Snow paradise for half-term

13th February 2013, by Abi Butcher

Photographer Andy Lloyd took this photo in Courchevel at the end of last week

Check any resort for its current conditions and they all read virtually the same “powder snow”, “deep powder”, “great conditions”...and that’s really the picture across the Alps and North America at the moment. Milder weather is coming in at the end of this week across the Alps, with a freezing level of around 2000m, but temperatures are expected to drop again before too long.

Heading into the second of two half term weeks the snow conditions are superb thanks to continual falls and low temperatures. This week it has been snowing across the Alps - the heaviest so far in the Italian Dolomites, where it’s due to continue for the rest of this week. A few centimetres are due to fall on Friday in Italy‘s Madesimo, La Thuile and Cortina, to name but a few.

It’s the same picture in Austria, where Pitztal, Obertauern and Lech are among a number of resorts where the snow that’s been falling this week is due to continue into the weekend. Resorts further east will be getting the lion’s share of the coming snow and colder temperatures, so if you’re heading to Austria or Germany for half term, you can expect a good time.

Further west in the Pyrenees, Cauterets is reporting continuing “deep powder” condition, and elsewhere in snowy France, Editor Gill has been enjoying great conditions in Montgenèvre and Serre Chevalier.  Flaine and Samoens in the Grand Massif are reporting 400cm and 395cm of snow, are enjoying some of the best conditions, followed by Chamonix and Argentiere reporting a depth of 350cm. In Switzerland, Gstaad has a base of 410cm, Andermatt 420cm and the south-facing Crans Montana a respectively hefty 330cm.

The sun is coming out in Andorra after a heavy snowfall last week, continuing into the beginning of this one - with Arinsal and Soldeu enjoying fabulous conditions with an upper base depth of around 200cm. The recent weather has improved things in Bulgaria, where snow has boosted conditions in Pamporovo to give an upper base depth of 150cm, with more on the way.

In the US, many ski resorts down the east coast have enjoyed massive blizzards thanks to Nemo - including those in Vermont (Stow Mountain reported 51cm, Sugarbush 46cm), New Hampshire (Wild Cat Mountain reported a whopping 74cm), Massechussetts and Maine.

Light snow is expected across most of North America this week. In Canada, Revelstoke, Panorama, Kicking Horse and Fernie in British Columbia have packed powder conditions, with Lake Louise and Sunshine in Alberta with the highest recent snowfall – a decent 18cm came down in Lake Louise to give a base of 140-150cm.

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