18 inches of fresh snow falls in the Alps in peak summer time

A snow reporting agency issued two powder alarms for heavy snowfall in the Alps yesterday. The company, which tracks snowfall in over 2,000 ski centres in the northern hemisphere year round issues a powder alarm when a ski area reports at least 20cm (eight inches) of snow falling in 24 hours – and that usually happens between late autumn and early Spring, not in mid-Summer.

Whistler Blackcomb ski resort opens tube park and for summer skiing

Whistler Blackcomb’s Horstman Glacier has re-opened to allow summer skiing and riding until Sunday, July 25th. For the first time ever, Whistler Blackcomb will also be opening a tube park in the alpine on Whistler Mountain as snow allows. In addition the resort has announced that following its record breaking snowfall this winter, there is still more than 50 inches in some places making snowshoeing possible.

Tignes is the latest French ski area to re-open for snow sports. It’s summer season begins tomorrow, Saturday June 19th and runs to August 29th. It joins Les 2 Alpes which opened on Wednesday, a third and final French summer ski area at Val d’Isere will open shortly. Tignes has reported 5cm (two inces) of fresh snow overnight and has a 120cm (four foot) base on the Grand Motte glacier. The lifts will run from 7:15am to 1pm (as the snow tends to get too sticky under the warm sun in the afternoon).

With less than 20 ski areas still open in Europe since last winter (among them, Cairngorm in Scotland!) it seems the 2009–10 ski season can finally be determined as over. Exactly when one ski season ends and the nest begins is a matter of some debate because there’s always at least 30 or so ski areas open somewhere in the world, and mid-May is the quietest time of year before resorts begin to open in the southern hemisphere, and some of Europe’s leading resorts re-open for summer skiing and boarding on their glaciers.

Tignes is the second French resort to open for summer skiing after Les 2 Alpes a week ago. To celebrate the resort staged a bikini ski event in which a small number of enthusiasts took to the snow slopes clad only in swimwear and ski boots. Ski gloves, eye protection and sun cream were also allowed in this ‘competition.’ The lifts opened at 7.15am on Saturday, June 20, heralding the start of the summer ski season which is staged on 20km of piste on the Grande Motte glacier between 3,000 and 3,500m above sea level.