| Snow Report - 31 Jan 2015 | | Last snowed | 31-Jan-2015 |
| Fresh snow | 2 cm |
| Lower slopes | 100 cm |
| Upper slopes | 145 cm |
| Pistes | | Piste state | Excellent |
| Runs to resort | Excellent |
| Off piste snow | Powder |
| Comments | Great skiing thanks to the recent snowfalls |
| Lifts open | 48 |
| Lifts total | 53 |
Snow Overview - France (snow news updated 01-Feb-2015)
Thursday morning dawned snowy for most of our featured French resorts. The only places to miss out were the southern Alps (resorts such as Isola 2000) and the Pyrenees (resorts such as Font Romeu). Be careful out there as the avalanche danger is very high.
Some resorts also caught snow earlier in the week, with Flaine (100/180cm) and Samoens (45/78cm) catching 20cm on Tuesday. A further 20cm was recorded on the morning of Thursday 29th January, so powder conditions are to be found across the Grand Massif.
The snowiest spot on Thursday morning was the Chamonix Valley (40/140cm), where 40cm of fresh snow was recorded on the upper slopes. Even down at 1035m in the valley, 20cm of fresh snow was picked up. Be careful when skiing in this region however as the avalanche risk is currently very high. Another area to benefit significantly is the Portes du Soleil, with Avoriaz (120/170cm) seeing 30cm of fresh snow overnight. The even better news is that the snow is that the snow was continuing to fall throughout the day on Thursday.
The heavy snow is expected to continue throughout the weekend, with several pulses of heavy precipitation forecast to cross the French Alps, hopefully bringing up to a metre of fresh snow for many. The next clear spell is forecast for Monday, although it is likely to be short-lived as the snow is set to return again on Tuesday.
Both Cauterets (100/170cm) and Font Romeu (55/75cm) in the Pyrenees dawned dry on Thursday, but very heavy snow is expected to begin through the afternoon. By the end of the weekend a metre of new snow is possible, so some excellent skiing should be on offer over the coming days.
European Weather Outlook
The current snowstorm could prove to be the season-changer, especially as the snow is not forecast to cease until Sunday night. By then over a metre of fresh snow is possible across a wide area of the northern and western Alps, with the heaviest falls around the French/Swiss border. Further east in Austria, between 20 and 40cm can be expected, with some favoured spots potentially seeing more. Current forecasts are pointing towards a brighter day on Monday, so this could be the best bet for some clear overhead conditions as yet more snow is predicted from Tuesday onwards. Again be careful to check the latest avalanche bulletins as the snow conditions are extremely volatile and will continue to be as the snow carries on falling.
Heavy snow is expected to set in on Thursday night across the Pyrenees and is not forecast to stop for almost a week. Current forecasts are pointing towards around a metre of snow by Sunday followed by even more next week. Some great skiing is likely as a result although be careful to heed the avalanche warnings as the danger level is likely to rise significantly over the coming days.
A further 15-40cm of snow is forecast for both Norway and Sweden over the weekend, adding to the already good conditions. Some sunnier weather is expected at the start of next week, providing the perfect opportunity to head out and enjoy the new snow.
Bulgaria is also expecting some heavy snow over the weekend, with Bansko looking at more than 40cm of fresh snow over the weekend. Unfortunately less is forecast where it’s needed in Pamporovo, but 15cm could still fall in the next five days.
Further heavy snow is expected in Scotland before the weekend is up. The heaviest falls are set to shift from the west to the east during Friday, with a further 25cm expected for Cairngorm, The Lecht and Glenshee.