Excellent Snow Conditions in the Alps Continue
29th December 2024
Last modified on January 1st, 2025
There are some of the best Xmas and New Year conditions in recent years. Heavy snow followed by sunshine and cold temperatures. UPDATED
High pressure is dominating the weather with plenty of sunshine and it should last until the middle of the week.
It warmed up after the snow with the freezing level up to 3,000m in parts of the Alps, but the temperatures have now dropped.
There are some superb conditions for Xmas and the New Year – the best in recent memory in many places.
🎄 Prime conditions on the 🇨🇭 side of @PDS_officiel for Christmas ⛷ #regiondentsdumidi #valais #portesdusoleil pic.twitter.com/WDBfIcMWft
— Région Dents du Midi 🏔 (@RegDentsDuMidi) December 27, 2024
It’s been a similar picture in some of the smaller and less well-known resorts.
PlanetSKI reader, Tim Whiteman, is in Hasliberg in Switzerland.
Where?
Hasliberg, Switzerland. Image © Tim Whiteman.
“It is busy but not crowded, with short queues for the lifts,” said Tim.
“There is lots of snow, the sun is shining and conditions are near perfect for us locals out.”
PlanetSKI reader Miriam Wilson is in Risoul 1850 in the southern French Alps.
Risoul 1850, France. Image © PlanetSKI
“The snow here is hard with ice in places,” said Miriam.
“But there is great coverage on all pistes we have skied on so far (couple of runs are closed). The snow is good even down to 1600 in Vars.”
“And The weather is great too.
“It’s quite warm here in 1850 at about 4C. and is overall, a great bluebird Sunday.”
Risoul 1850, France. Image © PlanetSKI
Many ski areas in the north-western Alps, including Val d’Isère, Chamonix, Flaine, Avoriaz, Mürren and Engelberg have seen 1m or more new snow at altitude in the past week.
It has been good lower down too.
“There has also been significant snow lower down, meaning that resorts like Megève, Morzine, Villars and Adelboden are looking at one of their best Christmas periods for many years,” said Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk.
“Other northern parts of the Alps have also done very well (e.g. Arlberg), although Austria has generally seen slightly less impressive quantities of snow.”
Verbier, Switzerland. Image © PlanetSKI
The off-piste conditions have been dangerous in many places, especially in the north-western Alps.
There have been eight deaths in six separate incidents in Austria, France, Italy and Switzerland.
Here is the current avalanche risk in Switzerland where large parts are still at ‘considerable’ risk.
Avalanche risk in Switzerland. Image c/o Swiss Avalanche Institute
The authorities are warning people to be extra cautious, and to obey all the rules and regulations.
The Swiss Olympic Snowboarder, 26 year old Sophie Hediger , was killed in an avalanche in Arosa during the storm last week.
We have reported on the tragedy elsewhere on PlanetSKI:
PlanetSKI has been monitoring the weather direct from the Alps in recent weeks:
- Fabulous Xmas and New Year snow conditions
- Good conditions in the run up to Xmas
- Excellent snow conditions in large parts of the Alps & Pyrenees
- Heavy snow set to fall in the Alps
With the snow and now fine weather there have been excellent conditions in many places for Xmas and the approaching New Year.
It further solidifies one of the best starts to a ski season in recent years.
PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, will be in the French Alps later this week on one of his random road trips.
He has a rough plan, the northern French Alps, but as usual will simply wait to see where the best conditions are.
James Cove in the Alps. Image © PlanetSKI
Watch this space…
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