A start to the season like this had not been seen in a long time. Plenty of snow and ski slopes in good condition: that is the verdict wrapping up this first ski weekend of the season following the mass opening of ski resorts across the Alps.
From Aosta Valley with La Thuile and Pila to Piedmont with Sestriere and Limone Piemonte, in Lombardy with Adamello and Santa Caterina, and in Trentino and Veneto with Dolomiti Superski.
Countless ski resorts opened their doors this weekend (December 1-2) thanks to the weather front nicknamed “Medusa”, which brought abundant snow to almost all ski resorts in the Alps, enabling an opening that until just a few days earlier seemed destined to fade away.
Good turnout was recorded on the ski slopes, even if resorts were not packed to capacity; the main reason was that in many ski destinations confirmation of the opening arrived only a few days in advance, preventing most people from planning their first outing on the snow. It was also a surprise for industry operators, who had to work tirelessly to get the winter tourism “machine” running again, from reopening hotels and restaurants to the all-important slope grooming, which saw thousands of snowcat drivers working non-stop to prepare runs that until a few weeks ago looked like green pastures.
After this excellent weekend, however, eyes are already on the future, as the next big date is the Immaculate Conception long weekend and the Sant’Ambrogio holiday, which can be considered the first real opportunity for a ski vacation.
Over the coming days, new snowfalls and above all a sharp drop in temperatures are expected due to a polar air front arriving over Italy; this will certainly lead to the opening of low-altitude resorts as well, along with the opening of new slopes in the ski areas that have already kicked off their ski season.
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