More Ski Resorts Open in Europe and North America
12th November 2021
Last modified on November 16th, 2021
Verbier in Switzerland and Hochgurgl in Austria opened last weekend. In North America Vail & Breckenridge in the USA have opened some slopes with three resorts around Banff in Canada also now open. Check out the opening day videos…UPDATED
EUROPE
Skiing started at Lacs de Vaux in Verbier in Switzerland on Friday 12th November.
The piste from Attelas to Les Ruinettes will open from early December and then more runs will open depending on the snowconditions.
The lifts will be open on Saturdays and Sundays in November and daily from December 4th.
Obergurgl in the Tirol in Austria is having a special ‘pre-opening weekend’ on its Hochgurgl sector this weekend on 13th-14th November before the resort opens properly on 18th November.
Elsewhere in Austria one of our regular readers, Martina Jamnig, is at Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun.
“YESSSSS!!! After20 months, finally back on the slopes! Soooooo GREAT!” she posted.
Kitzsteinhorn. Image c/o Martina Jamnig
Kitzsteinhorn. Image c/o Martina Jamnig
We have been following the snow falling and resorts opening across the mountains in recent weeks on PlanetSKI:
Image (C)Les 2 Alpes_toussaint 20 21_Pyrène DUFFAU
And lets not forget the Pyrenees.
No resorts are yet open, but the snow is falling.
-4 à 2000m chutes de neige en cours dès 1400m équipements obligatoires ce matin ❄️📷 Andorra Pictures #pasdelacasa #andorra pic.twitter.com/ZcbM1ABVFB
— Météo Pyrénées (@Meteo_Pyrenees) November 15, 2021
The overall picture for snow cover in the Alps is looking pretty good for the time of year according to Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk
“Broadly speaking, snow cover in the Alps is not far off average for early to mid-November, though there are, of course, significant differences from one region to the next,” said Fraser.
See here for the latest full report on current snow conditions on weathertoski.co.uk.
In the USA “half a dozen or so resorts are already open, the most significant being Mammoth (100cm upper base) where big early season snowfalls have allowed 34 runs to open, with skiing from top to bottom,” said Fraser.
And how about other resorts opening across North America?
NORTH AMERICA
USA
Breckenridge and Vail have now opened some high-altitude areas.
There are just two runs open in both resorts.
The resorts posted on social media ahead of the first lifts spinning.
Four resorts in Colorado were already open – Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Loveland and Wolf Creek.
We reported on ski resorts in the US opening, earlier on PlanetSKI.
If you are thinking of heading to the USA or Canada this coming winter, then you may want to consider the ski adventure of a lift time, a ski road trip:
PlanetSKI on the road. Image © PlanetSKI
PlanetSKI on the road. Image © PlanetSKI
Winter Park is scheduled to open next Wednesday, November 17th.
In Utah warm weather is reported to be threatening the start of the season:
Canada
On November 5th two Banff areas opened, Lake Louise and Mt Norquay.
Sunshine Village opened on Thursday 11th November.
The latest we have on resorts open in Europe, with lifts and snow depths, comes from OntheSnow:
Austria
Sölden: 7 / 31 lifts open, 130cm snow depth.
Pitztaler Glacier: 6 / 6 lifts open, 80cm snow depth.
Kaunertaler Glacier: 5 / 6 lifts open, 175cm snow depth.
Silvretta Montafon: 3 / 35 lifts open, 46cm snow depth.
Mölltaler Glacier: 4 / 9 lifts open, 80cm snow depth.
Glacier Zillertal 3000 – Tux – Finkenberg: 15 / 65 lifts open, 135cm snow depth.
Stubaier Glacier: 16 / 25 lifts open, 65cm snow depth.
Schladming – Planai – Hochwurzen: 1 / 19 lifts open, 20cm snow depth.
Kitzsteinhorn Maiskogel – Kaprun: 14 / 23 lifts open, 90cm snow depth.
Kitzbühel: 2 / 54 lifts open, 40cm snow depth.
Hintertuxer Glacier: 15 / 20 lifts open, 135cm snow depth.
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Finland
Ruka: 7 / 23 lifts open, 3cm snow depth.
Levi: 5 / 27 lifts open, 30cm snow depth.
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France
Tignes: 8 / 39 lifts open, 70cm snow depth.
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Italy
Cervinia – Breuil: 6 / 13 lifts open, 113cm snow depth.
Val Senales / Schnalstal: 5 / 11 lifts open, 80cm snow depth.
Solda / Sulden: 4 / 11 lifts open, 30cm snow depth.
Ghiacciaio Presena: 2 / 2 lifts open, 100cm snow depth.
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Switzerland
Gstaad: 5 / 47 lifts open, 134cm snow depth.
Zermatt: 17 / 52 lifts open, 150cm snow depth.
Verbier: 7 / 82 lifts open, n/a snow depth
Saas Fee: 12 / 22 lifts open, 160cm snow depth.
Engelberg: 10 / 24 lifts open, 80cm snow depth.
Engadin St. Moritz: 2 / 58 lifts open, 40cm snow depth.
Diavolezza – Pontresina: 2 / 5 lifts open, 120cm snow depth.
Davos Klosters: 9 / 57 lifts open, 45cm snow depth.
Arosa Lenzerheide: 8 / 43 lifts open, 30cm snow depth.
Skiarena Andermatt-Sedrun: 4 / 22 lifts open, 120cm snow depth.
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Weather & Snow information is provided to OnTheSnow directly from the resorts.
We cannot be held liable for incorrect or missing information.
Here on PlanetSKI we will be updating this report across the weekend so do check back…
PlanetSKI Snow Report © PlanetSKI
