[The Local] A combination of an icy winter and a chilly spring has meant that for the first time ever in the month of June, skiers will have the option of heading to the pistes in the French Pyrénées, French TV TF1 reported on Wednesday.
After recent cold weather, bosses at the ski station Porte Puymorens in the Pyrénées-Orientales region of the mountain range that divides France from Spain have taken the exceptional step to re-open the slopes this weekend after they had closed them at the end of the season in April.
The Pyrénées witnessed heavy snow falls throughout the winter that led to regular avalanche alerts being put in place.
At one point in the ski season, stations had to close because there was too much snow.
Spring in France, which forecasters say has been the coldest in 25 years in some parts of the country, has meant the snow, which would normally have melted away by this time of year, is still in abundance.
Charre said that slopes running between 1600m and 2500m in altitude “have as much snow as in winter”.
“From 2,100m upwards, everything is still pristine without any tracts of earth showing through. The snow is on average 70cm to 80cm thick and in some places there are still drifts of up to five metres deep,” he added.
A Swiss resort said it might re-open, then changed its mind, but Planetski doesn’t think skiing in summer is good at all.
Most ski resorts are wet and worried.
In November they are concerned about whether there will be enough snow and if reports of bare slopes will harm winter business – now they fear they will not see the sun and the reports of the bad weather will simply put people off a summer visit.
Here at PlanetSKI we have been speaking to resorts and national tourist offices and their mood is glum.
People do not want to come to the mountains in the summer and get soaked.
There have been huge marketing campaigns and much money spent on promoting summer in the mountains.
…
We are a ski web site, but are we pleased that ski resorts are re-opening in June?No.
We want summer.
England has just experienced its coldest Spring since 1891, according to the Central England Temperature Series. Capetown recorded it’s earliest June snowfall in years.
Scientifically, of course, this means nothing. (Why do I even have to say that?)
It’s not global anyhow, we here in winter in Perth Australia have absolutely no snow. Not a flake*. ; )
This post is partly for the pet troll who doesn’t think skeptics should be allowed to discuss the weather. (Alarmists can blame a tornado on your SUV, but if a skeptic mentions record cold, it’s a groupthink dog-whistle, wink, wink and anti-science.)
Post tagged: Meaningless Weather Stuff
h/t Steven Goddard & Marc Morano.
*All ski resorts shut (it’s been a bad-ski-season in Perth since 12,000BC).