Where to Ski And Snowboard -

Glacier watch: 04 November

4th November 2009, by Chris Gill

Zermatt Wednesday 4 November

Update: Resorts are beginning to take advantage of the fresh snowfall this week – Verbier is the latest to announce weekend opening from 14 November. Lifts up at Lac des Vaux are expected to run – daily lift passes are SF35.

Here’s a quick update before our fuller round-up at the end of the week:

There is plenty of snow falling high up, as our pics show. But the weather is very unsettled at present, with fog a particular problem for Austrian areas. Several resorts are closed today, including Saas Fee and Engelberg. Conditions are pretty unpleasant almost everywhere though.

Lovely jubbly … huge flakes high in Engelberg

In Austria, Hintertux is delighting in another 20cm of snowfall, low down depths are now reported to be 80cm. The glacier is open, but visibility is poor. It’s the same story in Sölden and Stubai. Fog is a problem here too, as it isn’t windy. Pitztal is looking good, with more snow due on Friday.

Tuesday’s poor weather meant that the Tignes glacier was closed. The glacier has seen a very welcome top-up so far with reported depths rising to a healthier 50cm. Snow has fallen as low as Le Lac at 2100m (10cm).

It’s now snowing in southern Switzerland: Saas Fee’s glacier is doing much better than it’s meagre 2cm on Monday, with snow settling at resort level (1800m) and 15cm so far on Wednesday 4 November. It’s wet stuff low down, but powder where it matters! And it’s the same in Zermatt, where the lifts are still open – but would you really want to be up there today anyway?!

Any sunshine? Well, yes if you head for Italy: Val Senales has fresh powder and blue skies …

---

---

Back to features