Snow Report 10 April 2015 - Europe & Japan

Hello, konnichi-wa, bonjour, and buon giorno! Just a few weeks to go in 2014/15!

JAPAN

The last snowfall for much of Japan was all the way back on and around the 25th March, so you can understand why the webcams are beginning to show lots of patches of grass lower down at the ski resorts. Some of these lower lifts are beginning to close now and skiing is moving up to the higher slopes only at some ski resorts.

Happo One 30.03.15 [Source: Happo FB page]

It was a warm weekend with temperatures reaching into the double figures. Rain arrived on Sunday on Honshu and continued through Monday and into Tuesday in places.

There was a dusting of snow midweek at a few ski resorts, but then it turned out fine again through the rest of the week.

The coming week looks a bit rainy, with the best skiing on the fine days in between.

Happo One: 200cm@1400m, 0cm@850m Closing 10th May
Nozawa Onsen: 300cm@1650m and 0cm@650m Closing 7th May
Akakura Kanko: 290cm Closing 7th May
Gala Yuzawa: 290cm Closing 7th May
Dynaland: 160cm
Zao Onsen: 160/60cm Closing 7th May
Niseko Grand Hirafu: 375/55cm Closing 7th May

FRANCE

Val Thorens 09.04.15 [Source: Val Thorens FB page]

Strong winds and rain caused havoc in the northern French Alps last week. This cleared somewhat approaching the weekend. Then some snow arrived to freshen the slopes, especially boosting the snowdepths at the upper slopes of the higher resorts.

This week has been fine and sunny, but the next week is looking a bit mixed with some rain in the forecast in places. In between there might be some nice, sunny days. What is certain is that it will be warm.

Isola 2000: 175/125cm Closing 19th April
Serre Chevalier: 120cm@2800m/0cm@1400m Closing 19th April
Les Arcs: 205cm@3200m, 55cm@1600m Closing 25th April
Val Thorens: 255cm@3200m, 145cm@2300m Closing 10th May
Val d'Isere: 190cm@2500m, 96cm@1850m Closing 3rd May
Chamonix: 200cm@3275m, 140cm@1972m Partial Closing 21st April

Monte Rosa 27.03.15 [Source: Monte Rosa FB page]

ITALY

A sunny springtime in Italy, and all that that brings to the ski slopes. Expect beautiful warm days, but variable piste conditions.

Some smaller ski areas have closed. Here are closing dates for the bigger ones:

Monte Rosa (Gressoney-la-Trinite): 200/60cm Closing 3rd May
Madesimo: 150/100cm Closing 12th April
Madonna di Campiglio: 150cm@2250m, 10cm@1500m Closing 12th April
Val Gardena: 90cm@2500m, 10cm@1400m Closing 12th April