Where to Ski And Snowboard - Concerns as resorts delay opening

Concerns as resorts delay opening

23rd November 2009, by Chris Gill

St Anton, how it should be

Two ski areas in the Alps have today (Monday 23 November) announced delays to their new winter season, following insufficient snowfall and mild weather.

Italy’s Monterosa and Austria’s Arlberg (Lech / St Anton) have announced that they will not be opening at the end of the month as previously planned.

We revealed Monterosa’s news in our Snow Snippets section, but now it seems that the lift company for the Arlberg region has been forced to take the same decision; based on the recent warm weather and lack of substantial snowfall in the forecast. In fact, only patches of snow remain at resort level.

The lack of snow has forced St Anton to postpone two starter events: the XXL-Riesentorlauf (the world’s longest slalom race) and the Ö3-Mountain Mania music event. Both have been rescheduled for 12 December. Ski tests will also have to await further snowfall. Other early season events are expected to continue as planned.

The weather right across the Alps has been unusually mild recently, with a thaw undoing much of the October snowfall’s good work; at least for slopes below 2000m. But the trend is for cooler conditions later this week. Some snow is expected in western Austria mid-week, and the freezing level is forecast to drop to between 1300m and 1700m. And it has just started snowing in parts of the French Alps …