Galdhøpiggen summer ski centre, the highest altitude of three small summer-only ski areas in Norway, reports it has found snow lying up to eight metres (27 feet) deep as it begins to prepare for its 2023 season beginning in May. “There has been lots of snow and with the wind blowing it in a good direction this winter. The last time we had such a snow measurement was in 2012,” a statement from the centre explained. All three Norwegian summer ski areas are expected to open in May as the last of the country’s regular resorts end their 22-23 seasons. The Fonna Glacier says it will open on  Saturday 6th May, while the Stryn Summer Ski centre is yet to

Issued: 29th March 2023 By Patrick "Snowhunter" Thorne European Roundup North American Roundup Asia Roundup World Overview Snowfall returned to the Alps just in time for the weekend. Beginning to fall in France on higher slopes, but unfortunately as rain on lower ones, the storm moved east through the weekend and start of this week. The storm brought lower temperatures with it so that eventually most of western Europe’s slopes were seeing snow to quite low levels, although always the most in the north and west. Outside the Alps, the snowfall did not occur as far south as the Pyrenees and here ski areas continue to battle warm spring temperatures accelerating the meltdown of the snowpack. More low-lying areas have

Long-standing plans for an indoor ski slope and water park at Merthyr Tydfil in Wales have finally  been officially submitted. Our report from 2018 is here. The Rhydycar West project was first announced around 2016 by a company called Marvel and a price tag of £150m has previously been given. It had previously been hoped a planning application would be submitted in spring 2021. The indoor snow slope would cover up to 39,200 sqm, putting it among the world’s 10 largest. Along with Britain’s longest indoor snow slope the complex is due to include a tropical indoor water park, luxury hotels as well as guest lodges, glamping and an adventure centre. It is not known how soon a decision is

Mountain Mountain in California as the resort has confirmed winter operations will continue through July as it approaches what’s expected to be a new all time season snowfall record. The season there could extend further with no official closing date confirmed. Mammoth has received an incredible amount of snow so far in the 22-23 season with the total at 634”/ 16.1 Metres, the resort’s is predicted to reach its season snowfall record (668”/16.96 Metres) in the next week. It’s also currently posting the deepest snowpack in the world. As California’s highest chairlift serviced peak, Mammoth Mountain is well known for its extended spring seasons. It has a long been one of few resorts that can operate so far into the

One idea being tested on several glaciers around the world in recent years has been to use snowmaking to create a layer of artificial snow in an effort to stop melting and even rebuild glaciers. However results of a study into using snowmaking on the Morteratsch glacier which has been running for two years in south-eastern Switzerland have found that while the process can slow melting, it does not stop it, nor does it stabilise the thawing glacier as a whole. In recent years glacial ice has more and more often been exposed to the direct heat of the summer sun as the ‘protective layer’ of winter snow is quickly melted off the ice during the spring. The darker ice