SKI WEATHER. by Patrick Thorne, The Telegraph. Thu, 28 December 2023 at 7:00 pm EET·6-min read.

Following promising snowfalls last weekend – which saw some Austrian resorts report accumulations of up to one metre in 24 hours and St Anton post the planet’s deepest snowpack at more than 3.5 metres – it has been a largely sunny Christmas week in the Alps.

The majority of ski resorts are now close to having all their slopes open – Les Trois Vallées boasting 80 per cent of its 600km –  and conditions are good on the pistes. Off-piste, the avalanche danger level has also dropped. However, temperatures have risen at lower elevations and in Morzine and Les Gets some slopes are reported as “grassy” – although pistes have been created down to village level using existing snow to guarantee skiing.

In France, there’s no significant snowfall in the forecast and temperatures are set to surpass +5ºC at 1,000m but slopes above 1,800m will remain in quality condition. Austria, Switzerland and Italy could see fresh snow early in the week.

Elsewhere in Europe, warm weather is taking a toll in the Pyrenees where resorts continue to struggle to open – Spain’s Baqueira Beret currently offers the most skiing, with 75 per cent of its area open, while resorts in Andorra are only halfway to being fully operational. Conditions are reported as “springlike” in Bulgaria.

Scandinavia has seen one of its first big dumps of the season with Norwegian resorts reporting up to 60cm in 24 hours. All centres in Scotland are now open and offering nursery and sledging slopes until more snow arrives.

In North America, there was a good snowfall in Colorado last weekend, but elsewhere resorts on the West Coast continue to struggle. Canada’s largest resort, Whistler Blackcomb, was left waiting for a “Christmas miracle” following rain in the village. It’s a similar story for resorts on the country’s east coast, where wet, rather than wintry weather, has dominated headlines. Unfortunately, there’s no big change in the forecast.

France
You can interpret the current conditions in France two ways – on the positive side ski resorts like Les Arcs are posting snow depths many didn’t reach until March last season (over three metres) and big ski areas like Les Trois Vallées have 80 per cent of their slopes open. On the other hand, temperatures over the past week have been warm below 2,000m and slopes have looked mostly grassy at low levels – including in Les Gets and Morzine – although pistes have been created down to resort level to guarantee skiing.

The forecast
There’s no real snowfall forecast in France this week and temperatures will reach between +5ºC and +9ºC at 1,000m altitude – this will exacerbate snow maintenance issues in lower valleys, but skiing should remain great on the pistes above 1,800m – the base of the slopes at resorts like Avoriaz and Val d’Isère.

Austria
Some Austrian ski areas saw the biggest snowfalls in the world over Christmas week and some of the heaviest of the season so far. Up to a metre in 24 hours was reported in the Ziller Valley near  Mayrhofen, with many other ski areas buried too. St Anton is now posting the planet’s deepest snowpack at more than 3.5 metres on its highest slopes.

The forecast
The sunny weather, which arrived after last weekend’s snowfall will continue until early next week when a front is expected to bring more fresh snowfall.

Italy
It’s been dry and sunny for most Italian ski areas this week. Many are close to fully open but some have limited snow cover. The huge Via Lattea (Milky Way) region on the French border, including Sestrière and Sauze d’Oulx, has thin snow cover and only about a third of its runs open. Over in the Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo reports a similar thin cover yet has managed to open 80 per cent of its slopes. At the other extreme, resorts like Cervinia and La Thuile a little further north, have snow six-to-10-times deeper and are almost fully open.

The forecast
The weather will remain sunny through the weekend, but with cooler temperatures peaking closer to freezing at low altitudes. There’s hope of fresh snowfall early next week.

Switzerland
Swiss ski areas are posting some of the best conditions in the world at present with decent snow depths and almost all terrain open. Verbier (4 Valleys) has 95 per cent of their slopes open – the highest proportion of the big ski regions. Zermatt isn’t far behind with 85 per cent of its huge area open and St Moritz, Laax and others report similar. Snow depths above 2,000m are healthy too, but, like France, some low-lying resorts have experienced warm temperatures which has thawed valley snow – although slopes down to resort level have been kept open.

The forecast
It will stay sunny into the weekend before temperatures drop and a front moves in early next week, expecting to bring snowfall from the east.

Canada
The abundant, light-fluffy powder for which Canada is famous for has yet to materialise this winter. The past week has been cold but not very snowy. The best conditions are along the Alberta/British Columbia border where ski areas like Panorama and Banff’s Sunshine are almost fully open, although the snowpack is still only 40-80cm deep. Following a disappointing start to the season and rain at Christmas, Whistler Blackcomb has only opened half its slopes.

The forecast
Unfortunately, there’s no big change in the forecast for Canada. It will continue to be cloudy and cool but there is little or no snowfall in the forecast and a danger of more rain this weekend for Quebec.

USA
There’s still a delayed start for many US ski regions, which are suffering similar issues to the Alps a year ago – too warm and dry. Alaska has the most snow, with Alyeska Resort reporting snow 1.2-2.4 metres deep. Things are improving in resorts in the Rockies, where Steamboat reported 54cm of fresh snow just before Christmas. Vail has the most terrain open in the country, with more than 70 per cent of its slopes. It’s been dry since last weekend’s snowfall.

The forecast
The forecast is clouding over but remaining cold and dry in the west. More precipitation is expected in the east but, unfortunately, it will be rain again initially for some areas.

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