Snow is falling at altitude in the northern hemisphere and it's forecast this weekend down to 2,000m in parts of The Alps. However probably the best place to ski is an indoor centre or artificial slope as not much is open. Here is our look at conditions round the world.

All fired up in Loveland

It is one of the quietest times of the year with less than 20 ski areas open in the mountains.

At the moment there are 55 indoor snow centres open around the world. So if you want to make a few turns then head indoors seems the best advice.

The southern hemisphere's ski season is virtually over with just a few areas open in New Zealand. Although the snow cannons have been firing up in North America, only one area is open so far.

The battle is on though to open between other resorts as Loveland and Arapahoe basin make snow like it is going out of fashion.

In Europe there are 13 areas to choose from on the glaciers where temperatures are hovering around freezing.  The weather is pretty settled, and more areas will open this weekend, including the first outside the Alps. In Verbier snow is forecast down to resort level and it should be falling elsewhere too.

It's been 3 weeks since the last fall and much of it has gone.  Below is a picture from Les Ruinettes, above Verbier.

Here is the PlanetSKI overview with the help from our friends over at skiinfo.com

If you want real snow in Europe then Austria is the place to be. Seven glaciers are open.

AUSTRIA: The upper slopes at the Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun are open with a 57cm.

9km of runs are open on the Molltal glacier that has a 90cm base.

Solden has more terrain - 22.1km of runs - open, but the snow depth is 45cm.

The Pitztal glacier has six lifts operating, Kaunertal three but the Tux glacier, open virtually year round, continues to have one of the biggest areas available, with 42km of runs and a near 600m vertical.

The Stubai glacier near Innsbruck has a 60cm base and nine runs open.

SWITZERLAND: It will have four ski areas open this weekend with the Diavolezza glacier joining Engelberg, Saas-Fee and Zermatt.

Engelberg's lifts on Mt Titlis are open from 8.30am every morning, currently there's a 40cm base.

Nine lifts, including the six-seater Ice Flyer chairlift and three runs are open.

Saas-Fee and Zermatt are open as usual with between 1.2 and 1.8m  of snow lying on the piste.

It's just over three weeks before the World Cup arrives in Saas-Fee for the first outdoor snowboarding competition of the season.

The resort will be building twin half pipes in its Allalin glacier snowpark.

A fifth area, Glacier 3000 near Diablets and Gstaad, will open on the 30th.

ITALY: Passo Stelvio is reporting the deepest snow at an open ski area anywhere in the world at present with a two metre accumulation.

Val Senales is the other Italian centre currently open with a 1.5m  base.

Cervinia is due to re-open at the end of the month.

FRANCE: Only Tignes is open and with the exception of a brief appearance by Les 2 Alpes at the end of the month, will remain so until late November.

It currently has a 30cm base and there are many race teams training up on the Grande Motte glacier.

FINLAND: Europe's first non-glacier ski area is scheduled to open at Ruka in Finland this Friday, 15th October.

A 2km long cross country run has opened already on Sunday, one of several in the country.

Finnish media is reporting more cross country tracks open in the country at this time of year than ever before.

Most have maintained the snow .

USA: In North America Timberline in Oregon is the only area open, although only at weekends, with a 75cm base.

However temperatures have dipped on both sides of the continent and Arapahoe Basin and Loveland in Colorado have begun making snow, as has Sunday River in Maine.

 However resorts had begun opening by this time last year, so it seems they're a few days behind this 'winter' 2010-11.

There's been fresh natural snowfall too, Breckenridge, one of the world's highest resorts and ski areas and steamboat both reported a white coat this week, while the piste patrollers at Silverton Mountain have made first tracks in Colorado on their mountain.

CANADA: Mt Norquay by Banff looks likely to be the first area to open in Canada, for its 85th season, on 30th October.

There are few ski areas open in the southern hemisphere now with all ski areas closed in Africa, Australia and South America.

NEW ZEALAND: However three centres are open still in New Zealand.

Mt Hutt still has a 1.55m base and received another 10cm of snow on Sunday 10th.

On Mt Ruapehu both ski areas were closed this week by strong winds and fresh snow bringing blizzard conditions, but Whakapapa has a 1.76m base and Turoa a little more.

It will be the last area in the southern hemisphere open through to November.

PlanetSKI snow report
PlanetSKI.eu
Monday October 15, 2010

Warm in The Alps, many resorts have closed in the southern hemisphere

It's warm in The Alps and many resorts have closed in the southern hemisphere. There are actually more indoor ski centres open than ski resorts. See our report on condtions around the world.

Tignes, France

This is one of the quietest times of the year and most of the resorts in Australia, New Zealand and South America have closed but little has re-opened in the north.

If you want to ski the best place might actually be indoors.

There are less than 30 ski areas open worldwide - less than 5% of the total across the world.

50 indoor snow centres and artificial slopes are open.

Last weekend the Snowboard World Cup did exactly that.

This week New Zealand has the most ski areas open, with nine centres to choose from, but Austria is not far behind with seven glacier ski centres to choose from.

Elsewhere in Europe there are still several areas open in Italy and Switzerland with Tignes the lone ski area open in France.

You can also ski or board in South America,  where just the Cerro Catedral ski area in Argentina is open. Just. In the USA the Timberline ski area in Oregon has re-opened (Fridays to Sundays) last weekend.   

13 ski areas are currently open in the Alps.

So here's the detail from our readers and reporters around the world the help from our good friends at skiinfo.com

AUSTRIA: In Austria the recently re-opened Kitzsteinhorn glacier above Kaprun has some of the country's best conditions with a 70cm base and upper slopes open.

The Molltal glacier has 4 lifts running serving 9.5km of runs and a 90cm base.

The Pitztal glacier has entered the second month of the season from 28-35cm and six lifts operational, Kaunertal 40-60cm of snow and three lifts running.

Solden has one of the largest areas in the alps open at present with 21km of runs served by 6 lifts while the Stubai has 7 runs open and a 60cm base. 

But the Tux glacier has the largest ski are open in the northern hemisphere are present with 42km of piste over a 565m vertical served by 13 lifts with a 1.2m base. The Dachstein glacier has 10cm of snow crust on the glacier and remains closed.

FRANCE: Only Tignes is open and there have been mixed conditions up on the Grand Motte glacier. It has a 30cm base.

Scott Pleva from the ski instruction company, Inside Out, is teaching on the glacier.

He is a regular reader of PlanetSKI and Inside Out is one of our partners.

"A few days ago it was a wash out as very high winds kept the entire glacier shut.  Fortunately the next day we awoke to blue skies and about 10cm of fresh on the glacier, and the snow line down to about 2,800m," says Scott.

 "Skiing conditions remain excellent on the glacier, with the regular top-ups of snow over the last week.  The odd icy patch is coming through, but mainly in the race lanes.  Overall it has been an amazing start to the pre-season.  Lets hope it bodes well for the winter!"

There are many race teams out in the resort including the French Paralympic team that is training.

Scott has seen them and has just one comment to make "Those guys can ski!"

SWITZERLAND: The country now has three centres to choose from with Engelberg having joined Saas Fee and Zermatt.

A fourth option the Diavolezza glacier near St Moritz is due to open the weekend after next.

Saas Fee reported 5cm of fresh snow last week and it now has a 1.2m base.

ITALY: Two ski centres are currently open in Italy, Passo Stevio and Val Senales.

The latter has a metre 10 150cm of snow lying, the last fall 10cm a week ago on September 28th.

NEW ZEALAND: In the southern hemisphere New Zealand is the only country with a sizable number of ski areas still open.

It is the last week or so of the season at most areas. However Ruapehu has said its Turoa area will stay open to November, both Whakapapa and Turoa currently have a near 1.8m base.

We have already reported on the extended re-opening here on PlanetSKI.

Some areas have already closed however including Lake Wanaka's ski areas.

Treble Cone closed on a high note on Sunday afternoon with a record number of final-day visitors and the fancy dress Slush Cup, bringing to an end a successful 2010 season.

They closed with an end of season record base of 232cm in the Saddle Basin and 108cm in the Home Basin.

Treble Cone marketing manager Nigel Kerr said he was delighted with the way the season had gone and the overall visitor numbers.

"We are really pleased with this year's season and gaining greater local support. Mother Nature certainly served up some interesting weather patterns with a bountiful supply of snow throughout spring, we are already looking forward to opening day next year," he said.

Although now closed, there is a final opportunity to get the last turns of the season at Treble Cone, this weekend for the local charity fundraising day with the proceeds going to the Aspiring Avalanche Dogs.

And here's a final snow report fromThe Remarkables posted on 7th October - they've still got amazing snow.

AUSTRALIA: Australia's ski areas are now closed but most are reflecting on their season.

It wasn't the greatest but artificial snow helped them out.

Mt Hotham's snowmaking team had 22 brand new Techno Alpin snowguns bringing the total to 77.  They produced 424,417 cubic metres of snow.

That's the equivalent of 42,442 truckloads of snow.

PlanetSKI snow report
PlanetSKI.eu
Monday October 11, 2010