Massive spring snowfall gives North America best powder of the season
It's been a season of winter extremes in both America and Europe. But while ski resorts in the Alps, across France, Austria, Italy and Switzerland, have seen record-breaking snowfall and fabulous skiing since December, the same has not been true in America, where conditions have been generally been average to disappointing - until now.
In March, and at the start of April, as most resorts are closing, a series of huge storms has brought some of the best powder of the season. Last weekend was season end for well-known American destinations like Vail and Aspen, but another storm is predicted for this weekend.
However, in a few resorts skiers and snowboarders will still be able to make the most of it - some remain open for business into May and even June.
In Colorado, Winter Park has announced that because nearly a metre of snow has fallen in the last week, while its main Winter Park mountain will close on Sunday, the Mary Jane side will now stay open until May 6. Winter Park benefits from very high altitude which helps keep snow in good condition - the Mary Jane base village is at 2,880m and the top lift goes to 3,415m.
It also looks like being an epic weekend in Breckenridge. The majority of the resort closed last Sunday, but Peak 8, the highest of its five sectors going up to 3,915m, is open until the 22nd - and the resort is expecting up to 20cm of snow tonight, with more tomorrow.
The small Colorado resorts of Eldora and Loveland Basin are open until April 22 and May 6 respectively, but the longest serving resort is likely to be Arapahoe Basin, which is expecting to be open until early June. All have late-season parties planned, with crazy spring activities like pond-skimming, swimwear days and giant Jenga, as well as live music.
It's a similar story elsewhere in America, with resorts in both the east and west of the country receiving most of their snow late in the season. Squaw Valley in California had nearly 6m in March, and a storm last weekend brought nearly 40cm more, taking the season's snowfall to over 10m, not far from its season average.
California had a phenomenal 2016/17 season, with Mammoth in particular breaking snow records - over 6m of snow fell in January 2017 and over 15m over the course of the season. However 2017/18 has been a different story - Mammoth received less than a metre of snow this January, and no more than that until March, when 3.5m brought welcome respite, and another 25cm has fallen this month. Squaw is open until May 28, and its sister mountain Alpine Meadows until May 29. Parts of Mammoth are open until the end of May.
Canada's 2017/18 season has been steadier than America's, though not quite as spectacular as last year's, but resorts have still benefited from late-season snow. In Whistler for example, Canada's biggest resort, over 13m of snow fell last season - the average is just over 11m. This season, cumulative snowfall is now over 12m, and 33cm of snow is expected in the next week. While Whistler Mountain closes on Sunday, slopes on Blackcomb Mountain are open until May 21.
There have also been dramatic swings in weather conditions in the Alps - in January we reported from Tignes when the ski area, like most others in the region, was shut due to the high avalanche risk after huge snowfalls. Also in January, up to 13,000 holidaymakers were stranded in Zermatt in Switzerland when an avalanche blocked the railway. There have also been vastly fluctuating temperatures, both extremely cold and unseasonably warm, during the course of the season.
As the European season comes to a close, conditions are warm and spring like. Avalanche risk is currently high off piste - last week the road into Tignes was again closed after an avalanche - but classic spring conditions are on offer on the pistes of high-alitude Alpine resorts, some of which are open into May.
