The month now drawing to a close has certainly been an unusual November: most ski areas have no snow and the ski slopes are covered only by a thin layer of artificial snow. In Italy, and more or less across the whole of the Alps, the snow situation is far from ideal, and the ski season is just around the corner. The coming weekend should get the party started (or rather the skiing), but many ski areas will have to postpone their opening, while others are working night and day to fill the gap with artificial snow.
While we here are suffering withdrawal symptoms, there is a part of the world where the thirst for snow has already been amply quenched. We are talking about the United States of America, where once again this year the weather systems have chosen to deliver abundant fresh snow right at the start of the season. Standing out above all is Jackson Hole, where snow has not only fallen abundantly across the whole ski area (even down in the valley) but also arrived very early. In November alone almost 2 metres of snow fell, far more than at other ski destinations (although they are doing well too). Jackson Hole will kick off the new ski season from November 26. The force behind these excellent snow conditions is the weather phenomenon La Nina, capable of bringing heavy and frequent snowfall. Last year La Nina brought a total of more than 18 metres of snow to Jackson Hole!
Snow, Snow and more Snow in Jackson Hole!
In Italy, across much of the Alps and the Apennines, the situation is the complete opposite of that in the American ski areas. In the Bel Paese the snow is keeping us waiting, and ski resorts are working hard to prepare a few ski slopes with artificial snow. Fortunately there is no shortage of cold, which makes it possible to make snow night and day, but the landscapes lack a wintry look and atmosphere.
This is not the case everywhere, though. The ski areas that enjoy high altitudes (above 2,000 m) have made the most of the snowfall at the start of the month and, thanks to a little snowmaking, have been able to kick off the winter season. Among these, it is worth mentioning Cervinia in the Aosta Valley, Prali in Piedmont, Bormio in Lombardy, Ghiacciaio Presena, Solda and Val Senales in South Tyrol, as well as resorts abroad such as the Engadina in Switzerland and the Stubai and Hintertux glaciers in Austria.
There are also other ski areas that are hurrying to avoid letting their fans down and to open at least a few ski slopes. Notable among these are Livigno, Madonna di Campiglio, Monterosa Ski and some of the ski areas of the Dolomiti Superski (such as Cortina).
In the meantime, as we drool over our keyboards looking at the images coming from the USA, let’s hope the white lady returns to cover our mountains!
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