The peak Christmas and New Year ski holiday weeks lie ahead – and the good news is that conditions on the slopes are some of the best that resorts in the Alps have seen in many years.
It’s been a largely sunny week, though snowfall is now returning. The best snow depths are up at three metres deep on high-altitude slopes – depths that weren’t reached until March last season – and Europe’s biggest ski areas now have as much as 90 per cent of their slopes open.
Unfortunately, conditions remain challenging in the Pyrenees – where it remains too warm and dry. Andorra’s Grandvalira region – which covers Pas de la Casa and Soldeu – has roughly a third of its ski area open this week. Baqueira Beret in Spain has managed to operate 120km of slopes.
There are similar issues in Scotland, with only small areas of snow open so far, mostly created with snow-making machines. Temperatures in the Highlands have been above 10C this week, though the weather is now cooling and snow is in the forecast. Glenshee had planned to open on Wednesday, but was defeated by warm, wet, windy weather. Cairngorm Mountain and the Lecht have nursery slopes (only) open this weekend.
Across the North Sea in Scandinavia, the weather is reliably cold and snowy, though there have not been any big falls this season so far. In Eastern Europe, Bulgaria’s season started last weekend with a big snowfall for Bansko, Pamporovo and Borovets, where the slopes are now fully open.
Use our tool below to find the latest conditions in your favourite resort and read the full forecast below.