How Much Snow does a Mountain Need to Open its Pistes?

Skiing on top of Piste 2 in Pila, with inversion in the bottom. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. The Must-Read Guide to Pila, Aosta Valley
How much snow does a mountain need to open its pistes? With the news of incredible warm temperatures in the Alps, and how many lower ski resorts could not open or needed to close last week, I want to dig in how much snow does a resort needs to open.
 
It is not a straightforward answer!
Evening ski in Pila. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. How Much Snow does a Mountain Need to Open its Pistes?
Evening ski in Pila. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. How Much Snow does a Mountain Need to Open its Pistes?
 
It depends on several factors:
 
*Altitude
*Mountain Orientation
*Depth of Snow before Snowfall
*Has the mountain grassy fields or rocky soil
*Temperatures
*Availability of Snowmaking (man-made snow)
Le Vieux Grenier- 80 cm x 60 cm - £1300 + shipping. In my store. Soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on La Carte Pastel.
Le Vieux Grenier- 80 cm x 60 cm – £1300 + shipping. In my store. Soft pastels, pan pastels and pastel pencils on La Carte Pastel.
 
Let me delve a bit more on each subject!

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