Getting snow onto the ski hills and resorts that people love to travel to for recreation is a pre-occupation that all ski resort owners must think about at all times if they want to keep their resort fully stocked with the snow that they need to keep their guests happy and allow them to participate in the skiing that they want to do.
The question arises about how much snow is necessary to keep a ski resort fully stocked and ready to go.
How Much Snow Is Necessary?
This is not an easy question to answer. The correct answer can vary from location to location. The most seasoned skiers out there will even say that the amount of snow that has fallen in an area is less important to them than what happens to be underneath the snow.
If there are potential dangers under the snow, then skiers would much rather know about those before they potentially cause them some harm.
It can be very dangerous to not know what is underneath all of that snow, and people won’t want to come back to a resort where they potentially have to risk their health just to get out on the slopes for a while.
That doesn’t sound like a good time for anyone, and it can certainly be a major hazard for those who just want to get out and enjoy a little skiing recreationally.
What Time of Year Has The Best Snowfall?
In North America and throughout Europe, the best time of year for the most snowfall is somewhere between January and February. That is when you are very likely to get the highest volumes of snowfall. That said, many resorts open their doors as early as November.
Thus, it is possible that the early birds who come to check things out won’t necessarily get the amount of snowfall that can make it possible for them to enjoy the most delightful skiing experience that they possibly can.
They are coming when the season has just started, but they are potentially getting there just a little too soon for what they are trying to accomplish. They may be cheating themselves out of what would have been an amazing skiing experience. If possible, skiers should try to wait until the snowfall is a bit heavier around January or February.
How Long Will The Snow Stick Around?
The amount of snow and the length of time that it sticks around are both factors of the weather in and around the resort. It is often the case that some of the most fun resorts to go skiing in are resorts where they are able to retain the snowfall that they get much better than anything else.
It is not necessarily that those resorts get more snowfall than some others, it is just that they are able to better retain the snowfall that they do get. The retention of snowfall that does occur tends to be more important than total snowfall amounts.
Yes, you need to have some snowfall appear at all in order for this to make sense, but you should also think about how a massive amount of snowfall won’t make up for the fact that some resorts are unable to retain the snowfall levels that they start with in the first place.
If you are a skier looking for the best places to enjoy your passion, then you ought to consider going to the resorts where it is possible to enjoy snowfall that sticks around.
Check Up On Snowfall Reports Before You Go
It is essential that you check up on snowfall reports before you make your way out to the slopes. You want to be up-to-date on the latest reports of snowfall in the area because you want to know what kind of levels of snow pact you can expect.
Additionally, you want to keep up with conditions to know if there are days when you should avoid the slopes entirely. After all, you don’t want to endanger yourself or others if you go on a day when you really ought to have steered clear of the slopes entirely.
This does happen to people sometimes, and it is unfortunate, but you can take action today to keep yourself safe from that type of thing happening to you.
What Kind Of Snowfall Do You Need To Cross-Country Ski?
What are you looking for in terms of snowfall if you decide that you would like to cross-country ski?
This is something that may be relevant to at least a few people out there, and it is important that those individuals have the opportunity to learn how much snow they need to be on the lookout for if they are going to take on cross-country skiing as a hobby.
They ought to at least have an idea about the quantity of snow that makes sense for them to go out and give it a try. Cross-country skiing is a lot different than traditional skiing in that you need to be prepared to travel long distances across different ice and snow conditions.
It is fairly typical that people who cross-country ski are very athletic and built for this kind of activity. That said, you still need to make sure the conditions are right before you plunge yourself into the outside world in a way that could potentially put yourself or others in danger.
Twenty inches of snow is the absolutely minimum that any ski resort will allow for there to be if they are going to allow people to do some cross-country skiing. That is just the minimum though. They may even require forty inches of snow if there are a lot of rocks and other obstacles in the way.
Thus, there are reasons to look for at least that much snow (and preferably a lot more!) before you consider going out for cross-country skiing purposes. The resort may turn you away entirely if they believe that conditions are not right for this activity. You can and should check the snow report before you get out there to check it out.
The Bottom Line
There are a lot of things to consider when you think about skiing and the amount of snow necessary to have a good time doing it. You should keep all of these factors in your mind at the same time.
You don’t want to put yourself in a position where you are potentially going to miss out on the best skiing experiences simply because you didn’t check a weather report or something like that.
You can’t allow yourself to end up that far behind the 8-ball and end up showing up at a ski resort that you can’t even utilize because the snowfall is not correct for what you need.
It is, unfortunately, the case that many people allow themselves to be put in this situation, but you can strike back and make better decisions about how you will spend your time out on the slopes.
The ski resorts are going to do everything in their power to accommodate you, but you need to be willing to work with them to. Contribute towards you enjoyment of your trip there by keeping an eye on the weather and checking snowfall totals.