The PlanetSKI Snow Report

9th April 2023

Last modified on April 20th, 2023

The weather has turned in the Alps with bright sun and then thick snow. PlanetSKI is out enjoying the Spring conditions. LIVE & UPDATED

Tuesday 18th April

It’s a wrap from PlanetSKI in Les3Vallees in France.

We have enjoyed snow, cloud, sun and every conceivebale type of snow conditions – ice, slush, spring snow, powder and everything in between.

We are now leaving France on our Spring ski road trip and heading over to Switzerland.

We’ll keep you up to date on the current snow conditions.

First stop Verbier.

Encore une semaine pour profiter des meilleures conditions ! 🏂⛷
___
Still a week left to enjoy the best conditions! 🏂⛷
.
.#verbier #valdebagnes #bruson #valais #ski #snow @valaiswallis pic.twitter.com/cNX00Bn6J2
— Verbier (@VerbierResorts) April 17, 2023

More to follow…

Once the European season ends in May PlanetSKI is heading off to California.

Mammoth Mountain is open into July after getting 17.5m of snow this winter.

We’re also going to Palisades Tahoe.

With 700″ of snow this season (and counting 👀), we’re open for skiing and riding through July 4th! That all sounded too good to be true to Donny Pelletier, so he had to stop by to investigate for himself 🕵️‍♂️
Visit the Spring Skiing Capital! https://t.co/O3CnrCGFLh pic.twitter.com/k9xeewEeuZ
— Palisades Tahoe (@palisadestahoe) April 18, 2023

Monday 17th April

In sporting speak it has been a day of two halves.

This morning we woke up in Val Thorens to blue sky and powder.

After a couple of days with limited visibility it was very welcome.

Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI

A little bit of light cloud had come in as we headed up.

Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI

We skied straight over to the fourth valley of Orelle, where the snow on piste and off piste was near-perfect for the time of year.

Orelle, France. Image © PlanetSKI

There were signs of how much snow has fallen this winter.

Orelle, France. Image © PlanetSKI

Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI

But by the afternoon….

As the day drew on the visibility reduced and the snow just kept falling.

Welcome to April 2023.

Val Thorens, France. Image c/o PlanetSKI

As James mentioned in his video report its pretty decent in Austria too.

More to follow…

Sunday 16th April

It’s been a cloudy day in Les3Vallees and other French resorts in the area.

Val Thorens, France. Image c/o PlanetSKI

Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI

Les Arcs, France. Image © PlanetSKI

It has actually been the first day when it hasn’t snowed since PlanetSKI arrived in this part of the French Alps last Monday.

We are in Val Thorens for Snow Camp’s 3 Valley Rally.

The weather made the event more difficult with limited visibility, but it didn’t seem to upset the enthusiasm of the competitors.

3 Valley Rally underway in Val Thorens

The poor visibility at altitude meant many people in Val Thorens stayed on the lower slopes leading to some overcrowded pistes around the resort itself.

Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI

More to follow…

Saturday 15th April

After Friday’s blue sky powder day in some resorts in the French Alps the weather has changed once again, with yet more snow falling.

There was a hint of blue sky first thing on Saturday morning in Les Menuires where PlanetSKI currently is.

And yet more fresh snow overnight.

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

April, once again, just continues to be full of snow.

James Cove is now in Val Thorens.

James is in Val Thorens to report on the 3 Valley Rally.

It is celebrating the 20th birthday of the snowsport charity Snow Camp.

3 Valley Rally Gets Underway in Val Thorens

3 Valley Rally. Image c/o PlanetSKI

More of the 3 Valley Rally later.

It has been an amazing couple of weeks at altitude in the Alps, and it looks set to continue.

Austria has been pounded with fresh snow with a low freezing limit.

It has been a poor winter in some places in the Alps, but by no means everywhere.

“After a relatively meagre winter, this has proved to be a very snowy week for some parts of the Alps, especially Austria where up to 1m of new snow has fallen at altitude in places,” said the alpine weather expert Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk.

“This is great news for the higher resorts of the northern and eastern Alps in particular where, weather-permitting, there is some exceptional late season snow on offer.

In Austria resorts that are offering “especially good conditions right now” include Obertauern, Kaprun, Ischgl, Obergurgl and Sölden.

Further west, the higher French resorts of Val d’Isère, Tignes, Val Thorens and La Plagne are also “excellent bets.”

There is also Les Arcs.

Les Arcs, France. Image © Lynsey Devon

Here at PlanetSKI we’d add Les Menuires and Meribel to the list..

We have just had one of our best days of the season in the two resorts on Friday once the cloud and snow of Thursday cleared.

Meribel, France. Image © PlanetSKI

And did we mention the on piste conditions?

Meribel, France. Image © PlanetSKI

And the mix of the two?

Meribel, France. Image © PlanetSKI

More to follow as the latest storm strikes…

Friday 14th April

PlanetSKI has been reporting on the fresh snow falling at altitude in parts of the Alps as another Spring snowstorm rolls in.

It has delivered around 20cm in some resorts in the French Alps.

Our editor, James Cove, is in Les3Vallees in France and we’ll be hearing from him later .

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

First we bring you some pictures from Les Arcs.

PlanetSKI reader, Lynsey Devon, is in Arc 1950 where April snow has been falling too.

Les Arcs, France. Image © Lynsey Devon

Weather permitting James is going to ski a selection of resorts in Les3Vallees to see what the Spring conditions are like across the area .

He skied in Val Thorens yesterday.

Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI

As dawn broke things are looking promising for a longer ski journey.

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

More to follow…

Thursday 13th April

This afternoon:

Winter is back with a vengeance in parts of the Alps.

Snow has been falling in the north-west Alps with areas like Les3Vallees, Les Arcs, Verbier and many others seeing fresh snow at altitude.

PlanetSKI’s editor, James Cove, is passing through Les Menuires on his annual Spring ski road trip round a few of his favourite high-altitude resorts.

It was good to see snow on the trees heading up.

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

The snow and cloud kept coming in and out all day, and when it lifted the scene was like the middle of the season.

Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI

With the sun even making the odd appearance.

Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI

It was all a long way from earlier in the week.

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

What a difference 48-hours can make in April.

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

Update:

We have just received these recent images from Les Arcs where conditions look similar:

Les Arcs, France. Image © Lynsey Devon

More to follow…

This morning:

It seems like the forecast snow has arrived in the Alps.

In Les Menuires in Les3Vallees at least:

This was the view from our apartment a couple of days ago.

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

And here it is this morning:

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

The weather looks like it is closing in for a few days and conditions now feel like mid-winter, rather than approaching mid-April.

We’ll be going up to make a few turns once the lifts open so do check back.

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

More to follow…

Wednesday 12th April

The weather has turned in the French Alps – PlanetSKI is currently in Les3Vallees.

The sunshine of a few days ago is but a distant memory.

It is now grey, murky and warm.

There remains some great April skiing at altitude with uncrowded slopes.

There was also a small amount of fresh snow first thing in the morning

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

Check out the video report from PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, who is hoping the forecast proves to be correct.

The avalanche risk has gone up from Level 2 (moderate), to Level 3 (considerable).

This is not because of any fresh snow or high winds, but rather the temperature rise has made the snow heavier and more likely to slide.

The rise in temperature is being investigated as the possible trigger to the avalanche near Mont Blanc on Sunday that killed six people.

Investigation underway into Mont Blanc avalanche that killed six people

Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI

At this time of year the snowline is creeping up the mountains, but at 2,000m and above conditions are good with few bare patches.

Here’s the view into Meribel.

Fingers crossed for tomorrow.

More to follow…

Tuesday 11th April

The weather is changing in the Alps with a bit of snow in the forecast for this week.

The PlanetSKI editorial team is out in the Alps and we have just spent a few days in Chamonix.

The PlanetSKI Spring ski road trip

We have now moved over to Les3Vallees.

There is less snow cover but the high-altitude slopes are in decent shape.

Here at PlanetSKI we LOVE late season skiing.

PlanetSKI reader Lynsey Devon is also a fan of Spring skiing and she is out in the high-altitude resort of Arc 1950 in France.

“A fabulous day in Arc 1950 where the spring conditions have been exceptional,” said Lynsey.

“We went up to the Aiguille Rouge for the best snow with with views to Monte Bianco – that’s the Italian side of Mont Blanc.

“We could ski all the way down to Villaroger where the snow was softer the more we went down.

“This is the last week the slopes are open down to Villaroger and we’ve been loving it.”

Monday 10th April

The fine weather is continuing in the Alps today, but things are about to change with some unsettled weather coming.

Rain and snow will hit the northern Alps with a freezing limit between 1,500m and 2,200m on Monday night and into Tuesday.

“The cloud has already arrived here in Les Menuires in Les3Vallees and hopefully it will bring some snow,’ said PlanetSKI reader, Sally Lovegrove, on Monday afternoon.

“There is decent cover on the pistes considering it is the second week of April, but more snow would be very welcome.

“There is also some sun in the forecast, so fingers crossed.”

So, what about the week ahead?

“After a relative lull early on Wednesday, further active fronts will bring more widespread and significant snow to many parts of the Alps late on Wednesday and on Thursday, with snow falling to increasingly low levels,” said the alpine weather expert, Fraser Wilkin, from weathertoski.co.uk.

More to follow…