Well, not quite, but most of the world’s (or at least the northern hemisphere’s) leading ski regions have been reporting heavy snowfall in recent days.
Ski areas in the Alps, the Rockies and even Scotland have all reported up to three feet/90cm of fresh snow so far this week – and in most places it’s still falling. In the French Pyrenees the resort of Cauterets – pictured above – says it has received 1.2m (four feet) of fresh snow. America’s East coast has had yet another week of heavy snow – its fifth in a row – with up to 45cm of new snow reported so far.
The snow has been particularly welcomed in areas which have had limited snowfall so far this winter, including California, where Mammoth mountain reported a foot of powder on Monday, and in the Italian Dolomites, where Val Gardena has also had a foot of fresh snow.
After the slow start to winter 2015 in some areas, particularly the Alps, it currently looks like the accumulated snow base – which is nearing 5m at some resorts (4.8m at Andermatt in Switzerland and Madesimo in Italy) could allow the season to last longer in to spring – if there’s not a sudden thaw and if resorts feel that business levels warrant running the lifts for longer.
Besides Cauterets, the biggest snowfalls reported include an estimated 1 metre at Glencoe in Scotland, 98cm at Cervinia, 81cm at Avoriaz in the French Alps, 80cm at Telluride in the Colorado Rockies, Gstaad in the Swiss Alps and at Grandvalira in Andorra (Pyrenees).
Andermatt, Chamonix, Courmayeur, Madesimo, Madonna di Campiglio, Saas Fee, Tignes and Val Thorens have also reported big accumulations of 50-60cm (around two feet) in recent days.