Industry News
Snowfalls last week were minimal across the European Alps, but more snow is in the forecast from today. Our top 7 list of resorts with the deepest snowpack has not changed much from last week. There was some re-shuffling and changes to snowdepth, with sunnier resorts having their snowpack compacted a bit over the course of last week. France in the west of the Alps has had a couple of inches of fresh snow, while Austria in the east of the Alps did not receive any top up.
Which resorts have the most snow right now? Here is the top 7 for the European Alps:
#7 St. Anton, Arlberg Ski Area, Austria
Snowdepth at Arlberg in Tyrol, Austria, has compacted somewhat since last week. The Arlberg Ski Area consists of Warth Schröcken, St. Anton, St. Christoph, Lech, Zürs, and Stuben. The combined ski resort offers 302km (189 miles) of groomed runs serviced by 85 lifts and gondolas.
- Snowdepth at peak: 335 cm (132 inches)
- Runs open: 270/302 km (169/189 miles)
- Lifts operating: 75/85
#6 Kaunertal Glacier, Austria
Snowdepth at the Kaunertal Glacier in the Austrian state of Tyrol remains unchanged at 340 cm (134 inches) at peak. The ski area offers 61km (38 miles) of groomed runs and features a glacier area that boasts three runs of more than 3,000 feet of vertical.
- Snowdepth at peak: 340 cm (134 inches)
- Runs open: 27/31
- Lifts operating: 12/14
#5 Flims Laax Falera, Switzerland
One of the few ski areas that saw some snowfall last week is Flims Laax Falera in the Swiss canton Graubünden. Snowdepth at Flims Laax has increaed by 7 inches from last week. The ski resort is well known as a Freestyle mecca and will host the FIS Freeski & Snowboard World Cup from January 16-21 in Slopestyle and Halfpipe, also known as the Laax Open.
- Snowdepth at peak: 342 cm (135 inches)
- Runs open: 117/224 km (73/140 miles)
- Lifts operating: 20/28
#4 Les Arcs Aiguille Rouge/Paradiski, France
Les Arcs, France, will host the Freeride World Tour Qualifiers from Saturday 20. The French resort is connected with La Plagne and Peisy Vallandry and together forms the Paradiski ski area, the second largest interconnected ski area in the world with 265 miles (425km) of groomed runs serviced by 53 lifts and cable cars, including a two-level cable car that fits 200 people. The highest snowdepth can be found at Aiguille Rouge.
- Snowdepth at peak: 370 cm (146 inches)
- Runs open: 109/121
- Lifts operating: 51/53
#3 Grande Motte Glacier/Tignes-Val dIsere, L’Espace Killy, France
The Grande Motte Glacier at Tignes is situated at 3,032 meters (9,948 feet) and is now recording 375cm (148 inches) of snow. Please note avalanche danger at Grande Motte is still elevated. Some lifts will not operate at the moment due to poor visibility or may open later. Together with Val d’Isere, the resort is known as Espace Killy, after French ski racer Jean-Claude Killy, and boasts 160 runs stretching across 300km.
- Snowdepth at peak: 375 cm (148 inches)
- Runs open: 133/160
- Lifts operating: 67/72
#2 Flaine/Le Grand Massif, France
Le Grand Massif in France is located in the Haute-Savoie region and is one of France’s largest interconnected ski areas. The resort faces the famous Mont Blanc and boasts 151 ski runs for beginners and experts alike, serviced by 64 modern ski lifts. Due to poor visibility and snowfalls at the moment, some of the lift infrastructure is not open. Please check daily for updates.
- Snowdepth at peak: 405 cm (159 inches)
- Runs open: 87/151
- Lifts operating: 40/64
#1 Chamonix Mont-Blanc, France
The iconic ski area of Chamonix Mont-Blanc once again tops the list, with 4.1 meters (13.5 feet) of snowdepth at peak, unchanged from last week. Chamonix is one of the best European resorts for expert riders. Riding or skiing down Mont-Blanc should definitely be on everyone’s bucket list. Please be aware that avalanche danger remains at Level 3 and the resort warns that there is a persistent fragile under layer, which can cause spontaneous avalanches.
- Snowdepth at peak: 410 cm (161 inches)
- Runs open: 73/121
- Lifts operating: 52/69
