Record June Snow In The Alps; Summer In Japan Arrives a Little Late; UAH Corroborations; + Noctilucent Clouds At Solar Max

Many European ski areas that have remained open since last autumn owing to the incredible snowfall.

Record June Snow In The Alps

Winter has made a return to the high Alps —it never left really— with ski areas reporting up to 20cm (8 inches) of fresh snow through Tuesday alone. This year’s snowfall has been exceptional, contributing to a record pack across the region.

Among the resorts hit is Hintertux in Austria’s Tirol region, pictured Tuesday under a fresh blanket of snow.

Many European ski areas that have remained open since last autumn owing to the incredible snowfall, including Zermatt in Switzerland, also accessible from Cervinia in Italy, Les 2 Alpes in France, and Austria’s Molltal,.

In the past week, two more centers have opened for summer skiing: Val d’Isere in France and Passo Stelvio in Italy. Additionally, Tignes in France is expected to open for summer skiing later this month.

The latest snows follow similar accumulations at the end of May, with lighter snow showers in between. Currently, snow depths in some areas of the Alps stand over 5 meters (16.4ft), making this one of the best summer ski seasons in recent memory.

This year’s snowpack is impressive compared to historical records.

Typically, by mid-June, the Alps would see a significant reduction in snow cover. However, this year, snow levels are riding exceptionally high, rivaling some of the greatest snowpacks recorded over the past few decades.

Snow depths of up to 5 meters are more typical of the peak winter months. The continued snowfall through June is making for conditions reminiscent of the 1980s—an era which also saw notable snow accumulations.