In recent weeks, winter sport lovers have been flooded with photo after photo of the incredible snowfall in the Alps. For four weekends in a row, ski resorts across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy have been doused in snow, right on cue for the season opening. Indeed, many ski resorts were able to open early, and the last of the ski resorts are receiving their fair share of snow as we write. Although the holidays aren’t for a few weeks yet, the outlook for Christmas is more promising than it has been in years! Take a look at which ski resorts have been particularly blessed with snow, and where we expect more snowfall in the coming weeks.
As has been common in recent years, the Alps already saw quite a lot of snow in September. Last year, October was a fantastic month for glacier skiing but our high hopes were dashed with the dry, warm weather in November. In contrast, 2017 has seen consistent snowfall every week through November, a trend which seems set to continue in December. The high-altitude alpine ski resorts, in particular, have been building up quite an impressive snowpack considering the season has only just started.
Season opening at Ischgl
By the beginning of November, some ski areas already had up to a metre of fresh snow. One cold front after another provided a continuous supply of snow, allowing many ski resorts to open their doors earlier than planned. Ski resorts such as Sölden and Saalbach have been open for skiing since November. Ischgl, which usually relies on artificial snow, also cashed in on the snowfall and opened with 160km of pistes this year.
Poor France, who was suffering from snow envy, has finally received its due. Over the past few days, it has been snowing hard in the major French ski resorts, most of which expect more snow throughout the week. Most French resorts are either recently open or planning to open this weekend.
© Tignes
Check out how many kilometres of slopes are open at the major ski resorts. All information provided by the ski resorts and updated on December 11, 2017.
Fresh snow Saalbach
It's early days yet, but it seems like we can tentatively predict an excellent ski season. It suffices to compare this year’s snowy landscapes to the ribbons of artificial snow on green hills of the last 6 years – can you blame us for being enthusiastic this winter? Also, alpine inhabitants this year have reported sightings of bees, which is usually indicative of a cold and snowy winter. Folklore, it’s true, but encouraging nonetheless!
At the moment it’s still very cold in most ski resorts, with temperatures well below freezing. This means that the snow cannons can run at full capacity. Of course, the verdict is still out on how the rest of the season will go, but we can say with certainty that ski season has not started so well in years. In some places, the snow depth measures over 2 metres – that much snow is not likely to melt overnight! The following values indicate the projected snowfall in these resorts over the next 7 days. Information updated on December 11, 2017.
In recent weeks, winter sport lovers have been flooded with photo after photo of the incredible snowfall in the Alps. For four weekends in a row, ski resorts across Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France and Italy have been doused in snow, right on cue for the season opening. Indeed, many ski resorts were able to open early, and the last of the ski resorts are receiving their fair share of snow as we write. Although the holidays aren’t for a few weeks yet, the outlook for Christmas is more promising than it has been in years! Take a look at which ski resorts have been particularly blessed with snow, and where we expect more snowfall in the coming weeks.
As has been common in recent years, the Alps already saw quite a lot of snow in September. Last year, October was a fantastic month for glacier skiing but our high hopes were dashed with the dry, warm weather in November. In contrast, 2017 has seen consistent snowfall every week through November, a trend which seems set to continue in December. The high-altitude alpine ski resorts, in particular, have been building up quite an impressive snowpack considering the season has only just started.
Season opening at Ischgl
By the beginning of November, some ski areas already had up to a metre of fresh snow. One cold front after another provided a continuous supply of snow, allowing many ski resorts to open their doors earlier than planned. Ski resorts such as Sölden and Saalbach have been open for skiing since November. Ischgl, which usually relies on artificial snow, also cashed in on the snowfall and opened with 160km of pistes this year.
Poor France, who was suffering from snow envy, has finally received its due. Over the past few days, it has been snowing hard in the major French ski resorts, most of which expect more snow throughout the week. Most French resorts are either recently open or planning to open this weekend.
© Tignes
Check out how many kilometres of slopes are open at the major ski resorts. All information provided by the ski resorts and updated on December 11, 2017.
Fresh snow Saalbach
It's early days yet, but it seems like we can tentatively predict an excellent ski season. It suffices to compare this year’s snowy landscapes to the ribbons of artificial snow on green hills of the last 6 years – can you blame us for being enthusiastic this winter? Also, alpine inhabitants this year have reported sightings of bees, which is usually indicative of a cold and snowy winter. Folklore, it’s true, but encouraging nonetheless!
At the moment it’s still very cold in most ski resorts, with temperatures well below freezing. This means that the snow cannons can run at full capacity. Of course, the verdict is still out on how the rest of the season will go, but we can say with certainty that ski season has not started so well in years. In some places, the snow depth measures over 2 metres – that much snow is not likely to melt overnight! The following values indicate the projected snowfall in these resorts over the next 7 days. Information updated on December 11, 2017.
Born and raised in the ski paradise of Vancouver, Canada, I learned to ski before I can remember, balancing precariously on my parents’ skis as they sailed down the hill. I started snowboarding in my teens and am now delighted to be exploring everything Europe’s ski scene has to offer!
