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Snow conditions in the Alps are broadly similar to how they have been for some time now. The deepest snow and best conditions are generally to be found at altitude in the northern half of the Alps (e.g. above 1800m in the likes of Val d’Isère, La Plagne, Engelberg, Davos, St Anton, Kaprun and Obertauern).

Lower down in the northern Alps, conditions are more mixed, especially in the north-west (e.g. Megève, La Clusaz, Leysin, Les Diablerets and Grindelwald), where exposure to rain over recent weeks has left lower slopes patchy.  

With one or two exceptions, snow depths in the southern half of the Alps are very modest. However, if you are happy staying on the pistes there is still plenty of skiing offer. Thanks to the less humid climate, with rain less likely (relative to altitude) and more prolific snowmaking, snow conditions in the southern Alps have been and continue to be generally less volatile and more consistent than in the north.

Despite relatively little natural snow, resorts in the Dolomites, for example, do currently have most of their slopes open. If it’s off-piste you are after though, for most of the southern Alps this isn’t an option.

Across the pond, snow cover in many western US and Canadian resorts is somewhat below par, with Alberta’s Lake Louise one of the better bets right now…  

For the most part there is still lots of good skiing on offer across Austria, especially at altitude where Sölden has base depths of 30/276cm and St Anton has 60/360cm.

Lower down, snow cover is more modest, and quite patchy in places below 1000m but areas such as the Ski Welt (40/80cm) still have most of their runs open thanks to a mix of natural and artificial snow.

A few centimetres of fresh snow are expected across most Austrian resorts tomorrow night, though it will not be especially significant. 

Snow conditions remain very good at altitude in the northern French Alps, with base depths of 60/280cm in La Rosière and 68/160cm in Val d’Isère. Lower down though, snow cover remains patchy, with only about half of Megève (5/130cm) currently open.

The far southern Alps currently have the least snow, with Isola 2000 (dubiously claiming 40/50cm) heavily reliant on artificial snow.

Some snow is forecast tomorrow and then again on Tuesday/Wednesday across the French Alps, excluding the far south, albeit with some rain for a time lower down.  

Snow depths are mostly still very modest in the Italian Alps, though that’s not to say that there isn’t still plenty of good skiing on offer with the vast majority of pistes in the Dolomites now open. Alta Badia has base depths of 30/45cm, while Kronplatz has 5/50cm.

Further west, the snow is a bit deeper in Cervinia (60/150cm) and La Thuile (55/150cm), but in the far south-west there is very little snow in Prato Nevoso (30cm upper base). 

Snow conditions are generally pretty good across the Swiss Alps but with some weaknesses, particularly at lower altitudes. The best options are resorts in the northern and eastern Swiss Alps with plenty of high-altitude skiing, such as Arosa (110/120cm) and St Moritz (50/100 cm).

In the far south-west, Zermatt (10/80cm) has much more modest cover, despite its high altitude, while lower altitude Leysin (0/80cm) in the west is struggling a little, with only patchy natural cover lower down. 

Snow cover in the Pyrenees may be modest but there is still plenty of piste-skiing available higher up, on a mix of natural and artificial snow. Spain’s Baqueira Beret currently has base depths of 40/50cm while France’s La Mongie has 30/40cm.

Snow conditions are better in Scandinavia, where Norway is offering the greatest number of options including Hafjell (50/70cm) near Lillehammer, where virtually all runs are open.

Scottish resorts have at last seen some snow, though the recent stormy weather means that resort authorities have not yet had the time to properly assess the situation or prepare any significant number of runs.

Most western US resorts have below average snow depths for the time of year, though there is still plenty of reasonable piste-skiing on offer in the likes of Vail and Jackson Hole, both of which have around 1m up top.

One of the better bets right now is Wyoming’s Grand Targhee, which has a 120cm upper base.

Thanks to recent snowfalls, conditions in Whistler have partially improved although snow depths remain far below average for the time of year, with just 108cm mid-mountain.

Snow conditions are more consistent further inland, despite less new snow having fallen this week. Lake Louise currently has 90cm mid-mountain and is set to turn colder over the next few days.  

Our next full snow report will be on
Friday 12 January 2024

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