Winter is back: cold weather enables snow production

Better conditions at the weekend - more winter sports on offer in the second week of January

The new year brings the long-awaited turnaround: Winter is coming back. We can expect significantly better winter sports conditions this coming weekend. The lift operators will use the forecast deep winter temperatures to produce snow. A much wider range of winter sports is not expected until next week.

Alpine skiing

From Friday, temperatures will drop significantly and the remaining snow cover will solidify. Where there is still enough base, conditions will be good again. Due to the production of fresh snow from Saturday, some lifts could be reactivated on Sunday. However, the vast majority of the pistes will need a longer snowmaking period. Eight lifts are currently running, on Sunday there could be around ten.

- Winterberg ski lift carousel: six lifts, the operators hope to be able to activate two more on Sunday.

- Floodlit skiing is currently not possible

The number of lifts should increase daily from the middle of next week. If the forecast cold weather arrives, almost all snow-covered lifts could be running by the second weekend in January. Skiing on natural snow will not be possible for the time being.

We recommend checking the latest information online: www.wintersport-arena.de/alpin.

Tobogganing

Tobogganing on snow is currently not possible. Only with a lot of luck could a toboggan lift be running at the weekend. Up-to-date information on active toboggan lifts can be found at www.wintersport-arena.de/rodeln/rodellifte.

Alternatively, the summer toboggan runs are open in some places.

- Winterberg: SchanzenWirbel at the St. Georg ski jump, Kappe summer toboggan run at the bobsleigh run.

- Willingen: Summer toboggan run at Ritzhagen

The ice rink in Willingen is also open.

Winter hiking and cross-country skiing

Frosty air, hoar frost covers trees and meadows. You don't need a thick blanket of snow, frosty temperatures and clear weather are enough to enjoy the typical winter atmosphere. From Sunday, the weather clears up and allows a few rays of sunshine to penetrate the cloud cover. Get out of the house and let the fresh air blow around your nose - then it's the right time.

The Ettelsberg cable car transports hikers up to the Hochheide.

Cross-country skiing is currently not possible.

The weather

Winter is back, and with a vengeance. Temperatures start to drop on Friday. The sky clears up from Sunday. Dry cold with plenty of sunshine will dominate the next few days. In the first half of the coming week, temperatures will drop into the double-digit minus range at night. These are the best conditions for effective and therefore energy-saving snow production.

Prospects

With the cold weather forecast, snow guns will be buzzing everywhere, creating the required snow cover from clear water. Within a few days or the corresponding number of nights, the operators will be able to cover the slopes with the required amount of snow in this way. Around 30 centimetres are required for this. However, most operators will use the very cold first half of the week for snow production in order to secure the rest of the season. The majority of lifts will therefore only open gradually from the middle of the week.

Christmas holidays in review

The Christmas holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia are over on Sunday. However, the children on holiday in Hesse can still look forward to a lovely winter week. From NRW's point of view, the Christmas holidays were not very wintry. However, the ski resorts did everything they could to offer guests at least a small basic offer over the holidays and the turn of the year. The weather conditions were extremely unfavourable. It was not primarily mild temperatures, but above all storms and rain that gradually almost used up the blankets of snow that were created at the beginning of December. Despite the comparatively small amount on offer, the mood in the ski resorts was predominantly good.

For the rest of the Hessian winter holidays, the ski resorts are now expecting growing demand with a significant increase in supply.

Luge World Cup and winter hiking day

Hoarfrost covers the trees and meadows. In the early winter morning, the valleys look as if they have been wrapped in cotton wool. Up on the mountain, it feels like you're above the clouds: the beautiful winter weather is just right for the Upland Winter Hiking Day from 10 to 14 January in Willingen. Get out of your flat and into the mountains! Experience glittering community, wintry nature, combined with inner contemplation and culinary delights. Information at www.willingen.de/event/uplaender-winterwandertag

The Veltins EisArena in Winterberg is set to host one of the season's highlights at the end of the North Rhine-Westphalian Christmas holidays. The world's best athletes will compete in the Luge World Cup on 6 and 7 January. The competitions in Winterberg will kick off early on Friday from 9am with the races in the Nations Cup, in which the lugers from the less strong countries will secure their places for the World Cup on the following days. It will be exciting to see how the German duos Dajana Eitberger / Saskia Schirmer and Jessica Degenhardt / Cheyenne Rosenthal fare against the Austrians, who are currently leading the World Cup, on Friday. There are also chances for German podium finishes on Saturday. Julia Taubitz, defending champion in the overall World Cup, will be delighted to be cheered on. The weekend will conclude on Sunday afternoon with the spectacular team relay, in which the best of all disciplines will compete together for their nation. Info: www.weltins-eisarena.de

Event calendar

6 and 7 January EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup with Team Relay presented by BMW in Winterberg.

10-14 January Upländer Winter Hiking Day in Willingen

12 and 13 January Junior World Cup Luge in Winterberg

20 January Intersport Voswinkel floodlight evening in Neuastenberg

24 January Youth trains for the Olympics, cross-country skiing centre Westfeld

26 January Company floodlit skiing at K1 in the Willingen ski resort

27 - 28 January Continental Cup Ski Jumping in Willingen

27-28 January Postwiesen Snowboard Freestyle Festival

2-4 February FIS Ski Jumping World Cup in Willingen

3 February Bataleon 20Y Anniversary, Postwiesen Park in Neuastenberg

10-11 February The Takeover - Snowpark Event at the Winterberg ski lift carousel on the Kappe

19 February to 3 March BMW IBSF World Championships Bobsleigh and Skeleton in Winterberg

9 to 10 March Snowboard World Cup on the Poppenberg in the Winterberg ski lift carousel