Good Start to the Season at Altitude in the Alps

16th November 2023

Last modified on November 21st, 2023

More resorts opened at the weekend including the first in France. 30 resorts now offer some skiing. UPDATED

Monday 20th November

At this time of year we find it interesting to be studying the snow conditions and reporting on them.

They change daily – what happens now makes a difference to the start of the season in some places, and not a jot in other areas.

It is only the second half of November after all with much changing between now and the start of the main season in December.

There are many variable factors influencing proceedings.

Then much hyperbole and exaggeration going – usually on social media.

Some is understandable enthusiasm.

Some is companies and resorts trying to tell you conditions are better than they are and how they will remain so, to encourage you to book a ski holiday.

We tend to listen to people out in the mountains who we rely on and trust.

Plus the overview from the alpine weather expert, Fraser Wilkin, from weathertoski.co.uk.

Here is his assessment today of the current state of play as the season of 2023/24 approaches:

“Weak weather fronts will reach the northern Alps tonight, lingering tomorrow and bringing a few centimetres of snow in places, mostly on the north-eastern side of the Alps (Austria) with a rain/snow limit dropping to between 1,000 and 1,300m,” said Fraser.

“All eyes are then on next weekend, when a much more potent northerly airflow is likely to bring heavier snow to the northern Alps, especially in Switzerland and Austria.

“As for snow conditions right now, they are very mixed.

“Much of the considerable snow that fell in the Arlberg last week (60cm+) has already melted again, at least at lower altitudes, thanks to another period of very mild and (for a time) rainy weather over the weekend.

“That said, snow depths remain relatively impressive at higher altitudes across a good swathe of the Alps, especially in the higher resorts of the French Alps, where Tignes and Val Thorens have both opened early, despite the weekend’s milder weather having clearly thinned any natural snow cover lower down.

“Glaciers aside, the best skiing right now is probably to be found in the higher intra-Alpine Austrian resorts such as Sölden and Obergurgl, whose geographical location deep in the central/eastern Alps has allowed them to escape the worst excesses of the incursions of warm Atlantic air.”

PlanetSKI is set to start its season seeing things with our eyes out in the Alps.

PlanetSKI reporter Simon Wilson is heading to the highest resort in the Alps this coming weekend: Val Thorens in France which is at 2,300m with skiing going up to over 3,000m.

PlanetSKI editor James Cove is off to the glacier resorts of Pitztal and Kaunertaler in the Tirol in Austria on Sunday.

Plus he’ll be in Kuhtai for its opening day on Friday 1st December.

We have reporter Luke Frewer in Ischgl in Austria this weekend too for its opening.

Then it is the resort of BadKleinKirchheim in Austria in the first week of December for our chief reporter, Jane Peel.

We’ll keep you posted on early season conditions and much more besides…

Sunday 19th November

At the weekend Val Thorens and Tignes in France opened some of their ski areas ahead of schedule.

The lifts started on Saturday 18th November.

They are the first French resorts to open for the season.

In Italy Madonna di Campiglio also opened some slopes on Saturday 18th November.

There were further resorts in Switzerland opening some slopes, including Crans Montana, Andermatt and Laax.

There are over 30 resorts now open across Europe – we list them all at the end of this article.

It has been one of the best Novembers for snow at altitude in recent years.

Some resorts that are currently open are offering more terrain as further lifts and runs are opened.

Soelden now has 90kms of runs open.

World Cup racing took place on Saturday in Obergurgl with the men’s slalom.

GB’s Dave Ryding came 4th, with other GB athletes doing well:

The Rocket Rocks!

🎢 of emotions 🤩
Dave Ryding rocked 4th, Billy Major nailed 16th, and Laurie Taylor’s run had us on the edge—even if it ended with a ‘Did Not Finish.’ 🏆⛷️
Incredible skiing and start to the season 🙌
Congratulations 💪#gbsnowsport pic.twitter.com/ebNPeYkkEN
— GB Snowsport (@GBSnowsport) November 18, 2023

Obergurgl now has 50kms of slopes open.

The weather forced the organisers of the Women’s Dowhill from Zermatt to Cervinia to cancel racing on Saturday, and then again on Sunday.

‼️ Due to the strong wind and the unfavourable forecast for the day today women’s downhill in Zermatt-Cervinia has been cancelled. 💨 #fisalpine pic.twitter.com/8AUeFXYR0l
— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) November 18, 2023

See here for our updated report from Sunday:

Women’s World Cup downhills cancelled

Last weekend the men’s events were unable to take place due to the weather.

Zermatt-Cervinia downhill races cancelled

Saturday 18th November

St Anton and Lech in Austria are amoung resorts that have seen the best snow in the latest storm.

Here was the scene in Lech on Friday morning:

Roads were closed due to the danger of avalanche.

St Anton also benefited.

The latest snowfall started on Thursday morning in the western Alps with the freezing level around 2,000m.

It dropped to around 1,000m on Friday.

“Snow depths remain decent for the time of year at higher altitudes across most of the Alps, despite Tuesday’s rain, which saw the rain/snow limit close to 3,000m for a time in the north-western Alps,” said Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk

“Lower down, snow cover is very patchy or non-existent, but this is not remotely unusual for mid-November.”

Weathertoski says the areas that will benefit most are:

The north-eastern Swiss Alps – from about Engelberg eastwards.
The western Austrian Alps – especially Lech & St Anton.

These regions will see 30-50cm of new snow above 1,800m by Friday.

The western Swiss Alps – Verbier.
The northern French Alps – Tignes will see closer to 10cm.
The southern half of the Alps will miss most of the precipitation.

Last weekend saw over 1m of snow at altitude as we reported at the time:

More resorts open as more snow falls

Then earlier this week the snow turned to rain as the freezing level shot up to 2,800m.

It produced flooding in parts of the Alps.

The heavy rain in the Swiss Alps led to the closure of several bridges in the Geneva area as water levels rise.

The Arve river that flows through Geneva and into the Rhône, had its highest flow ever recorded on Wednesday.

“We have exceeded 1,000 cubic metres per second”, said the Fire and Rescue Service, SIS.

Five of the eight bridges across the river were closed.

It caused major disruption to traffic with trams no longer able to cross from one bank to the other.

According to MeteoSwiss, 80 to 100 millimetres of rain fell between Sunday and Wednesday mainly in the northern Alps.

In the Valais and the Vaudois Alps, 110-180 mm of rain were recorded.

In the Haute-Savoie region of the French Alps people in the Chamonix valley and around the Arve River were advised to stay at home on Wednesday.

Almost 300 homes were without electricity and many roads were closed because of the risk of landslides, rockfalls and subsidence.

Now the storms have passed and things are looking better across the Alps.

In Scandinavia resorts are also opening.

Here’s Myrkdalen in Norway that opened on Saturday 18th November:

PlanetSKI was in Myrkdalen last winter on a rail safari round a few resorts in Norway:

Norwegian ski rail trip

Trysil and Gausta in Norway have also opened this weekend.

Skiing in Norway: the resort of Gausta

Resorts Currently Offering Skiing

Austria: Kaunertal, Soelden, Hintertux, Pitztal, Stubai, Moltaller, Schladming, Montafon, Obergurgl, Kitzbuhel & Kitzsteinhorn.

Finland: Levi & Ruka.

Italy: Passo Stelvio, Solda & Cervinia.

Norway: Norefjell, Trysil, Gausta & Myrkdalen.

Sweden: Idre Fjall & Are.

Switzerland: Saas-Fee, Diavloezza, Engadine, Davos/Kolsters, Arosa/Lenzerheide, Crans-Montan, Laaz, Andermatt & Zermatt.

So, what does the recent snow mean for the coming season?

There is now enough snow for a base at altitude in resorts such as Val d’Isere, Tignes, Val Thorens in France and Zermatt & Verbier in Switzerland.

Lower down it is a different story, but that is usually the case in mid-November so there is nothing to get too concerned about.

Much of the snow that fell, has either melted or been washed away by the rain.

There is plenty of wishful thinking around.

One UK ski operator claimed “there’s a good enough base laid down for great December skiing now across much of the Alps.”

Another said “this will ensure a solid base for the winter ahead” and the “exceptional early season snowfall had transformed the European ski landscape”, promising “an outstanding start to the season”.

It is far too early to make such sweeping remarks as we have only just reached the second half of November.

Much can happen between now and the start of the season.

We’ll be reporting on the conditions at the start of winter as the season gets underway, so do check back…