Austria Experiencing "Unreal" Start To Ski Season

Ella Boyd
·2 min read

Do you ever see footage that makes you drool? We did, when a video in Reddit/skiing showed some delicious, wide open glades with buttery soft pow and only two people on 'em.

The video was from Leogang, also known as Saalfelden Leogang. With 32 lifts and 40682 feet of vertical, all Leogang needs is snow... and it has that!

View the original article to see embedded media.

The filmer wrote, "Powstria keeps delivering at Leogang. Expecting more than a meter of freshies next couple of days. Unreal start of the season."

Skiing is a wildcard, because each season is fresh and exciting. That's what we tell ourselves when there isn't as much snow as the last season: things are always changing, right?

In Austria, things certainly did.

Last year, resorts across Europe struggled to open and stay open as there just wasn't enough snow to operate as normal.

Specifically, according to MetMatters, a meteorology society, "Kitzbühel, Austria, has seen a decline in natural snow cover due to rising temperatures, which has led to a shorter ski season and increased reliance on snowmaking equipment."

"In fact, a UN report over a decade ago identified Kitzbühel as a likely early victim of climate change, yet thanks to snow farming, they’ve managed to extend their season to 200 days from October to early May (albeit very limited outside the main season)."

Watch a quick news report on climate change's effects on skiing in Europe below.

Albeit the continued presence of climate change, Austria is seeing some serious snow right now.

What do you think, does this bode as a good or bad sign for us on the West Coast of the US? Are you planning a European ski trip now?

Remember, it's Europe. No sweatpants, even in the base lodge. And if you blow it... you're from Canada!

Related: From Austria With Love—The Beauty of the Alps and the Joy of Fresh Powder

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