The mercury continues to meander up and down the temperature scale bringing fantastic powder snow conditions and picturesque scenes in villages, only to be followed by warming temperatures and rain which for some resorts has wiped away the early gains.
The exception being the Nordic countries of Finland, Norway and Sweden which have seen consistent below zero temperatures and regular snowfall since the end of October.
Whilst the amount of available terrain is much less than the mega resorts and ‘alpine circuses’ further south, what is available continues to be excellent.
If you’re able to head to the slopes pre-Christmas then look North, or head high to the resorts which offer extensive skiing above 2,000m. You won’t be disappointed…
And if you do encounter rain at village level, just remember – it’s a million times better than last winter.
Well in Europe, at least.
In the World Cup Giant Slalom at Val d’Isere on Saturday two-time defending World Cup GS champion Marco Odermatt (SUI) battled through snowy conditions to earn his 25th World Cup victory, winning the race by 0.98 seconds over runner-up Marco Schwarz (AUT).
Joan Verdu (AND) achieved the first ever World Cup podium for the principality of Andorra, finishing third, 1.32 seconds off the winner’s pace.
We’ll be posting twice weekly snow reports on Mondays and Thursdays throughout the 2023/24 Winter season, so bookmark us or better yet subscribe to get the latest snow news and our tips for where the snow will be.
If you’re out in resort drop us a line via our social media channels to share your ‘on the snow’ experiences and photos.
WHAT’S OPEN NOW
ANDORRA
Arcalis (6/17 lifts; 11/30km piste; 20-40cm base), Grandvalira (35/73 lifts; 39/215km piste; 20-30cm base), and Valnord (22/32 lifts; 25/63km piste; 20-25cm base)
AUSTRIA
Alpbach (16/46 lifts; 49/113km piste; 30-75cm base), Axamer Lizum (5/9 lifts; 17/38km piste; 70-90cm base), Bad Hofgastein (13/18 lifts; 17/82km piste; 50-100cm base), Bergeralm (5/7 lifts; 23/27km piste; 50-130cm base), Damuls (14/27 lifts; 68/154km piste; 100-150cm base), Ellmau (47/82 lifts; 152/270km piste; 40-65cm base), Fieberbrunn (35/69 lifts; 94/156 piste; 65-100cm base), Gargellen (4/8 lifts; 16/28km piste; 85-130cm base), Gurgl (13/25 lifts; 52/112km piste; 60-140cm base), Hintertux (11/21 lifts; 54/60km piste; 55-185cm base), Hochfugen (9/12 lifts; 27/28km piste; 65-95cm base), Innsbruck Igls Patscherkofel (3/7 lifts; 5/9km piste; 40-60cm base), Ischgl (25/46 lifts; 94/239km piste; 50-100cm base), Katschberg (12/17 lifts; 67/80km piste; 70-120cm base), Kaunertal (5/7 lifts; 41/55km piste; 205-290cm base), Kitzbuhel (32/56 lifts; 46/89 piste; 40-80cm base), Kitzsteinhorn (14/23 lifts; 26/61km piste; 30-140cm base), Kleinwalsertal (11/13 lifts; 16/28km piste; 60-100cm base), Kuhtai (10/12 lifts; 32/47km piste; 70-120cm base), Lech Zurs (53/85 lifts; 140/301km piste; 100-225cm base), Mayrhofen (13/29 lifts; 53/66km piste; 25-110cm base), Molltaler (7/9 lifts; 19/36km piste; 90-130cm base), Nassfeld (15/30 lifts; 40/110km piste; 10-55cm base), Obertauern (25/26 lifts; 95/100km piste; 160-200cm base), Pitztal (8/12 lifts; 16/39km piste; 30-220cm base), Saalbach (44/69 lifts; 96/156km piste; 65-100cm base), Schladming (20/47 lifts; 70/123km piste; 50-100cm base), Schlick 2000 (9/11 lifts; 19/22km piste; 10-80cm base), Serfaus Fiss Ladis (64/68 lifts; 168/214km piste; 60-135cm base), Silvretta Montafon (18/36 lifts; 80/140km piste; 50-160cm base), Solden (22/31 lifts; 102/147km piste; 30-225cm base), St Anton (53/85 lifts; 140/301km piste; 55-210cm base), Stubai (15/26 lifts; 38/68km piste; 60-185cm base), and Tauplitz (8/17 lifts; 39/43km piste; 50-130cm base)
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA
Bjelasnica (2/7 lifts; 1/6 piste; 25-25cm base) and Jahorina (3/17 lifts; 3/52km piste; 25-25cm base)
FRANCE
Alpe d’Huez (49/70 lifts; 108/250km piste; 65-220cm base), Avoriaz (15/165 lifts; 74/580km piste; 10-60cm base), Courchevel (33/54 lifts; 92/150km piste; 50-75cm base), Font Romeu (12/23 lifts; 27/58km piste; 40-40cm base), Isola 2000 (7/20 lifts; 26/120km piste; 45-55cm base), La Clusaz (6/6 lifts; 23/125km piste; 25-120cm base), Les 2 Alpes (15/17 lifts; 43/200km piste; 20-200cm base), Les Angles (6/23 lifts; 5/55km piste; 40-40cm base), Montgenevre (27/70 lifts; 63/80km piste; 60-100cm base), Tignes (34/79 lifts; 170/300km piste; 90-260cm base), Val D’Isere (21/38 lifts; 88/146km piste; 75-155cm base), Val Thorens (22/22 lifts; 120/150km piste; 90-140cm base), Valloire (5/6 lifts; 14/160km piste; 40-120cm base), and Vaujany (17/17 lifts; 24/53km piste; 50-155cm base)
GERMANY
Garmisch-Partenkirchen-Zugspitze (7/10 lifts; 12/20km piste; 80-200cm base), Nebelhorn / Oberstdorf (6/6 lifts; 10/13km piste; 50-195cm base), Spitzingsee (5/10 lifts; 9/15km piste; 60-100cm base), and Sudelfeld-Bayrischzell (9/13 lifts; 24/31km piste; 45-95cm base)
ITALY
Alta Badia (45/58 lifts; 57/130 piste; 10-40cm base), Bormio (9/14 lifts; 36/50km piste; 30-90cm base), Cervinia (35/51 lifts; 175/322km piste; 10-200cm base), Courmayeur (17/18 lifts; 31/44km piste; 70-110cm base), Cortina (18/27 lifts; 50/120km piste; 10-25cm base), Kronplatz (23/31 lifts; 97/121km piste; 20-60cm base), Livigno (31/31 lifts; 90/115km piste; 60-90cm base), Madesimo (8/13 lifts; 13/37km piste; 30-40cm base), Madonna di Campiglio (18/20 lifts; 52/59km piste; 30-60cm base), Meran 2000 (8/9 lifts; 21/31km piste; 15-30cm base), Passo Tonale (27/30 lifts; 60/100km piste; 150-250cm base), Pila (10/15 lifts; 30/50km piste; 30-50cm base), Presena Gletscher (2/2 lifts; 8/8km piste; 150-250cm base), Sestriere (27/69 lifts; 83/400km piste; 20-120cm base), and Solda (7/11 lifts; 20/44km piste; 100-120cm base)
POLAND
Zakopane (2/4 lifts; 1/3km piste; 25-75cm base)
ROMANIA
Poiana Brasov (3/10 lifts; 4/14km piste; 20-30cm base)
SLOVAKIA
Jasna (8/19 lifts; 26/45km piste; 40-60cm base)
SLOVENIA
Maribor (4/16 lifts; 2/24km piste; 10-30cm base) and Vogel (1/8 lifts; 14/15km piste; 10-25cm base)
SPAIN
Baqueira Beret (26/36 lifts; 67/165km piste; 10-30cm base) and Sierra Nevada (8/24 lifts; 6/113km piste; 20-40cm base)
SWITZERLAND
Adelboden (20/38 lifts; 48/102km piste; 25-80cm base), Aletsch Arena (16/35 lifts; 37/105km piste; 90-130cm base), Andermatt (4/20 lifts; 45/108km piste; 65-120cm base), Anzere (7/13 lifts; 26/58km piste; 40-190cm base), Arolla (4/6 lifts; 10/36km piste; 65-135cm base), Arosa (22/43 lifts; 87/220km piste; 60-135cm base), Champex-Lac (4/4 lifts; 15/15km piste; 80-180cm base), Crans Montana (6/24 lifts; 25/136km piste; 60-180cm base), Davos (16/18 lifts; 84/109km piste; 70-155cm base), Engelberg-Titlis (5/13 lifts; 48/73km piste; 30-115cm base), Flims Laax (14/26 lifts; 51/254km piste; 40-150cm base), Glacier 3000 (5/12 lifts; 9/31km piste; 55-225cm base), Grimentz Zinal (15/21 lifts; 60/115km piste; 30-90cm base), Grindlewald (17/23 lifts; 56/102km piste; 20-65cm base), Gstaad (5/43 lifts; 24/203km piste; 25-65cm base), Leukerbad (9/13 lifts; 23/48km piste; 45-205cm base), Murren (12/16 lifts; 30/54km piste; 55-135cm base), Saas Fee (8/23 lifts; 41/100km; 40-210cm base), St Moritz (15/23 lifts; 63/163km piste; 10-90cm base), Stoos (8/8 lifts; 21/35km piste; 60-80cm base), Verbier (32/73 lifts; 143/358km piste; 45-105cm base), Zermatt (35/51 lifts; 175/322km piste; 15-200cm base)
NORDIC RESORTS
Levi (15/26 lifts; 13/38.5km piste; 25-50cm base), Ruka (16/22 lifts; 14/19km piste; 30-40cm base), and Yllas (12/26 lifts; 15/53km piste; 60-60cm base) in Finland
Geilo (11/20 lifts; 13/34km piste; 40-70cm base), Hafjell (11/18 lifts; 29/50km piste; 50-60cm base), Hemsedal (10/21 lifts; 16/44km piste; 30-50cm base), Kvitfjell (9/14 lifts; 19/39km piste; 20-80cm base), Myrkdalen (8/9 lifts; 13/32km piste; 40-50cm base), Oppdal (4/16 lifts; 8/56km piste; 5-25cm base), and Trysil (9/32 lifts; 28/78km piste; 25-35cm base) in Norway
Are (9/35 lifts; 41/91km piste; 35-60cm base), Kabdalis (3/4 lifts; 6/9km piste; 60-95cm base), Salen (15/40 lifts; 20/45km piste; 60-65cm base) and Vemdalen (4/12 lifts; 5/21 piste; 40-60cm base) in Sweden
TURKEY
Ejder 3200 (5/10 lifts; 11/34 piste; 10-90cm base)
UNITED STATES
Alyeska (5/7 lifts; 21/62km piste; 40-135cm base) in Alaska
Bear Mt (3/12 lifts; 60-60cm base), Heavenly (8/29 lifts; 5/94km piste; 5-55cm base), Mammoth (9/37 lifts; 25/90km piste; 35-45cm base), Northstar (6/19 lifts; 7/97km piste; 10-55cm base), Palisades Tahoe (7/43 lifts; 18/200km piste; 45-60cm base) and Snow Summit (4/12 lifts; 45-45cm base) in California
Arapahoe Basin (4/9 lifts; 4/105km piste; 50-60cm base), Aspen (5/8 lifts; 65-70cm base), Beaver Creek (12/25 lifts; 10/150km piste: 90-95cm base), Breckenridge (23/35 lifts; 12/153km piste; 60-65cm base), Copper (10/21 lifts; 12/126km piste; 75-75cm base), Crested Butte (6/14 lifts; 90-90cm base), Eldora (7/12 lifts; 50-50cm base), Keystone (15/21 lifts; 22/135km piste; 25-60cm base), Loveland (6/11 lifts; 7/93km piste; 60-60cm base), Monarch (5/6 lifts; 70-70cm base), Purgatory (2/11 lifts; 40-40cm base), Snowmass (7/23 lifts; 85-100cm base), Steamboat (11/29 lifts; 11/165km piste; 85-85cm base), Telluride (7/19 lifts; 5/88km piste; 25-55cm base), Vail (13/34 lifts; 51/234km piste; 105-105cm base), Winter Park (15/25 lifts; 15/143km piste; 95-95cm base) and Wolf Creek (9/11 lifts; 90/100km piste; 55-60cm base) in Colorado
Sun Valley (7/18 lifts; 55-65cm base) in Idaho
Sugarloaf (6/14 lifts; 42/116km piste; 30-45cm base) and Sunday River (9/20 lifts; 33/85km piste; 60-70cm base) in Maine
Big Sky (5/38 lifts; 10/250km piste; 30-40cm base) in Montana
Mt Rose (6/8 lifts; 15/60km piste; 60-120cm base) in Nevada
Wildcat (4/5 lifts; 5/25km piste; 45-45cm base) in New Hampshire
Taos (6/14 lifts; 4/113km piste; 30-60cm base) in New Mexico
Mt Bachelor (7/10 lifts; 80-80cm base) in Oregon
Alta (6/8 lifts; 27/71km piste; 130-160cm base), Brian Head (4/9 lifts; 50-55cm base), Brighton (5/7 lifts; 105-110cm base), Deer Valley (10/25 lifts; 12/103km piste; 65-75cm base), Park City (16/42 lifts; 38/250km piste; 65-110cm base), Powder Mountain (3/9 lifts; 24/68km piste; 50-80cm base), Snowbasin (6/9 lifts; 115-115cm base), Snowbird (4/14 lifts; 20/103km piste; 70-110cm base), Solitude (6/9 lifts; 24/64km piste; 45-100cm base) and Sundance (7/7 lifts; 80-80cm base) in Utah
Killington (8/22 lifts; 42/116km piste; 30-35cm base), Mount Snow (8/26 lifts; 30-30cm base), Okemo (9/19 lifts; 123/77km piste; 40-60cm base), Smuggler’s Notch (3/9 lifts; 13/78km piste; 30-90cm base); Stowe (6/13 lifts; 40/75km piste; 40-75cm base), Stratton (9/14 lifts; 30-30cm base), and Sugarbush (5/18 lifts; 30-90cm base) in Vermont
Crystal Mountain (2/11 lifts; 10/50km piste; 30-45cm base) in Washington
Snowshoe (4/14 lifts; 100-105cm base) in West Virginia
Jackson Hole (5/13 lifts; 21/116km piste; 15-115cm base) in Wyoming
CANADA
Marmot Basin (3/7 lifts; 12/91km piste; 40-40cm base), Mt Norquay (4/6 lifts; 5/16km piste; 70-140cm base), Lake Louise (11/11 lifts; 16/139km piste; 85-95cm base) and Sunshine (7/10 lifts; 29/109km piste; 85-85cm base) in Alberta
Fernie (7/10 lifts; 41/142km piste; 50-115cm base), Kicking Horse (4/5 lifts; 15/100km piste; 40-90cm base), Sun Peaks (7/12 lifts; 7/135km piste; 10-40cm base) and Whistler Blackcomb (16/27 lifts; 40/200km piste; 10-75cm base) in BC
Mont Saint Anne (3/13 lifts; 27/71 piste; 30-50cm base), Sommet-Saint-Sauveur (7/8 lift; 5/38km piste; 30-30cm base) and Tremblant (9/14 lifts; 30/82km piste; 5-145cm base) in Quebec
JAPAN
Furano (3/9 lifts; 5/32km piste; 50-80cm base), Happo One (5/22 lifts; 5/52km piste; 20-105cm base), Niseko Grand Hirafu (13/32 lifts; 14/51km piste; 10-65cm base), Nozawa Onsen (4/17 lifts; 6/44km piste; 10-40cm base), and Rusutsu (3/18 lifts; 13/42km piste; 10-30cm base)
FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 3-4 DAYS
After a great end to last week with snowfall across much of the Alps, the freezing level will fluctuate over the coming 3-4 days with heavy snow above 2,500m in Austria, France & Switzerland (2,000m in Italy) and heavy rain below that level. Head high!
Further East, resorts will experience the same temperature fluctuations but should see less precipitation overall, and less rain at village level.
The Nordic countries will see consistent below freezing temperatures and a sprinkling of snowfall. Conditions remain excellent.
After a spike in temperatures on Sunday the East coast of the US and Canada will see temperatures drop well below 0C bringing 10-40cm of new snow in the coming days.
After big snowfall at the end of last week, the Mountain states and provinces will see a sprinkling of new snow and below freezing temperatures through Thursday.
California will experience freeze-thaw conditions and sunny skies through to Thursday.
The resorts in Japan lost a lot of their base at village level in last week’s rain & warm up, but Hokkaido in Northern Japan has bounced back with below 0C temperatures and heavy snowfall overnight through to Thursday.
The Honshu resorts will see the freezing level rise to 3,000m bringing rain top to bottom unfortunately.
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