Over the past few hours, the Alps have regained their winter look: snow has whitened the peaks from east to west, and in the coming hours the Arctic air mass will settle over the Alpine arc, bringing temperatures back to seasonal averages with possible overnight frosts even at hilly elevations.
This temperature shift is expected starting Monday, November 10, as clouds clear from the Italian mountains and bring back sunny skies with biting cold temperatures, especially at high altitude. That is welcome news: the drop in temperatures has been eagerly awaited by all the ski resorts, which have been ready for several weeks to fire up their programmed snowmaking systems.
Artificial snow is now a vital element for the start of the winter season, as it makes it possible to build a solid base on the slopes and welcome the first snowfalls in the best possible way.
Up to now, however, almost no resort—save for a few stations near the glaciers—has been able to turn on its snowmaking systems, as above-freezing temperatures delayed the start of slope preparation across most of the Alps. Even the resort of Corvatsch in Switzerland had to postpone its opening, not only due to the lack of natural snow, but also because it was impossible to run the snow cannons.
Over the coming days, ski areas will certainly work flat out to make up for lost time and prepare the first ski slopes as quickly as possible while waiting for the big winter snowfalls. From Aosta Valley to the Dolomites, everything is ready to kick off the new ski season.
Update: as expected, snowmaking systems are now active across the Alps; below is a photo of the snow cannons in action at the Latemar ski center.
Monday, November 11, 2013 - Ski Center Latemar
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