on vehicles when planning a visit. It was already posting the deepest snowpack in the world in May. Norway’s third summer glacier ski area, Fonna (200/400cm / 80/160”), is also open, meaning the country has more centres currently open than any other in Europe, and is second behind the US worldwide.
Sweden’s only still-open ski area, Riksgransen, ended its 2023 season at the weekend but has confirmed it plans to reopen for a few days of midsummer skiing and boarding including its signature riding under the midnight sun, thanks to its northerly latitude ensuring 24-hour daylight at present.
SCANDINAVIA FORECAST
There’s plenty of sunshine now in the forecast with just the occasional snow shower possible at Stryn. Overnight lows are down to -6C still, with daytime highs of +5C.
USA REPORT
There were still a dozen ski areas open in the USA for the final weekend of May, a long holiday weekend including Memorial Day on Monday. In fact, two of them had opened or re-opened, especially for the weekend. But we’re back down into single figures again now as we enter June with about half a dozen areas still open.
Newly opened though is Beartooth Basin, North America’s only summer-only ski area, located in Wyoming on the Montana border. After not opening last year due to technical issues, there’s excitement that it’s back in 2023.
Colorado’s season will come to an end next weekend with the last resort still open there, Arapahoe Basin (10/50” / 25/125 cm), confirming its plans to end its more than 7 month 22-23 run on Sunday the 4th. The only other area that had still been open, Winter Park, announced after our report went out last week that it would be closing after Memorial Day, Breckenridge had closed the week before. The only bit of lift-accessed snow likely to remain open in the famous ski state once A Basin closes is Copper Mountain, which will keep its snowpark operational, although only for those signed up for private camps at its Woodward freestyle facility.
The season is going to go on longer at Mammoth Mountain (150/200” / 375/500 cm) and The Palisades (12/194” / 30/485cm) in California, both planning to stay open into July. They were joined for the Memorial Day weekend by Dodge Ridge re-opening, but it has closed again now. However, California is the only state with two ski areas still open. Palisades has shut down one of its two bases in the past week though and its remaining summer ski and board operation is now exclusively at the alpine base.
There’s nowhere open in Utah now after both Brighton and Snowbird closed after the Memorial Day weekend. However, Snowbird says it has so much snow left it will re-open in just over a fortnight and hopes to stay open through to Independence Day, although it’s too early to know for sure.
The other still-open resort in the US West is Timberline (32/92” / 80/230cm) on Mt Hood in Oregon. It’s Palmer Snowfield and terrain parks should remain open through the summer. The state’s other still-open ski area, Mt Bachelor, is among those that have now closed.
Over in the east, there was cold weather at the weekend and reports of snowfall on Mt Washington. Killington was open for the Memorial Day weekend with its Superstar trail a lone ribbon of white on the green hillside. Guests could also go mountain biking and play a round of golf, if they wished, at the weekend as summer operations began as winter ones continued. It’s yet to decide if it will reopen later this week and says it will make the call in the next 24 hours, with Thursday, June 1st or a weekend date a possibility. The temperatures are warming though so it’s going to be a knife-edge decision.
Canada’s ski season was thought to have ended over a week ago but Sommet Saint Sauveur, in Quebec, unexpectedly re-opened on Tuesday for a bonus bit of snow fun. It’s possible that will happen again in June but officially the season is over and nowhere is open. The Horstman glacier on Blackcomb Mountain above Whistler is expected to re-open later in June for some skiing and boarding but as last year, when it re-opened in late spring/summer for the first time after several years of pandemic closure, it’s only going to be open for those booked in privately-run camps; you can’t just buy a lift pass and go skiing/boarding anymore.
USA FORECAST
Mostly sunny weather with the chance of light snow showers bubbling up in the late afternoon and early evening in the west. We’re talking 1-2 inches. Temperatures range from freezing point overnight on higher slopes to into the 60s at resort level in the afternoons. Clearer skies with non-stop sunshine from later this week and through the weekend.
Asia
JAPAN REPORT
Japan’s Gassan ski area (40/300cm / 16/120″) remains open although the snowpack has dropped a metre over the past fortnight, so stretching the season to July as temperatures continue to rise. All slopes and lifts remain open at present with about 10km (6 miles) of skiable terrain. The best conditions are in the early morning with temperatures in the +5 to +15C range this last week.
JAPAN FORECAST
An ongoing mix of sunshine and showers with prolonged cloudy periods. Overnight lows are down to 3 to 6C and highs are in the 15-20C bracket.
Southern Hemisphere
AUSTRALIA REPORT
It’s just over a week to go to the start of Australia’s 2023 ski season and the signs remain good, with another decent snowfall bringing 15-30cm (6-12″) of snow last weekend and cold weather continuing to allow snow-making efforts to work on in the build-up to the season start. “We woke up to a beautiful sight today at Perisher of 15cm of snow and with just over two weeks away until opening weekend on June 10, we cannot wait to welcome guests back for the season,” confirmed Maddi Ventura, Marketing Manager at Perisher, the country’s largest resort in New South Wales, last Friday. There were further falls of 5-15cm (2-6”) on Sunday morning and the weather has continued cool and snowy. Most Australian resorts open on or around the 10th for a long holiday weekend in celebration of King Charles III’s birthday. However, it remains to be seen if any take advantage of the current conditions and open early for the season in the coming week.
AUSTRALIA FORECAST
Unfortunately, it is looking drier and warmer over the coming week, but overnight lows are still down around freezing. So, hopefully, what bases have been built so far will survive through to the next temperature dip and snowy weather. In the longer term there are promising signs of colder, snowier weather returning next week in time for opening weekend.
NEW ZEALAND REPORT
The wintery weather has continued in New Zealand ahead of the start of the 2023 season with temperatures down as low as -8C on the highest slopes overnight, although reaching +8C at lower resort bases in the afternoon. If ski areas open on their scheduled dates, Mt Hutt is scheduled to be the first in New Zealand and the whole Southern Hemisphere to open, with next Friday 9th the scheduled opening day there. It’s due to celebrate 50 years in business this season.
NEW ZEALAND FORECAST
Snow showers continue for the remainder of the week before clearer weather is expected at the weekend. The snowline continues around 1600-1800m, with the danger of rain rather than snowfall at lower levels. The heaviest snowfall is likely at South Island resorts with showers easing and sunny skies expected for most at the weekend.
ARGENTINA REPORT
After the big snowfall in Las Lenas a week ago, back-to-back storms have hit most of the country’s ski slopes over the last week and there have been plenty of tourers making their way up to ski down slopes a fortnight or so before the lifts are due to start turning. Catedral, the continent’s largest resort, has reported snowfall too and its slopes look white if not with as much snow as in Las Lenas.
ARGENTINA FORECAST
The forecast continues to look good in the run-up to Argentina’s 2023 season with more snowfall along with low temperatures expected over the next few days, with temperatures in the freezing down to -8C range on higher slopes. Valley temperatures will climb at the weekend. however, and there’s sunshine forecast then.
CHILE REPORT
There have been double-digit sub-zero temperatures on Chilean ski slopes in recent days but mostly dry skies with few significant snowfalls reported and plenty of sunshine in the daytime with temperatures climbing to around +5 to +6C at bases. What snowfall there has been, has been heaviest further south at ski areas like Nevados de Chillan. The season starts in Chile from the middle to the latter third of June (23rd is a popular start date). So there are a few more weeks yet for bases to build. That’s when Portillo is aiming for and they reported fresh snowfall to start this week with everything buried under 15-25cm / 6-10”) of fresh snowfall.
CHILE FORECAST
More mixed weather with sunshine and cloud and temperatures getting cooler in the first few days of June with daytime highs around +2C in many areas. There are early signs of some more significant snowfall at the weekend with potentially half a metre (20”) of snowfall for some on Friday/Saturday.
SOUTHERN AFRICA REPORT
There remains no published change of plan from Lesotho’s Afriski ski area which announced some months ago it would not be able to run snow-making and lifts this winter due to issues sourcing water and energy, although it is open for snow play when natural snowfalls. There’s no sign as yet of South Africa’s Tiffindell, which last ran its ski lifts in 2019, resuming winter sports operations either. So, currently, no lift-accessed skiing is available in southern Africa. This was often the first ski region in the Southern Hemisphere to open each year, in late May or early June.
SOUTHERN AFRICA FORECAST
There is a chance of some light, natural, midweek snowfall as a front moves through meeting cold air, 5-10cm (2-4”) possible accumulations by Thursday morning.
