Cauterets

Snow All Over

This winter is rather favorable for winter sports. There’s plenty of snow covering slopes almost at any world’s ski resort. And it keeps snowing. Thus, after the snowstorm Austria benefits from some fresh 30-50 cm of snow covering slopes at Mayrhofen, Obergurgl, Obertauern, Zauchensee and other local ski resorts. The temperatures are comfortably low, so the snow cover lasts well.

Cauterets ski area in the French Pyrenees has got such plenty of snow in the last few days that its chairlifts were completely covered with show and were in need of digging out. In total during the last seven days about of 280 cm of snow fell there. And the snow cover accumulated since the season’s beginning is now over 5 metres.

Scottish ski resorts experience the best snow conditions in years. Arnie Wilson, the Ski+board’s editor, reports that unlike the last time when he skied at Aviemore in rather horrible conditions, this winter when he visited Glenshee and Cairngorm he “was staggered by the grandeur of the highlands. We had perfect conditions – blue skies, stunning scenery and excellent snow”.

On the other side of Atlantic the weather has also been rather snowy. Almost a week long snowfall brought about 2 meters of fresh powder to the Lake Tahoe resorts and snow keeps falling. It could be said that the snowfalls in California happened just in time and they will add more fun to the coming events, such as the Freeride World Tour that will take place at Squaw Valley on February 27 and the annual Snowfest winter carnival that is held in places all around North Lake Tahoe starting from February 27 until March 8.

Photo: Cauterets chairlift buried under snow (skiinfo.com)

Date: 18/02/2009