Spanish take to the slopes as first snow arrives on the Pyrenees by Steph Ball
Yesterday the arrival of snow in the Pyrenees bought renewed hope for the Spanish that the ski season might finally get under way.
Snow fell during Wednesday, blanketing several resorts in the Aragon region, with reported accumulations of up to 15cm on the higher slopes. There were also falls of 5 to 15cm reported across the Catalonia region.
While the snow was insufficient to open most resorts, one resort, Port Ainé, was able to open a few of its pistes. However this didn’t dampen the spirits of avid snow lovers, with many Spanish taking to the slopes just to enjoy the wintry scene, or to do some sleighing.
There was also good news further south across Spain, with snow falls of 15cm across the Sierra Nevada marking the opening of resorts here too. Falls in temperature meant that snow levels could also be topped up with artificial snow from cannons.
While it has been an anxious wait for the snow, the Spanish Institute of Meteorology reminded people that it was not a rare occurrence and how in 1995 the World Ski Championships had to be cancelled in the Sierra Nevada when snow failed to arrive. It warned that with climate change, these milder episodes could become more frequent in the future and that ski resorts might have to re-invent themselves.
However, the good news is that the snow in the Pyrenees has continued overnight and is forecast to carry on in some parts until early Friday. Further ski resorts expect to open this weekend.
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