The PlanetSKI Snow Report

27th January 2026

Last modified on February 2nd, 2026

In PlanetSKI’s latest rolling snow report we hear from Canada & the Alps. UPDATED

Sunday 1st February

We start in Canada where the heavy snowfall and cold temperatures of earlier in the season are a distant memory.

PlaneSKI’s James Cove has been skiing the resorts around Banff this weekend.

On Sunday it was the local ski hill to Banff – Mt Norquay:

On Saturday he was skiing in Sunshine Village where there had been a few centimeters of snow that freshened things up nicely.

Sunshine Village, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

There was even a spot of fresh powder if you know where to look.

Sunshine Village, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

At the very top of the resort at 2,398m the temperature remained cold in the wind.

Sunshine Village, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

Saturday 31st January

After several snow reports from Canada over recent days we turn out attentions back to the Alps.

It has been generally cloudy with some modest snowfalls, but things are picking up and next week should see heavy snow in the southern Alps.

“Over the weekend, some further weak weather fronts will bring very small amounts of snow to some of the western Alps, with most areas staying dry with variable cloud,” said the alpine weather expert, Fraser Wilkin, from weathertoski.co.uk.

“The best of the sunshine will be further east.

“Next week we are then looking at a major storm for the southern Alps, which is set to start late on Monday.”

PlanetSKI’s Felix Milns is currently in St Anton, Austria:

And here is Felix (Milns) in the pow:

PlanetSKI’s snow reporter in Tignes-Val d’Isere in France , Steve Angus, has sent in this update:

Another of our reporters Mike ‘the snow’ Richards is in Crans-Montana in Switzerland for the final alpine ski speed World Cup races before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics that start this Friday, February 6th.

“The old adage of schedule a ski race and the snow will fall has come true yet again,’ said Mike on Friday.

“The Women’s Downhill was cancelled earlier today after snow and poor visibility causing half of the first six skiers to DNF ( did not finish) forced the organisers to cancel the race

“But the racers’ loss was the recreational skiers (me) gain with untracked boot top powder a stone’s throw away from the piste

“Women’s Super G tomorrow, Men’s Downhill on Sunday.

“More snow? Who knows. Stay tuned”

Here’s Mike:

And by Saturday in Crans-Montana:

And in case you are wondering about Canada it’s been a whiteout in Kicking Horse.

“The resort is known for its legendary steep terrain, but best not tackled in poor visibility,” said PlanetSKI editor, James Cove.

Kicking Horse, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

“For the lift that takes you to ‘Stairway to Heaven’ I could barely make out the chairlift in front so I boot up to the fabulous powder bowl was not on the cards.”

Kicking Horse, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

“So we turned out attentions to the pistes that were pretty much deserted in the poor weather.”

Kicking Horse, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

“A decent lunch was had in one of my favourite mountain restaurants in North America, Eagle’s Eye.”

Kicking Horse, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

“Then we headed back out into the mist.”

Kicking Horse, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

“The whiteout didn’t bring much fresh snow, but every little helps even though there has been huge amounts of snow this winter in Kicking Horse,” added James.

Kicking Horse, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

See yesterday’s report below for more details about the snow in Kicking Horse this winter.

Friday 30th January

The latest PlanetSKI video snow report comes direct from Kicking Horse in British Columbia, Canada.

The resort saw record amounts of December snow – 3.5m.

The snowfall has eased off, but there are some of the best early season conditions on record as the cold temperatures have preserved things rather nicely.

Here’s PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, who is rather fond of the place and delighted to be back.

Toby Garrett, from the resort’s management team, explains current snow conditions in perspective:

Kicking Horse – what a place!

Kicking Horse, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

Full resort report on Kicking Horse to follow early next week…

Thursday 29th January

Winter is beginning to get back on track in the Alps after some more fresh snow.

It was a great start to the season back in November as heavy snow fell, but December was generally dry and there remain below average snow depths.

The snow has been falling across January and conditions are getting back to near normal, but it still remains below par in many areas of the Alps.

“There is a lot of fresh snow across the southern French Alps (e.g. Puy St Vincent, Risoul, Auron), the western foothills of the Alps (e.g. Vercors region) and some western Italian resorts, especially in the Piemonte (e.g Prali, Prato Nevoso),” said Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk on Wednesday.

“These regions have seen 30-50cm of snow, with a bit more in places.

“Snow will tend to die away from the south-western Alps but will continue, and even intensify later, in the south-east (e.g. Carinthia, Dolomites).

“It will also continue in some north-western parts of the Alps (e.g. Portes du Soleil), gradually spreading further east across the northern Alps during the day.

“The more central internal Alpine valleys (e.g. Saas-Fee, Andermatt, Obergurgl, Obertauern) will probably only see a dusting to a few centimetres at best.

“Right now, the best snow conditions in the Alps are in the southern French Alps (roughly south of Grenoble) but note that the avalanche danger off-piste is sky high.

“More generally, in recent days snow conditions are much improved across most of the Alps, especially in the south, including the Dolomites which had so little snow earlier in the season.

“That said, snow depths remain below par in many areas.”

In contrast the Pyrenees is having an excellent winter with records being broken in places.

It has had five separate storms come through since the beginning of January.

PlanetSKI’s Felix Milns has just returned from a trip to the French Pyrenees:

PlanetSKI chases the powder in the Pyrenees with Intersport

Felix Milns in the Pyrenees powder. Image c/o Callum Jelley/Intersport.

Meanwhile PlanetSKI’s editor, James Cove, remains in Canada where there has been no fresh snow this week, but the record-breaking falls in December mean conditions remain excellent.

Here’s Revelstoke in British Columbia:

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

We will be posting a full and detailed PlanetSKI resort review on Revelstoke this weekend so look out for that.

And maybe place it on your ski bucket list.

It is quite a place.

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

James has now moved on to Kicking Horse which is a two hour drive away over Roger’s Pass.

Fortunately the road was clear of vehicles and snow.

Roger’s Pass, British Columbia. Image © PlanetSKI

Look out for his updates over the next couple of days…

Wednesday 28th January

PlanetSKI’s Jane Peel has been skiing in the Les Houches-St Gervais ski area in the French Alps today.

“I said in my snow report from St Gervais yesterday that there was some light snow falling in the afternoon and that it looked as if there could be more overnight,” Jane said.

“It was good to wake up to a thin covering this morning. It was probably only a few centimetres but very light snow continued to fall on and off during the day.

“It was enough to freshen up the pistes although some runs were hard-packed and bumpy beneath the new fall.

Les Houches-St Gervais, France. Image © PlanetSKI

“Nevertheless it was good to be able to ski all the way down to Les Houches at 1,000m in decent conditions.

“By about 3pm, however, it had turned very foggy and, by the time I was back at my base in the town of St Gervais – at around 800m – the snow had turned to drizzly rain.”

Tuesday 27th January

PlanetSKI has moved on from its current winter base near Banff in Alberta, Canada.

We have been reporting on conditions in the resorts of Lake Louise, Sunshine Village and Mt Norquay.

Now we’re off on a little road trip to neighbouring British Columbia and then swinging back through the town of Jasper and its ski resort of Marmot Basin in Alberta.

PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, starts in one of his favourite resorts in Canada.

So, where might that be?

What James didn’t mention in the video was that it has been, er, rather chilly.

The temperature was -9c, but it felt more like -14c in the wind chill.

Fortunately Revelstoke has a few of these very welcome places – warming huts.

Tomorrow, weather permitting, we’re planning to boot up here:

That gives access to this – The North Bowl:

Further south snow is finally falling in the USA after a very poor winter so far in many areas in the US Rockies.

Colorado has had one of its worst starts to winter in decades, but now some snow has fallen:

In Colorado the biggest winner is Silverton Mountain which received 50cm.

Monarch Mountain and Sunlight Mountain were close behind with 28cm & 25cm respectively.

Other totals are more modest.

Purgatory Resort had 13cm.

At Breckenridge skiers and riders have had access to their first lift-served laps at the treeline this season.

“The snow isn’t done yet. Additional snowfall is expected setting the stage for a strong weekend of skiing and riding as fresh snow continues to refresh on-mountain conditions,” said Loveland rather optimistically

It is not enough to get winter back on track by any means, but it is a welcome start.

The resorts in Utah and Wyoming have not been quite so bad, though it has been far short of a bumper winter.

Utah has most certainly not seen “the greatest snow on earth” that it claims to have in its marketing blurb.

Far, far from it.

In the Alps, PlanetSKI’s Jane Peel is in St Gervais in France:

St Gervais, France, Jan 2026. Image © PlanetSKI

Another storm is due to start later on Tuesday in the Alps and will go into Wednesday, with the heaviest snow set to fall in the southern French and far south-western Italian Alps.

According to weathertoski.co.uk resorts such as Les 2 Alpes, Risoul, Isola 2000 and Limone Piemonte could see in the region of 30-50cm.

We’ll keep you posted…

Monday 26th January

Snow is finally falling in the Dolomites in Italy as the Winter Olympics get underway in Cortina in under two weeks.

It is the first time it has snowed in the area for many weeks and there is relief all round.

“Although it won’t amount to anything extraordinary, with 15-30cm of snow falling quite widely across the Dolomites (with 40cm+ in some favoured spots close to the southern foothills) and another moderate dump expected on Wednesday, it is certainly a timely intervention from the weather gods,” said Fraser Wilkin from weahtertoski.co.uk.

The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics start on Friday 6th February and end on Sunday 22nd February.

GB ski & snowboard teams announced for Winter Olympics

There has also been some snow falling over the weekend in parts of Austria, while the western Alps are drier and brighter.

“Bit by bit, this rather unusual winter season is coming together, with fresh snow for just about all parts of the Alps over the last few days and more forecast next week, especially in the southern and western Alps,” added Fraser.

St Moritz, Switzerland. Image © Helen Gillespie/PlanetSKI.

Over in Canada the PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, has just arrived in Revelstoke in British Columbia.

The resort has seen 7.3 m of snow so far this season and claims a base depth of 2.3m.

Look out for his reports on the snow conditions later.

Arriving in Revelstoke, Canada. Image © PlanetSKI

See here for last week’s PlanetSKI snow reports as we hear from our reporters in the Alps, the Pyrenees, the Scottish Highlands and North America:

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