Summer skiing in the Alps this year is reported to be the best it has been in years, thanks in good part to all the snow that has fallen in May and June. Base depths for July 2016 are generally around the 2m mark on Europe’s glaciers.
It’s a bit more hit and miss south of the equator with heavy snow reported at different times in June in Australia, Argentina, Chile, Lesotho, New Zealand and South Africa (sometimes remarkably heavy snow) – but there have been some unseasonably warm spells thrown in to the mix too.
Austria
There are four glacier ski areas open in Austria as we enter July. The Hintertux glacier is in the best shape with 2.6m of snow lying on upper slopes and 18km of runs open – the pic above shows US team members in summer training there. You can also ski in July on the Dachstein, Molltal and Kitzsteinhorn glaciers, all of which have bases around the 2m mark.
France
All three French glacier ski areas at Les 2 Alpes, Tignes and Val d’Isere are open as we enter July, although only the former two expect to stay open in to June. Conditions are reported to be excellent at each centre with base depths around four times what they were this time last year.
Italy
Cervinia re-opened on the last weekend of June and will be open through to September now, offering cross-border summer skiing to Zermatt. It joins Passo Stelvio which has been open for a month and reports good conditions. Here’s how Cervinia looked a year ago thanks to Warren Smith Ski Academy.
Switzerland
Europe’s highest ski slopes at Zermatt are the only ones currently open in Switzerland as we enter July. The lift-served vertical here even in summer matches anything offered in the southern hemisphere and Zermatt has even had more fresh June snowfall than some areas south of the equator. It’s neighbouring resort of Saas Fee will open for its nine month long season in the middle of the month.
Scandinavia
Although Sweden’s spring skiing capital Riksgransen in the Swedish Arctic Circle has now closed after its annual midsummer ski session in late June, Norway’s three glacier ski areas are currently all open, with bases of up to 7m (23 feet) – the deepest in the world. Choose between Folgefonn (“Fonna”), Galdhoppigen or Stryn (above).
North America
Mammoth Mountain has been open since last Autumn and says it will stay open at least to US Independence day, July 4th. The near year-round ski centre at Timberline on Mt Hood in Oregon should stay open through July and north of the border there are a few more weeks of summer skiing on Whistler’s Blackcomb glacier (above) to go.
Southern Hemisphere
Africa
A fairly good start to the season in Lesotho and South Africa. Although the continent’s two southern hemisphere centres couldn’t offer snowsports at the start of June a natural snowfall in the middle of the month brought around a foot of fresh natural African snow. This has since largely thawed away but on the ski slopes snowmaking top ups have kept runs open.
Australia
Australia’s ski season officially started on the second weekend of June but with only one run open, at Perisher, due to a lack of snow. That all changed on the last weekend of June when a cold spell across the country brought snowfalls of up to 50cm, transforming conditions. A ski area in southerly Tasmania even opened three weeks ahead of schedule. Things are looking good for July on the slopes of Australia. Mt Buller is pictured above when the snow started falling.
New Zealand
Almost the reverse scenario to Australia, with resorts in NZ seeing a great start to the season in early June and reporting some of the best opening conditions in years at the first centres in the country to open …but then a mild spell across the country has led to thawing and the delayed opening of some other centres as July nears. Mt Hutt is pictured above when the snow was great at the start of June.
Argentina
Things are not great in Argentina either, after promising pre-season heavy snowfalls a month ago its been rather dry since and Las Lenas (above) is the only major area open, partially, with 1.5m of snow depth reported up top.
Chile
Chile had a remarkable start to its 2016 ski season with snowfalls of up to 10 feet/3m in one week credited to El Nino and allowing some centres to open up to three weeks early and others needing to dig out access roads so they could open at all. Things have calmed down a little in subsequent weeks but most still have good bases.
