The North American ski season has been well underway for almost a month now and indeed it has hosted multiple World Cup ski events in Colorado and Alberta, with some of those events having been moved from Europe due to the snow drought of November. If you saw those events it was clear that Alberta has had big dumps of snow but Colorado just had enough coverage to host the events.

The recent weather has not done much to change that general situation and so right across Canada now there is excellent deep snow skiing on offer. Whistler is fully open with good skiing at all elevations and fresh snow in the forecast. In the USA the skiing in Colorado is still decent, but nothing exceptional by their high standards. Utah has good early season skiing in Snowbird and Park City. Over on the East the weather has been less extreme than the season starting conditions that dumped snow on the New England resorts a few weeks ago, and so this week they have mostly groomed packed snow, with pleasant sunshine skiing on offer.

The European ski season is well and truly under-way now and the Alps have snow cover at all elevations. It has been a dramatic turnaround following the almost complete lack of any snowfall through November. Now resorts are working hard to secure and prepare pistes and more are opening for the season every day. Within the next week, more or less all resorts across Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland will open.

Snow depths do still have some way to go to reach the averages we typically have at this time of year but the forecast suggests this will be achieved. In recent days the snowfall has affected mostly the northern Alps so some parts of Italy have not caught as much as they would like. However in these locations snow cannons are working hard and this allows pistes to open, with any fresh snow on top a bonus.

Elsewhere in Europe there is also positive news to report. Norway and Sweden are getting fresh snow and resorts are starting to open, Scotland is being blasted with storm-force winds and snow so lifts will open in the Highlands once the weather eases. In Germany and in Eastern Europe snow is falling and resorts are confident of opening on schedule, most opening by mid December. Andorra and Spain have snow but need more, though some uplift is already available.

Boom, the new ski season in North America is underway and like last winter they are once again reporting more snow than we have in Europe. Certainly the bumper snowstorm that swept the eastern seaboard at the start of the month means the first powder dump of the season award goes to the resorts of New England where Killington is now open, albeit with only a few trails offered. Summit County in Colorado is a traditional early opener and Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain and Keystone are all offering uplift already.

Elsewhere there is already adequate snow cover to ski but of course North American lift operators, ever fearful of litigation, are more cautious than European centres when it comes to allowing a trail to be declared open and so the majority of opening dates remain at least two weeks away at the largest resorts. In Canada excitement and snow depths are building but no uplift is yet on offer.

Bang, the European ski season is underway! Unfortunately it is not a very loud bang as winter has not yet turned up in the Alps. Despite that slight hitch skiers are already getting in their first turns of the new season. The ski season traditionally starts where it left off, in the highest resorts of the Alps, and currently Hintertux in Austria, Tignes in France, the Presena Glacier above Passo Tonale in Italy and Zermatt in Switzerland are offering probably the best of what is currently available.

Depending on the weather and the day of the week Austria has up to 6 glacier resorts open now for skiers, Switzerland, Italy and France have two or three each. All eyes are on the forecast then and whilst its not even mid November the resorts and lift operators will already be keen to at least see temperatures low enough to allow snowmaking to begin in critical areas. Beyond the Alps the other European resorts have yet to get going with very little or no snow to report on.

The snow reporting season for Weather2Ski pushes off at the end of October for another 6 month roller coaster ride through the European and North American winters. Last season there were contrasting conditions between the Alps, where the snowfalls were well below average, and the Rockies, where deep snow conditions were on offer all winter.

Weather2 have been producing European and North American snow reports for 10 years now. This season our report sources reach us via email, blogs, tweets, cams and the websites of all the lift operators and tourist offices. Skype and Facebook are other great reporting tools we rely on. And of course we also consider the inputs of Weather2’s very own modelled snowfall predictions versus the actuals we know. Ironically, the evolution of snow reporting (from having no easy sources – pre Web – to now having an abundance) has not made the job easier… or I should say it has not made it easier if the intention is to provide a reliable service – something we are committed to doing.

Even with a fully optimised Web based reporting system it is still just hard graft that collates and confirms sources and reports. Official measuring stations are required to establish actual snowfall but the convention of ski reporting, subject to frequency of update, is to provide a consolidated snow depth on lower and upper slopes. This figure and the location it is measured is usually randomly determined by the resort and it therefore needs to be handled with great care by our reporters, especially so if the resort’s marketing dept have in any way interfered with it!

In my previous blog post I wrote about how various weather conditions could affect one’s health. However, as many of the symptoms I listed seemed to be adverse, I have decided to follow up with a more cheerful article, about how to have fun outdoors, in any type of weather. Below is a list of 5 great reasons to brave the elements.

1. SNOW – If it’s snowing, take up a snowsport! This can include Skiing, snowboarding, sleighing, or snowmobiling. Broadly speaking the snowsport season extends from November to April (in the Northern Hemisphere) Giving you six months to make the most of the world’s best snow. Then, if you are truly snow-mad, just nip over to New Zealand or South America and do it all over again. Here is a great website detailing the best ski and snowboarding resorts in the world: http://www.thebestskiresorts.info/

2. ICE – Reputedly invented in Finland 4000 years ago, Ice-skating has since been enjoyed by the full spectrum of society, from peasants to kings – Napoleon III was allegedly proficient at it. Ice skating can take many different forms including figure skating, ice hockey, and tour skating. A thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining experience, despite the risk of incurring a bruise or two. Here is a guide to rinks and clubs in the UK area: http://www.iceskating.org.uk/rinksclubs

3. WIND – Many sports that revolve around harnessing the power of the wind in order to generate motion. There are a huge amount of wind sports to choose from, including surfing, windsurfing, sailing, hang gliding, kite jumping and sail biking. However, if adrenaline sports are not your cup of tea, then you can still enjoy a spot of kite flying!

4. RAIN – Admittedly it took me a while to think of an activity which is enhanced by rain, but I got there in the end… and it’s fishing! Apparently rain oxygenates the lake or river as well as washing grubs and insects into it, both of which contribute to an increase in the amount of fish. Read more about fishing in the rain here: http://fishkeep.net/articles/general-fishing/202-fishing-in-the-rain

5. SUN – When the sun comes out it’s time to pursue any one of a number of outdoor activities. Whether you’re competing in your favourite sport such as cricket, golf, football, or tennis, or indulging in a more relaxing pastime such as gardening, bird-watching, or sunbathing, each and every one of us loves a warm sunny day.

And there you have it! Proof that you have fun outdoors, whatever the weather.

To what extent can the phrase “feeling under the weather” be taken literally? In other words, can the climate really affect our physical and psychological health? The answer is an emphatic ‘yes!’ From seasonal conditions such as hay fever, heatstroke and flu, to the beneficial properties of sunlight, biometeoroligists have established an irrefutable link between ‘weather’ and ‘wellness’. Here are a few examples of this phenomenon.

The most obvious example is the effect of air temperature on our bodies. When it’s cold, we shiver to produce heat, and when it’s hot we perspire in order to cool down. Furthermore prolonged exposure to cold temperatures can result in hypothermia and pneumonia, as well colds and flu’s. Conversely, during the summer months, overexposure to the sun’s rays can cause sunstroke, dehydration and sunburn.

However, some exposure to sunlight is necessary for healthy physiological and neurological functioning. The sun is our main source of Vitamin D, which is crucial for absorbing calcium, ergo for maintaining healthy bones.

Our climate’s influence on us is not merely limited to physical symptoms but can also manifest itself mentally. One example of this is seasonal affective disorder (SAD) – experienced by around 6% of Americans and 2% of Brits. SAD is partly thought to be triggered by seasonal variations in light. Studies have shown a positive correlation between sunlight and serotonin levels, and an inverse correlation between sunlight and melatonin. Consequently those SAD sufferers who have not seen enough sunlight during the winter months may be susceptible to bouts of lethargy and depression.

Air purity is another factor affecting our nation’s health. During the early summer months the raised pollen count can trigger hay fever, characterised by irritated eyes and a dripping nose. High pollution levels in the atmosphere can cause and exacerbate lung conditions such as asthma and bronchitis.

In conclusion it is easy to underestimate the dramatic impact our environment can have on our general wellbeing. However, by staying well informed, and by keeping an eye on the daily forecast, you can stay healthy and enjoy the weather to its full potential.

Sources:

“Brain Serotonin Production Directly Related To Degree Of Sunlight” by Harvey McConnell

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/weatherwise/living/effects/

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder

 http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Seasonal-Affective-Disorder.htm

 http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50592