Snowfalls blanket Queenstown

Mother Nature has responded to a call for snow and blanketed New Zealand’s Southern Lakes region over the past week, leaving its six ski fields in superb shape for the winter season. Queenstown is buzzing after continuous heavy snow falls, combined with consistently cold temperatures, brought snow downtown and turned the resort and its surrounding mountains into a magical winter wonderland. “It’s snow time!” said Destination Queenstown CEO Tony Everitt.  “Everyone’s really fired up, people have been pouring into town and businesses are pumping.  There’s always a real buzz when the snow comes in force, particularly when we get it downtown.

Californian ski resorts have over 500 inches of snow

A number of resorts in California have reported their snowfall totals have passed the magic 500 inches (43 feet/12.5 metres) mark in the past 24 hours. Squaw Valley and Northstar at Tahoe were amongst resorts to pass the 500 inch mark. In Squaw’s case still with two months of the season to go. The totals follow falls of at least 20 inches in the past 24 hours.

The huge snow totals are the result of a La Nina weather pattern from the pacific which has broughtregular abundant snowfall to the region for the past four months.

However further north resorts including Mt Baker in Washington state and Mount Washington on Vancouver Island in Canada have had more snow still, both reporting snow depths at present of around seven metre (23 feet)

The 500” plus benchmark has only been reached three times in the past 13 years and never before April at Squaw Valley’s 2010–11 winter season, the new snow is setting the Lake Tahoe resort up for a truly phenomenal spring skiing season.

Squaw Valley received 2 feet of snow in the last 24 hours, bringing the season’s snowfall totals to 518”. After a brief respite, a colder storm is slated to deliver an additional 1 to 2 feet of high quality powder on Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19 with snow showers predicted through Tuesday, March 22.

With a current base of 203” and more snow on the way, Squaw Valley USA is slated to have a phenomenal spring skiing season. Ranked one of the Top 5 Spring Skiing destinations in North America by The New York Times, Squaw Valley offers a mountaintop pool and hot tub overlooking the Sierra, incredible spring snow conditions and one of the longest ski seasons in the country. Squaw Valley boasts Lake Tahoe’s longest winter season with a scheduled closing date of May 8, 2011.

For skiers and riders looking to take advantage of the great conditions, the resort will be selling a discounted Spring Season Pass for $199, valid from April 11th through the last four weeks of the 2010–11 winter season.

http://www.visitcalifornia.com/

Spectacular conditions at Whistler Blackcomb in Canada

More than 74 centimetres (29 inches) of snow has fallen in Whistler over the past week — more than a foot in the last 24 hours — and Mother Nature is showing no signs of letting up.

Another 20 centimetres (eight inches) is forecast to fall by Friday, and an additional 45 centimetres (18 inches) forecast through the weekend. The current snow base at Whistler and Blackcomb mountains sits at 331 centimetres — nearly 11 feet.

This year’s snowfall accumulation — sitting at a whopping 1,196 centimetres (471 inches) or more than 39 feet — is shattering the resort’s average annual snowfall of 33 feet. And it’s only the beginning of March!

March in Whistler is also family month: kids can ski, rent and eat for free. Great family savings are also available at a number of restaurants and activity and service providers.

http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/