Conditions Report
Report from Saturday and Sunday, February 25 & 26, 2023
You may have heard about the abysmal season much of Europe is having on SnowBrains, but the European Alps are an expansive area and there are some pockets where snow has been good. Obertauern is one such place.
Obertauern is known in Austria as the “Snow Bowl” and its reputation did not disappoint.
Obertauern receives an average snowfall of 202 inches (512cm) annually and has an average snow depth of 101 inches (256cm). The current snowfall count is at 177 inches (450cm) and the current snow depth is at 67 inches (170cm), which means it looks like an about average season for the snow bowl of the Alps.
The first day we mainly spent on groomed runs but five inches of snow fell on the weekend, so we made the most of the fresh snowfall and explored the snow drifts in sides pistes and bowls below chairs. While the fresh snow was not super deep and you could feel the crunchy older snow in certain areas, there were plenty of pockets with accumulations of deeper powder.
Obertauern is located about 75 minutes from Salzburg and is situated at 5,348ft (1,630m). The top elevation reaches 7,589ft (2,313m) and the ski area stretches across 62.5 miles (100km) of groomed runs serviced by 26 lifts, including a cable car, a chondola, and 18 chair lifts. The infrastructure is very modern and queues are very small. There are also 16 miles (26km) of cross-country trails for lovers of Nordic skiing.
If you are in Europe or planning a trip, I would definitely recommend Obertauern this season. The snow depth is sure to hold up for the remainder of the season and there is more snow forecast next week. Temperatures will not go above the freezing point in the next 10 days, so the snow cover is bound to remain perfect.
