Some clouds have silver linings

23.11.08 17:27

Ski resorts in Europe and North America have been able to open their doors early to visitors, as a result of heavy snowfalls during October and the middle of November.

Across Europe, the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Balkans have all seen heavy snowfalls during the past few weeks, allowing Bormio in Italy, for example, to open a whole month early. Saas Fee in Switzerland is another resort that has seen good snowfalls already with more than 1.5m of snow recorded, while Zermatt has reported over 2m of snow on the upper slopes.

In France, the ski resort of Tignes has seen snow depths of 10 cm on the lower slopes, and as a result will open for business on November 29, along with the resort of Val D’Isere. These are not the only resorts in France to open early; in fact the Tignes glacier has been open for business since September 27.

The early autumn snowfalls have been linked to northerly winds which are blowing directly out of the Arctic; but it is not just Europe that has benefited from early snowfalls. In North America many ski resorts have already opened early as a result of early-season snowfalls.

Skiing at Snowbird in Utah kicked off on Friday November 7 after 70cm of snow feel the weekend before; this is the second earliest start in the resort’s 38 year history. Mammoth in California, which opened 10 days early, along with Breckenridge and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado are all now busy with skiers.

Further north, Banff was the first Canadian resort to open this winter, with Jasper's ski lifts getting into action during the weekend of November 22/23.

By: Gemma Plumb