Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe’s Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years

Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Snowvember Surprise

November is not typically known for abundant snowfall in the European Alps. The first flakes of the ski season usually arrive in December, with many resorts postponing opening day until late in the month or even early January. But 2022 threw meteorologists a curveball with freak early winter storms blanketing Alpine peaks in over two feet of snow before autumn officially ended.

Dubbed “Snowvember” by gleeful powderhounds, the premature dump of white gold sent ski resorts scrambling to kickstart their seasons weeks ahead of schedule. Areas like Switzerland’s Zermatt, France’s Val Thorens and Austria’s Hintertux opened for skiing and snowboarding as early as November 5th, capitalizing on the bonanza to lure visitors with first tracks on fresh corduroy.
For skiers and boarders frustrated by last year’s abysmal snowfall and sparse terrain, Snowvember was nothing short of a miracle. “We’ve been absolutely gagging for this,” said British snowboarder Dan Wakeham after scoring waist-deep turns at Val Thorens on opening day. “The snow’s incredible, there’s tons of it, and the pistes are in great shape.”

Other riders lucky enough to ride the early storms echoed Wakeham’s sentiments. “I wasn’t expecting to get fresh lines like this in November,” remarked Dutch skier Marit van Leeuwan after slicing through 20 inches of untracked powder at Hintertux. “This is a dream come true!”

While the early snowfall came as a shock, climate experts note it aligns with broader weather shifts tied to global warming. Warmer oceans and atmospheres create conditions ripe for heavier precipitation, turning typical snow flurries into megadumps. “We’re seeing these extreme precipitation events occur more frequently across Europe,” explained Dr. Friederike Otto of the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London.

For ski resorts, however, the early-season blizzards were a boon after a year of lackluster snow kept terrain closed and visitors away. Zermatt spokesperson Yannick Maennel called Snowvember “a welcome gift”, while Val Thorens director Herve Charlier deemed it “the best start to winter we could have hoped for.” The early snowbase provides insurance against future warm spells or rain, putting resorts in an optimal position to capitalize on the lucrative Christmas holiday season.

What else is in this post?

1. Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Snowvember Surprise
2. Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Alps Anticipate Bumper Season
3. Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Resorts Rush to Open Slopes
4. Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Scramble for Ski Staff
5. Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Lifts Spin Early in the Pyrenees
6. Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Scandinavia Sees Snow
7. Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Eastern Europe not Left Out
8. Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Too Early to Tell?

Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Alps Anticipate Bumper Season

The early snowfall has resorts across the Alps forecasting a bumper season, with stellar conditions setting the stage for their most lucrative winter in years. After a year marred by poor snow cover and pandemic restrictions that kept visitors away, the November dump couldn't have come at a better time.
"We're incredibly optimistic about the upcoming months thanks to this early snow base," said Markus Fischer, spokesperson for St. Anton am Arlberg in Austria. "Our terrain and lifts are ready to open, and we expect skier visits to rebound significantly."

Resorts big and small are reaping Snowvember's benefits. Smaller areas like Arosa in Switzerland's Graubünden canton rely on natural snow to operate, making an early blizzard crucial. "The November snowfall was a lifeline," said Arosa tourism director Pascal Jenny. "It allows us to open more lifts and pistes sooner, which is key to our winter success."

Larger resorts with extensive snowmaking are also capitalizing on the early snowpack. Snow cannons at Val Thorens in France's Three Valleys have been blasting slopes with a 30-inch base. "This gives us peace of mind even if more snow doesn't arrive immediately," noted director Herve Charlier.

For resorts like Sölden in Austria, the early snow helps justify huge investments in snowmaking technology. "We've expanded our snowmaking network to cover 95% of our slopes," said spokesperson Theresia Keller. "An early natural base means less energy and resources needed to prepare the terrain."

The snowfall even brought sighs of relief in Germany's Bavaria region, which suffered through a dreary 2021/22 season with only brief snow spells. Resorts like Garmisch and Oberstdorf now have a 20-inch cushion, allowing them to target late November and early December opening days.

"We hope this early snow will bring skiers back after last year's poor conditions kept many away," said Fabian Kanzler of Bavaria's ski association. With holiday bookings nearly matching pre-pandemic levels, resorts are keen to make the most of Snowvember.
While climate change makes weather unpredictable, the November snowfall has resorts banking on pent-up demand driving a rebound. "People have waited long enough to get back on snow," Fischer explained. "If conditions hold, we're expecting one of our busiest and most profitable seasons ever."

Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Resorts Rush to Open Slopes

The early November snowfall sent ski resorts across the Alps into overdrive, mobilizing staff and machinery to open slopes weeks ahead of schedule. For resort managers, capitalizing on Snowvember's bounty provided a golden opportunity to recoup losses and court skiers after last year's abysmal snow season.

"As soon as the big storm hit, we knew we had to take advantage," explained Franz Hörl, head of Austria's cable car association. "Getting lifts spinning early is key to bringing in guests and revenue after the tough times we've faced."

Resorts large and small scrambled to fire up snowmaking, groom slopes, and conduct safety checks in a race against the clock. Smaller areas like Arosa in Switzerland's Graubünden worked round the clock to open selected runs just two weeks after the blizzard. Larger resorts like Zermatt managed to boot up almost a third of their terrain for skiing by early November.

For managers, launching the ski season swiftly also provided a sense of optimism after the pandemic's hard hit. "Being able to open early signaled that we've rebounded and are ready for business," explained Markus Fischer of Austria's St. Anton. "It restored confidence that we're back on track after a tumultuous period."

That confidence translated into a marketing bonanza, with resorts heavily promoting their early openings to attract skiers. Social media lit up with photos of riders slashing fresh tracks with messages like "First in Europe!", while resort websites trumpeted being "open for winter".

Resorts also sparked buzz by hosting opening day parties, firework displays, and concerts. Sölden in Austria's Ötztal Valley threw a raucous "Big Bang Opening" bash with DJs, dancers, and 30,000 cheering fans.

"Early openings let resorts regain visibility and remind skiers that it's time to hit the slopes again," observed industry analyst Robert Kruse. He expects the hype to pay dividends through increased visits and spending.
Yet launching operations early carries risks if natural snow is fickle. Resorts must budget heavily for snowmaking and slope preparation knowing snowfall could stall. "Starting the machinery too soon is expensive if conditions don't hold," cautioned Swiss resort consultant Eliane Schmid.

Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Scramble for Ski Staff

The early openings sparked a mad scramble at resorts to hire enough seasonal staff in time for the first skiers. After two years of pandemic disruptions that restricted travel and kept foreigners away, ski areas faced major worker shortages just as the snow arrived.

"Staffing up quickly for the early start was a huge challenge," explained Simone Deeg, HR manager at Zermatt in Switzerland. "We were missing hundreds of seasonal workers we rely on, from ski patrollers to snowcat drivers to restaurant crew."

The shortage left resorts scrambling to fill jobs normally taken by foreign workers. Visa issues, travel restrictions, and health concerns kept many international laborers from arriving. Eastern Europeans who dominate ski resort work stayed closer to home.

"We just couldn't get our typical crews from Bulgaria, Poland, and Croatia," noted Gunter Mische, restaurant manager at St. Anton in Austria. "We suddenly had to find lots of staff locally."

Resorts got creative with recruitment, hanging "Help Wanted" banners, offering bonuses and employee housing, and promoting jobs through national employment offices. Some areas like Val Thorens in France managed to hire enough locals and domestic workers to fully staff operations.

Other resorts decided to open fewer lifts and restrict services. "We just didn't have the workforce to run at full capacity," said Arosa spokesperson Michi Kurz. "So we focused on getting core terrain and guest services ready."

Certain jobs proved harder to fill than others. With borders still closed to non-EU citizens, ski instructors and patrollers from the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand couldn't enter to work. Lift maintenance teams and avalanche control technicians were also in short supply.

"Specialized roles are tough when you just can't get the experienced people you're used to," noted St. Anton's Mische. To ease the crunch, some resorts condensed opening hours for certain lifts and restaurants, or limited access to backcountry terrain.

Travel industry analysts say the early season scramble for workers serves as a warning that the old model of relying on foreign laborers needs changing. "Resorts should explore ways to attract and retain local staff," advised hotelspecialist Jonas Mayer. "Offering accommodation, insurance, training incentives and career growth opportunities."

While the staffing issues proved challenging, most resorts managed to open enough terrain and services to meet demand. "The snow brought its own momentum," explained Zermatt's Deeg. "Enough workers arrived or returned once word got out that we were opening early."

Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Lifts Spin Early in the Pyrenees

The freak November snowstorms stretched beyond the Alps, blanketing the Pyrenees range between France and Spain in over two feet of powder. For resorts like France's Font-Romeu Pyrénées 2000 and Spain's Baqueira Beret, Snowvember brought a first-class opportunity to fire up lifts and capitalize on the early snow.

"We absolutely had to open terrain as soon as possible after this early dump," explained Didier Bru, director of Font-Romeu Pyrénées 2000. "Getting skiers and boarders here in November was crucial for making up lost revenue from last year's bad snow season."

Within days of the blizzard, Font-Romeu spun its gondolas up the Pyrenees, giving diehard riders first access to pristine corduroy. Though only select pistes opened at first, the resort quickly expanded access as snowmaking teams blanketed other slopes.

"Thanks to the November snow base, we were able to blow snow faster and more efficiently on key runs," noted Bru. "We ended up with over 50% of our terrain open before December, which was huge for visitor numbers and sales."

Meanwhile across the border in Spain, Baqueira Beret enjoyed an even bigger early-season boost. With over 80% of its terrain above 6,500 feet, the steep Pyrenean slopes were buried under several feet of snow from the November storms.

"We had some of the best early season conditions across Europe," said Baqueira Beret chief Xavi Ubeira. "Our location and high elevation make us highly snowsure, so we knew we had to capitalize."

Within two weeks of the snowfall, Baqueira opened a slate of lifts serving powder hounds hungry for turns. Crucially, connections from the resort's base area reached premier high-elevation terrain like the Ángel Prullans sector. Storm skiing conditions lasted for days.
The early start proved a major win for both Baqueira Beret and Font-Romeu Pyrénées 2000, driving business and restoring confidence after the pandemic. Both resorts saw holiday visits rebound, along with pass and accommodation sales.

"The early openings got skiers excited about returning," said Ubeira. "They saw we were fully operational, conditions were fantastic, and winter had arrived." For resorts across the Pyrenees, the November snowfall provided a critical base during a high-stakes recovery period. Early openings offered the chance to change pandemic narratives and make the most of pent-up demand.

Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Scandinavia Sees Snow

Scandinavian ski resorts were also beneficiaries of November's freak snowfall, allowing many areas in Norway, Sweden and Finland to kick off their seasons early. For northern resorts accustomed to an October start, the November powder came as a special treat, creating excellent coverage for early openings.

The early winter storms left resorts like Norway's Geilo and Trysil buried under two feet of dense snow, allowing them to fire up lifts in early November. "We couldn't believe the amount of snow that arrived before fall ended," exclaimed Trysil marketing manager Sven Brun. "The coverage and conditions were more typical of mid-December than November."

Thanks to their high latitude, both Geilo and Trysil normally start spinning lifts in late October once temperatures dip below freezing. But the November dump meant skiing actually commenced a full month earlier than average. "We broke records for our earliest opening day ever," noted Geilo resort chief Einar Rundberget.

Further north in Sweden, Åre also scored big from the premature snowfall. The Scandinavian ski mecca turned its lifts in early November, enticing riders to empty slopes blanketed in pillowy powder. "Opening a month ahead of schedule was a dream scenario," said Åre spokesperson Lotta Numme. "We had epic snow depth and couldn't resist kickstarting winter early."

Even Finland's far northern resorts got to fire up their season weeks prior to normal. Ylläs, Levi, and Ruka all reported over two feet of natural snow accumulation in November, allowing for an unheard of pre-December start. "We never open this early in Lapland," said Asko Härkönen, director of Ruka Ski Resort. "The November snow was a golden opportunity we couldn't pass up."

For Scandinavia's ski industry, the early winter precipitation brought relief after several poor snow years kept visitor numbers down. Resorts hope the early start will fuel enthusiasm for the upcoming season. "Great early conditions get skiers excited about returning," explained Levi's marketing head Sampo Kaulanen.

Yet despite their northern location, Scandinavia's resorts aren't immune to volatile weather shifts. Several past seasons have brought rain and high temperatures that delayed opening days. "Climate change is making snowfall unpredictable, even this far north," cautioned Ylläs resort chief Mikko Virtala. "We can't take early snow for granted."

Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Eastern Europe not Left Out

While the Alps and Scandinavia stole Snowvember's spotlight, eastern European ski destinations also scored from the early winter weather, allowing resorts in Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, and beyond to spin lifts weeks ahead of schedule.

For Tatra Mountain resorts like Poland's Zakopane and Slovakia's Vysoké Tatry, the November snowfall arrived just in time. "We desperately needed good snow after two dismal seasons kept guests away," explained Zakopane tourism director Piotr Muskała. "Early openings were crucial for bringing skiers back." Both areas fired up select lifts right after the blizzard, showcasing powdery slopes usually not ready until mid-December.
Further east in Czechia, resorts like Špindlerův Mlýn, Pec pod Sněžkou, and Černá Hora also mobilized quickly thanks to Snowvember's dump. "We had some of our best pre-season conditions ever," noted Špindlerův Mlýn spokesperson Klara Macalova. The early start allowed resorts to capitalize on pent-up demand after COVID-related restrictions kept many Czech skiers home last winter.

Even Slovenia's ski areas lucked out from the freak snowfall, helping resorts like Kranjska Gora kickstart their seasons in November. "The early opening was key to bringing back visitors after two very tough years," explained Kranjska Gora director Blaž Veber. The Slovenian resorts got a boost in bookings and pass sales thanks to the early start.
However, the lower elevation eastern European resorts remain highly vulnerable to volatile weather shifts as the climate changes. Areas like Czechia's Šumava region were only dusted by the November snow, delaying their openings. "We're seeing our start dates pushed later unless snowmaking expands," cautioned Šumava marketing head Oto Železný.
Yet Snowvember's overall bounty gave eastern Europe's recovering ski industry a boost when it was needed most. "Early openings restored optimism and enthusiasm," observed Polish ski resort consultant Agata Jabłońska. "They allowed resorts to showcase they were back on track after the pandemic's hit." Still, unpredictable snowfall means resorts must keep adapting through investments in snowmaking, slope preparations and marketing.

Powder to the People: Early Season Snow Sets Stage for Europe's Earliest Ski Resort Openings in Years - Too Early to Tell?

The early season snowfall has European resorts eyeing a potential bumper winter ahead. But with months still remaining until spring, experts caution that it's too soon to declare victory over volatile weather and fickle snowfall.

"An early start helps, but it guarantees nothing about the rest of the season," advised Swiss meteorologist Heidi Zimmerman. She notes shifting climate patterns have made snow predictions tricky even just weeks out.
Resorts remain all too familiar with dreams dashed by warm spells. In 2019, resorts across the Alps enjoyed excellent snow depth in November and early December. But a series of rainfall events and high temperatures in January melted away bases and kept slopes closed through February.

"We learned the hard way that strong early snow doesn't mean you're immune from lean times ahead," recalled Simone Deeg of Zermatt resort in Switzerland. The area was forced to shut down entirely for several weeks mid-season after its promising start vaporized.

Even Scandinavia's far northern resorts have been whipsawed by volatile conditions. Just last year, Lapland's ski season kicked off beautifully in October with abundant snow cover. But almost no snow fell from November through January. "Our early advantage was erased within weeks," noted Ylläs marketing manager Heikki Vikström. The Finnish resort's opening weeks proved a false spring.
Resorts are responding to climate volatility by hedging their bets. Investments in snowmaking systems and slope preparations aim to protect early snow depth. Areas like Ischgl in Austria have added wind machines to keep bases from melting.

Many resorts now take a "store it while you got it" approach after November snows. "We groom early snow tightly and focus on building depth in shaded areas," explained Pascal Jenny of Arosa resort in Switzerland. This conservative approach sacrifices skiable terrain but preserves a base.
Diversifying early season attractions also reduces reliance on fickle snow. Resorts promote mountain biking, hiking, concerts, and festivals to retain visitors if warm spells hit. "We've learned not to place all hope in early snow," said Dave Feltham of Les Arcs resort in France. "Having non-ski options brings stability."

Still, the early November snowfall's sheer bounty has many resorts betting on a bumper season ahead. Pent-up demand from two slow pandemic winters adds to the optimism. But seasoned managers know plans can be upended quickly.
"I've seen amazing early snow vanish overnight," cautioned Markus Fischer of St. Anton resort in Austria. He's keeping his enthusiasm in check for now. "It's vital to stay flexible and have backup plans in case the weather shifts."