HALF-TERM SKIING IN THE ALPS
18th February 2020
Last modified on May 15th, 2021
A bit of rain, a dusting of snow, some sunshine and fluctuating temperatures. It’s been a mixed bag of weather in the Alps for the busiest week of the season.
Friday 21st February
Our latest detailed snow report from Fraser Wilkin of Weather To Ski is now out.
Thursday 20th February
It’s been perhaps the best day of the half-term week.
The sun’s out after more snow fell yesterday to a greater or lesser degrees across the whole of the northern part of the Alps.
The south, however, is still waiting for its turn to top up the pistes.
The PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, is skiing in the small resort of Torgnon in the Aosta Valley in Italy today and has sent this snow report:
https://www.facebook.com/planetski/videos/2230844763889168/?t=1
As James says, it is really very quiet on the slopes….
Torgnon, Italy, Thursday 20th February 2020. Image © PlanetSKI.
Torgnon, Italy, Thursday 20th February 2020. Image © PlanetSKI.
Check out his full report here on the day as he seems to have found yet another favourite resort:
Avoiding the crowds in the Aosta Valley: Next Torgnon
Torgnon, Aosta Valley, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI.
These photos were send to us on Thursday from Ischgl, in the Austrian Tirol – looking fabulous in the sunshine.
In France, this was the view that greeted PlanetSKI reader Richard Critchlow first thing this morning in Courchevel in Les3Vallees.
Courchevel, France, Thursday 20th February 2020 – photo Richard Critchlow
And Flaine in France is reporting 10cm of fresh snow this morning and 100% sunshine.
Wednesday 19th February
The snow has returned to the northern Alps.
This is Flaine in France today…
https://www.facebook.com/officedetourismeflaine/videos/865331110557396/?t=2
And La Clusaz….
Tuesday 18th February
There’s been a spell of unseasonably mild weather.
In some spots, it’s rained right up to 2,000 metres.
But it’s cooled down again.
If you’re lucky, you’ve had some snow to freshen up the pistes just in time for the sun to come out on Tuesday.
Some resorts have had around 20cm of fresh snow but many have had only a sprinkling.
The latest PlanetSKI video snow report was filed on Tuesday by our editor, James Cove, who’s in the Aosta Valley in Italy.
https://www.facebook.com/planetski/videos/491641638192529/?t=2
See here for the report from James on Crevacol.
Seems he rather likes the place:
Crevacol, Aosta Valley, Italy. Image © PlanetSKI.
Read more about skiing in the area:
The alpine snow watcher, Fraser Wilkin of Weather To Ski is in Les Arcs in France for the half-term holiday.
“Yesterday afternoon it rained as high as 2,100m before finally turning to snow here at 1,800m, but not before the bulk of the storm had passed,” Fraser said on Tuesday.
“This morning we have about 1-2cm of fresh snow at 1,800m, and around 10cm at 2,500m.”
Not far away in La Tania in Les3Vallees, there was a little snow overnight with possibly more expected on Wednesday.
Otherwise, it’s forecast to be sunshine for the rest of the week.
Further north in Flaine, it was sunshine all the way and a few freshies on Tuesday.
PlanetSKI reporter Christian Ferree is in Chamonix and says the resort is in pretty good shape after a much needed significant snowfall last week and some more overnight.
“The temperature over the last few days has been high at plus five but it’s dropped again,” he told us on Tuesday.
“The pistes are in great condition with soft ice below 1,600m and up to 3200m, good dry snow.
“We had rain yesterday up to a fairly high altitude – 2,200m – but as the night drew on the temperature dropped and so the snow line came down to us in the village of Argentiere at 1,200m this morning. There was about 25cm at 2,500m.”
“So now we have glorious sunshine throughout the valley, excellent cold fresh conditions at altitude.”
https://www.facebook.com/planetski/videos/255697928755092/?eid=ARC668mIuwJA7OPPCzIo8KMK5HrXAgbPSBLdiNKjiO-KPKLmwyDIacx_j82BMq7uTDJrLgUta9SkNbvk
Just down the road in Morzine in the Portes du Soleil ski area, conditions were looking good on Tuesday morning for the crowds out on the slopes.
You can tell it’s peak season!
Most of the recent snowfall has been in the northern and the western parts of the Alps.
There’s been very little in the east, while the whole of the southern Alps has remained completely dry with no new snow in the immediate forecast.
“Wednesday will see a new storm bring some light to moderate snowfalls across the northern half of the Alps again, this time to lower levels (700m or so) with 5-10cm likely above 1,000m in resorts such as Avoriaz, Engelberg, Lech and Kaprun, ” Fraser Wilkin said.
If you’re skiing or snowboarding for half-term, we hope you have a fabulous week.
If you’re not, why not sit back and enjoy the views……..
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