It has been a funny old autumn. There was lots of snow in the Alps in November but it has been dry for a month since. Fortunately low temperatures have meant most of that November snow is still there and snowmaking systems have been working flat out so Christmas cover is the best for three years. More snow is forecast for Christmas too.
Across the Atlantic there was a lot of snow right back in late October in Western North America but then November was one of the warmest ever and many resorts that planned to open then had to delay doing so.
But whilst much of Europe stayed dry through December it’s all change in Canada and the US with huge snowfalls on both East and West coasts over the past four weeks.
Just for a bit of extra snow fun a few random destinations have been getting snow when the rest of Europe hasn’t had much of late – the continent’s most southerly resort for example.
Mammoth, California
A week before Christmas Mammoth Mountain in California received a massive snowfall of around 1.5m/5 feet of snow in a little over 24 hours. Along with amazing powder conditions it now has one of the deepest snow bases in the world at 3.3m (11 feet) up at the top.
Sierra Nevada, Spain
Europe’s most southerly major ski area had a very challenging winter last season with almost no natural snowfall until March. This winter is looking very different with some of the most snow in Europe this December, giving it a 1.5m/5 foot base.
Narvik, Norway
There have been big snowfalls in the far north as well as the far south of Europe. You may not have hard of Narvik up by the Arctic Circle in Northern Norway, but the slopes are in a spectacular location overlooking the coast. The centre received more than metre of snow in a massive snowfall in mid-December.
Revelstoke, Canada
Revelstoke had had more than double its average early-season snowfall a month before it opened for the season earlier this month. The rate of snowfall seems to have slowed a bit but it has still had 5m of snowfall already this season and has a 1.2m/4 foot base for Christmas. Pictured top and above credit Royce Sihlis
Niseko, Japan
Niseko is of course famous for its deep snow but last winter wasn’t one of the best and early season snow hadn’t been too great until last weekend – when 60cm/2 feet fell in 48 hours a week before Christmas. Upper slope base depth 185cm – just over six feet.
Jackson Hole
The numbers from Jackson Hole are as impressive as they almost always are – around 5m of snow up top already this year, more than a metre in the past week and plenty more in the forecast.
Zermatt
Taking a chance here as at the time of writing – a week before Christmas – the ski resort with Europe’s highest ski runs up at nearly 3,900m hasn’t had any fresh snow for a month and the resort village is snowless (1.2m up top). But if forecasters are correct it is due to do some serious dumping there between now and Christmas, with five feet (1.5m) currently forecast, so hopefully a very different picture (more like the library one by Jeffrey Barnard above) by then.
Val d’Isere
Val d’Isere’s altitude means the big snowfalls there in November have held up particularly well over the snowless-to-date December, but powder stashes have proved hard to find. At least 50cm (nearly two feet) of snow is expected by Christmas though so it could be in even greater shape with snowy streets in the village, if those forecasts prove correct. For now there’s 30cm on lower runs, 1.35m up top (1-4.5 foot). For now it’s a library picture from February 2015 again.
