The Storm in the Alps Passes
5th January 2026
Last modified on January 11th, 2026
Over 1m of snow has fallen in places leaving superb piste conditions, but high level of avalanche danger. UPDATED
Sunday 11th January
It has been a sunny and cold day in the Alps.
The big storm of the last few days in France and Switzerland has now passed.
It lead to a spate of avalanche deaths with six people, including a 50 year old British man in La Plagne, losing their lives.
See here for the full details in PlanetSKI’s news report:
On piste the skiing conditions have been excellent in many places.
Check out some of the images of the fresh snow:
The big storm is over and it’s been quite a day in the Alps! https://t.co/PGoKdcOPwl #powderday This is #Lech #Chatel and #Glacier3000 pic.twitter.com/zgc7fRY76B
— weathertoski (@weathertoski) January 11, 2026
“Storm totals since Wednesday evening have been over 1m at altitude across parts of the French Alps (e.g. Val Thorens, La Rosière), the far western Swiss Alps (e.g. Les Diablerets/Glacier 3000) and some north-eastern Swiss areas such as the Glarus Alps,” said Fraser Wilkin from Weathertoski.co.uk.
“Most other French and Swiss Alpine regions, the west of Austria (e.g. Arlberg) and the north-west of Italy (e.g. Courmayeur, Cervinia) have also seen significant snow, with between 40cm and 80cm since Wednesday night.
“The far south-east of Switzerland (e.g. St Moritz) and other parts of Austria have seen less though, typically with between 10cm and 30cm.
“The least snow fell in the eastern Italian Alps, with just a few centimetres in the Dolomites.”
The weather is warming up this week, with perhaps some snow in Austria.
Saturday 10th January
The snow storm in the northern and western Alps has brought yet more snow today.
Here’s the scene in Val Thorens in France:
It’s looking good in neighbouring Les Menuires:
Les Menuires, France. Image c.o Les Menuires tourist office.
Les Menuires, France. Image c.o Les Menuires tourist office.
Les Menuires, France. Image c.o Les Menuires tourist office.
It is much needed.
Here was the scene in Les Menuires last week
Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
It has coe at a cost with a number of avalanche fatalities.
At least three people have died in two separate avalanches in the French Alps as we have reported on PlanetSKI:
There have been more avalanches on Sunday.
The authorities are advising extreme caution off piste with the avalanche risk at Level 4 (high) in many ski areas.
Here’s the risk in Switzerland on Saturday:
Avalanche danger in Switzerland, Saturday 10th January. Image c/o Swiss Avalanche Institute.
There has been around 1m of snow in places and strong winds.
“Storm totals since already exceed 1m above 1,800m in some of the western Alps, notably in France but also in some western Swiss regions,” said Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk
“On , the weather will improve more generally but will remain cold in the short term, making for some potentially incredible snow conditions in the ski areas that are safe and open.”
Here’s Verbier in Switzerland:
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More to follow on Sunday when we will have a full and detailed report once the storm passes.
Friday 9th January
In The Alps the forecast storm is delivering all it promised with heavy snow now falling in the northern and western Alps.
“The heaviest snow today and tonight will be in the French Alps, especially in the Tarentaise (e.g. Val d’Isère, La Rosière) and the Isère (Les 2 Alpes, Alpe d’Huez) where another 40cm of snow is possible by tomorrow morning,” said Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk.
“The far north-west of Italy (e.g. Courmayeur, La Thuile) could see similar amounts.
“More generally, another 20-30cm of snow will fall by tomorrow morning across the western and north-western Alps, and 10-20cm across the eastern Swiss and Austrian Alps.
“Some snow will also get through to the central and eastern Italian Alps (e.g. Livigno, Passo Tonale, Dolomites) but probably no more than a few centimetres.”
Here’s PlanetSKI’s Steve Angus in the thick of it in Tignes/Val d’Isere:
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The snow has brought high avalanche danger in many places.
Here is the warning for Switzerland for Friday 9th January.
Swiss Avalanche risk. Image c/o Swiss Avalanche Institute.
In France the districts of Haute-Savoie, Hautes-Alpes, Isere and Savoie all report “precipitations significatives”.
“Strong winds particularly on Friday has affected lifts and visibility,” said PlanetSKI reader, David Morgan, from Tignes.
“The avalanche risk was Level 4 on Friday with 60cm of fresh snow in the forecast.”
Powder hounds in Tignes. Image c/o David Morgan.
Elsewhere at higher altitudes wind has also played a strong part in increasing avalanche risk, while lower down much has fallen on snow packs that have little base & cohesion after the dry December.
Do check back for the latest…
Meanwhile PlanetsKI editor James Cove is in Canada where the exceptional start to winter is continuing in the resorts around Banff in Alberta, with more snow falling and cold temperatures preserving things well.
Here’s Sunshine Village:
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And just an hour later on the runs on Goat’s Eye, we hear from PlanetSKI editor, James Cove:
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For an extended report with more images and videos of the day in Sunshine Village see here:
Thursday 8th January
A large storm is starting in the Alps bringing some much-needed snow to parts of the mountains that have not seen snow for four weeks.
Some forecasts predict ore than 1m of snow, but as always we shall have to wait and see.
It is spreading across the western and north-western Alps, affecting mainly France and Switzerland.
The storm will continue tomorrow with the freezing level at around 1,000m.
On Saturday further flurries will continue until the weather clears by Sunday.
Ski resorts in France expected to see some of the best snow include Tignes, Val Thorens & Les Menuires.
It will be very welcome.
Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
And here it is in Les Menuires…
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In Switzerland Verbier should have a decent fall and in Italy resorts in the Aosta Valley should do well.
The ski areas in the Italian Dolomites will see precious little snow.
Resorts in the east of Austria are expected to largely miss out.
Do check back as we update on the very welcome sight of snow…
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Wednesday 7th January
It is the calm before the storm in the Alps today with some bitterly cold temperatures in places at altitude.
“Between Thursday and Saturday night we can expect 50-100cm of fresh snow above 1500m across many western and north-western parts of the Alps, including Alpe d’Huez, Val d’Isère, Val Thorens, Chamonix, La Thuile, Verbier and Glacier 3000,” said our resident alpine weather expert, Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk.
See here for the full details from Fraser of the approaching storm.
Up to 1m may fall in places with the northern and western Alps seeing the best of the snowfall.
PlanetSKI reader Helen Gillespie has sent us these images from Val Thorens in Les3Vallees in France.
Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
It’s a tad chilly.
Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
Val Thorens, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
More to follow…
Tuesday 6th January
Heavy and very welcome snow is set to fall in parts of the Alps later this week.
The storm is forecast to hit the northern and western Alps on Thursday with over 50cm of snow currently forecast in places.
Some areas could see 70cm.
For some it will be the first snow for a month or so after a very dry December.
Currently blue sky and cold temperatures are dominating.
Here’s Les Menuires in Les3Vallees in France.
Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
To say the snow will be very welcome in Les Menuires is something of an understatement.
“The slopes have been very icy in places and it has been super cold,” said PlanetSKI reader, Helen Gillespie, who is in the resort.
Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
Les Menuires, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
The snow will start to fall on Wednesday evening and will continue through Thursday and Friday before clearing over the weekend.
“Between Wednesday night and Sunday morning we could see between 50–70cm of new snow above 1500m in the northern French Alps (e.g. 3 Valleys, Flaine, Avoriaz), the western Swiss Alps (e.g. Verbier) and the Arlberg (e.g. Lech, St Anton),” said the alpine weather expert Fraswer Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk.
“More generally, most of the northern and western Alps should see 25–50cm.
“The southern Alps will see much less, and in some cases no snow at all.”
Here at PlanetSKI we’ll keep you posted…
Monday 5th January
Cold conditions have hit the Alps with temperatures at 2,000m -10 to -12˚C.
“It will remain mostly fine but cold over the next few days, but with more in the way of cloud in the south-east (Dolomites, Carinthia), where some flurries are likely later on Monday and especially on Tuesday,” said the alpine weather expert, Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk.
“Later this week there is then a good chance that we will see more significant and widespread snow as storms begin to pile into the Alps from the north-west.”
It has followed a long period in the Alps with precious little snow – four weeks in some places.
Snow depths are generally well below the annual average for early January.
High altitude areas were able to open 70-90% of their pistes over the all-important Xmas & New Year holiday period.
In Austria the Arlberg, that includes St Anton and Lech, only about half the ski area is open.
St Anton, Austria. Image © PlanetSKI
There are though some good piste conditions at altitude and the onset of the cold weather is helping snow-making.
“Excellent on piste conditions today in les Contammines above 1500m,” said Dan Fox from SkiWeekends over on the PlanetSKI Facebook page.
“Very cold, but they are doing a great job of piste management.
“Bluebird day and nobody on the slopes.”
Other readers out in the mountains have also reacted on Facebook:
Maddie Piasecki: High altitude resorts have snow.
Michel Gravier: On the Portes du Soleil, the snow conditions are not bad at all.
Alan McIntosh: Conditions are sh*t all over the 3V, don’t go until it snows A LOT
Megan Frances: Really shocking. 15yrs ago we had adbundant snow down to St Martin de Belleville (and lower) throughout January.
The images below come from PlanetSKI reader, Helen Gillespie, who is in Val Thorens and skiing some of the other areas in Les3Vallees.
Les3Vallees, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
Les3Vallees, France. Image © PlanetSKI/Helen Gillespie.
Sunday 4th January
PlanetSKI’s editor, James Cove, has been based near Sunshine Village in Canada the past few weeks and here’s his weekend report as yet more snow falls:
View this post on Instagram
Elsewhere in North America there has finally been some snow in Utah, USA.
Saturday 3rd January
In contrast to many parts of the Alps, the Pyrenees has seen some fresh snow and has recorded the most snowfall in mainland Europe over the past week or so.
In Andorra most ski areas are fully open.
Andorra’s Grandvalira area (60/90cm) has 90% of its slopes open – 190km (120 miles).
That is more than any ski area in Austria or Italy at the moment.
Pal/Arinsal and Arcalis have 100% of their slopes open.
“Oh boy, has Andorra come good this winter!” said Duncan Gilroy from Absolutely Snow.
See more here about the UK operator: Absolutely Snow in Andorra
In Spain Baqueira Beret (40/80cm) has increased its open areas to 160km (100 miles) of runs.
The temperatures across the Pyrenees have remained cold which has preserved the snow that has fallen and allowed snow-making to continue apace.
Pal/Arinsal, Andorra. Image © PlanetSKI
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