Winter is almost here, and finally the Alps and Scandinavia are getting really cold temperatures and even some snow. Keen for some early season skiing? The offers are good, and the powder might be there in time.
– Many resorts have opened early for winter 2010-11 including Kitzbuhel, Laax and Shladming.
– 8 ski areas were open in the USA for Halloween, more have opened since.
– One ski area still open in the southern hemisphere.
– Canada’s 2010-11 to begins today.
Alps
Eight glacier areas along with Kitzbuhel, Schladming and Turracher Hohe are now open.
“The 28th of October is the third earliest season opening we ever had on the Turracher Hohe,” Fritz Gambs, manager of the Turrach mountain railways told Skiinfo’s Pascal Bovee. The resort has a snow cover of 30-40 cm.
Here is a list of all snow depths in Austria.
Only Tignes is currently open, and here is a list of all snow depths in France.
Last weekend Germany’s only glacier skiing area, the Zugspitze, started into the winter season. 2000 skiers and snowboarders went down the slopes that had a snow cover of up to 90 cm. “We’re very happy to have so much snow again that early”, said Eva-Maria Greimal of Bayerischen Zugspitzbahn Bergbahn AG. Here you can see an overview of all snow depths in Germany.
Cervinia is currently open at weekends along with Passo Tonale. The other glacier centres of Passo Stelvio and Val Senales are also open. Here you can see an overview of all snow depths in Italy.
Six glacier ski areas are currently open, Laax opened earlier than expected at the weekend. Verbier plans to open next Thursday, November 11th, initially for weekends only. To see who has got the most snow, see all snow depths in Switzerland.
Pyrenees and Spain
There’s been snow in the Pyrenees but no ski areas are open there at present. Click here for live information on all snow depths in Andorra or here for all snow depths in Spain.
Scandinavia
Norway has more non-glacier ski areas open than any other country in Europe this week, and a total of 14 ski resorts will open. Geilo and Hemsedal are two of the big resorts opening here for winter 2010-11. Here’s a list of all snow depths in Norway.
North America
Ski areas have opened from California to Maine right across the USA, using mostly snow making to open their slopes, although most areas have had natural snowfall too. In Canada temperatures have been warmer than hoped in the west leading to some delayed openings but the season begins there today, November 5th.
Lake Louise will open this weekend (November 5th) to start Canada’s ski season. Nakiska now hopes to open next weekend (12th), Mt Norquay which had planned to open on October 30th has not yet advised its opening date.
See overview of all snow depths in Canada.
Killington opened on Tuesday, November 2nd joining Sunday River as open areas on the East of the country. Two ski areas have opened in the Mid-West and one in California, joining already open areas in Colorado and Oregon. Copper Mountain and Keystone in Colorado are due to open tomorrow.
See overview of all snow depths in the USA.
Further Live Information
We have a list of all resorts that are open and opening dates for the rest.
Live snowfall for the past seven days at all ski resorts. (option to search individual countries).
The greatest snow depths at all ski resorts (option to narrow search to individual countries).
See where will it snow next? (option to narrow search to individual countries).
Last minute, best price accommodation offers.
