Snow reliability - European Ski Resorts A-Z
This is our comprehensive guide to snow reliability in European ski resorts.
We've given each resort ratings for the 5 key elements contributing to its overall snow reliability:
1. General snow cover
The chances of decent snow cover across the ski area as a whole - both on and off-piste.
2. Snow quality (upper slopes)
Average snow quality on the upper slopes.
Note: Snow doesn't necessarily need to be deep to be of good quality. More
3. Snow quality (lower slopes)
Average snow quality on the lower slopes.
4. Resort level snow
Snow cover and quality at and around resort level.
5. Powder potential
The chances of finding powder off-piste.
Note: This takes into account both average snowfall and the potential to retain snow in a powdery state. It doesn't necessarily reflect how quickly it might get tracked out.
REMEMBER! - Our snow reliability guides are just that – guides, not guarantees!
Don't assume that a resort with a good snow record will always deliver, or that one with a poor record won't. We have encountered threadbare pistes in Tignes in January, and thigh deep powder in Morzine in April. This doesn't happen often, of course, but we should emphasise that even the "least reliable" resorts can have epic conditions - sometimes for weeks on end.
What this A-Z is designed to do is help you make a more informed choice when it comes to considering snow reliability.