Snow Report, February 15

A sunny weekend! Well, partly. At the end of another snowy week across much of the Alps and the Pyrenees we can look forward to some blue skies at last. The sun should start to push aside the clouds tomorrow and on Sunday in preparation for the main half-term week.

The best day is definitely going to be Monday – a real chance to catch the powder or cruise pistes that are at their February best. We should see a return to colder and more variable weather towards the end of the week, as yet another low pressure system noses its way in.

Our half-term focus is on The Trois Vallees. Courchevel, Meribel, and Val Thorens are at their busiest, but here’s how to avoid the half-term crowds (https://welove2ski.com/three-valleys-skiing). Conditions here are great, with more snow falling today. Meribel now has 145cm at Meribel Village and a whopping 240cm on the top of La Solaise.

This week Sean Newsom has been reporting from Are in Sweden where the upper mountain is now open and he’s been exploring Are’sunderrated off-piste. There is a sold base of 75cm mid-mountain and healthy conditions underfoot seem set for the rest of the season.

All of Switzerland is in great shape, with central Switzerland grabbing a whole lot more today. Austria, too, is enjoying more snow before the skies clear over the weekend

In St Anton they have now got 90-260cm and some quite superb powder skiing which has led the guides at Piste to Powder to declare: “The reboot of the winter season 2012-13 is done”.

The Italian Alps have been getting their fair share of the white bonanza with fresh cover in the Brenta Dolomites – including Madonna di Campilgio, where Welove2ski’s Max Hardy and Ben Corby were bombing about, tracking down its most scintillating pistes last week. We should see another smattering of snow in the Sudtirol in particular on Saturday and Sunday.

Across the Atlantic, Western Canada is experiencing milder variable weather. If you are in Whistler you can expect a few flurries today and on Monday, but there’s no big storm on the horizon.

Colorado has experienced an abnormally dry winter so far, but things are looking up. You also need to wrap up – Breckenridge has picked up over half a metre over the past week, with more snow forecast for Monday and Wednesday. It’s bitterly cold, with a gusty northwesterly plunging the temperature with chill factor down to -18C. In California the sun is out and in Heavenlyand other Lake Tahoe resorts piste conditions are excellent.

	France: See our main report. For all those half-term families, it’s looking good. Les Carroz in the Grand Massif has 150cm in the resort and a mighty 465cm at the top, above Flaine. Tignes has caught another 10cm in recent days and now has 152cm in Le Lac and 282cm up on the glacier. It’s a very chilly -15C today and, as the skies clear, it isn’t going to get any warmer. Anyone skiing off-piste should exercise caution because of the avalanche risk of 3/5.
	Switzerland: Fabulous wintry conditions are the rule across the whole country at the moment. Zermatt is at its best with 75cm in town and 250cm up on the Italian frontier – and the temperature is a more acceptable -5C at altitude. Currently, Andermatt has up to 125-425cm of settled snow, and Davos up to 83-173cm.
	Austria: It’s been a snowy week yet again in Austria. The skies will clear over the weekend but it’s going to remain cold enough to maintain half-term pistes in pristine condition. Currently, high-altitude Obergurgl has 103-235cm of snow, Soll/Ellmau and the Skiwelt 90-160cm and St Anton 90-260cm.
	Italy: Italy is often the poor relation in the snow stakes, but there’s been substantial fresh snow in the Dolomites. Arabba now has depths of 110-215cm while Selva has a respectable 60-160cm. Above the Aosta Valley, Cervinia has 205cm of settled cover up on the Plateau Rosa and 45cm down at Valtournenche.
	Andorra: It just gets better and better! Fresh snow and low temperatures are setting up what should be a memorable half-term week in Andorra. Currently, the Grandvalira – Andorra’s biggest ski area – reports 140-250cm after yet another 40cm fell on the slopes. It’s a cool -6C which should keep the pistes in superb condition. Over in Baqueira-Beret in the Spanish Pyrenees they’ve got 240-450cm – a record for the whole mountain range!
	Western USA: See our main report. Conditions in the Rocky Mountain resorts have improved, but this year Europe is the surefire winner. Vailin Colorado has 96cm mid-mountain and could see a few more centimetres on Monday and Wednesday.In Utah, Snowbird has 193cm mid-mountain and looks like there’s a big snow week ahead. Jackson Hole in Wyoming reports 193cm up on Rendezvous Mountain. Meanwhile, above Lake Tahoe in California, Heavenly reports 107cm of settled snow, with more forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday.
	Western Canada: See main report. There’s not much sign of fresh snow in the air, but there’s some great skiing to be had. Whistlerhas 186cm mid-mountain and the chance of a dusting tomorrow, but the sky should be mainly blue. Get out there and enjoy it.Fernie has a snowpack of 219cm with a little light snow over the weekend and sunshine on Monday. Above Lake Louise, the snow is 173cm deep, mid-mountain after picking up 28cm in the past week.