The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
French ski resorts boast the deepest snow in the world while conditions in North America remain well below par, says Patrick Thorne
After a dry end to 2023, the new year has brought fresh snowfall to the western Alps with three-day accumulations of up to 90cm on the highest slopes. This, inevitably, has pushed avalanche danger levels up from a “low” (2) to a “considerable” (3) on the danger scale of 5, but has created great conditions, especially above 1,800m.
Further south, the Pyrenees continue to suffer from dry weather, which limits the amount of terrain open – but cold and snowy weather is due to arrive. Spain’s Baqueira Beret has the most slopes open (110km) while Andorra’s Grandvalira (Soldeu and Pas de la Casa) is still only 40 per cent operational. Eastern European resorts have seen some fresh snowfall in the last few days, which has helped to improve conditions.
Scottish ski centres are inching towards opening more slopes – includinjg Cairngorms’ White Lady run – thanks to colder temperatures and some natural snowfall, while in Scandinavia, extreme cold (-30C) has closed lifts at resorts like Norway’s Hemsedal. In Finland, Levi and Ruka reported warmer weather on higher runs after a temperature inversion.
Unfortunately, North America’s season continues to be well below par, with a strong El Niño system from the Pacific bringing warm and dry – or, worse, warm and wet – weather to most areas.
Things are better in the Rockies and there have been small improvements to the lacklustre conditions on the east and west coasts. Canada’s leading resort, Whistler Blackcomb, has finally managed to open more than half of its runs, thanks to sterling snowmaking efforts. Temperatures are set to drop and some snow is forecast.
FRANCE
The French Alps have seen the biggest snowfalls in the world since the beginning of the year. Chamonix has had 90cm on the Grands Montets and is the first resort anywhere to post a 4m base this season – for context, nowhere hit that mark before March last winter.
However, it hasn’t all been fluffy powder by any means – rain and sleet have reached lower valley resorts in the past week. On the plus side, those that were struggling to open at all a year ago (Les Gets, Megève and Morzine) have each reported at least 50cm of fresh snow on their higher slopes since New Year’s Day.
The forecast
Unsettled weather with more snowfall to low elevations through the weekend; colder and clearer next week.
AUSTRIA
It has been a good week for most Austrian ski areas, with a mixture of sunshine and some light snow showers. Most have 80 to 100 per cent of their slopes open, with St Anton and Lech reporting the most (270km) and the deepest snow in the country up at Valluga. Obertauern has every run open and has just reached a 2m base after more fresh snowfall.
The forecast
Changeable weather is expected through the weekend with some light to moderate snowfall. Next week will be cold and sunny, as low as -10C and rarely getting above freezing.
ITALY
Italy continues to highlight the northsouth divide in European skiing with Courmayeur, near Mont Blanc, reporting 40cm of snowfall in the past few days, while Cortina d’Ampezzo, in the Dolomites, hasn’t had any fresh snowfall for a month and reports thin cover.
Resorts in the Dolomiti Superski region are masters at snowmaking, so despite a lack of natural snow, almost every run is open.
The forecast
The southern Dolomites should finally see snowfall through the weekend, with some resorts such as Val Gardena seeing quite significant falls.
SWITZERLAND
Snowfall has returned to the Swiss Alps, improving already great on-piste conditions. Saas-Fee and Zermatt reported 10cm accumulations in the past 24 hours and Verbier has had 14cm. The 4 Vallées ski area is 95 per cent open, with the snow lying 60-180cm deep.
The forecast
Cold and snowy through the weekend, temperatures ranging between -15C and +2C, with up to 30cm more snowfall expected by the end of the weekend.