Ski France

Welcome to the Ski France page, providing a regular round-up of the skiing conditions and current snow reports for the main ski resorts in the French Alps and the Pyrenees. Over recent years some of the most consistently good piste conditions have been reported at Tignes, Val d'Isere, Flaine, La Rosiere, La Plagne, Alpe d'Huez, Val Thorens and La Grave showing a mix of glacial resorts and those most exposed to the prevailing storm paths. However, in any given week or season the best slope conditions may be found at any of the other high French resorts or at lower elevation ski stations in poor weather.

For off-piste powder, resorts such as La Rosiere, Les Menuires, Morzine, Samoens, Les Saisies, Le Grand Bornand, Montchavin/Les Coches and Val d'Isere have proven among the most consistent either for their regular snowfalls, northerly aspect or for not getting tracked out quickly.

Warm moist weather fronts drifting in from the Atlantic can produce significant snowfalls in the French Alps Chamonix, Argentiere, Flaine and Samoens have impressive records) but can also raise the freezing level so your choice of resort can be crucial if you are chasing powder. Check out the reports below for the latest news and the forecasts we provide for different elevations in the resort.

France is one of the world’s top skiing destinations. The best known of the country’s 400 or so ski areas are in the Northern and Southern Alps but there are also several dozen ski areas in the French Pyrenees and in other sectors like the Auvergne and Jura.

French ski resorts have really come in to their own in the past 40 years – later than the other three main Alpine skiing nations.

The post-war plan skiing in France was to help stop the migration of agricultural communities to the cities has been reversed by the country’s efforts to develop ski resorts. They have grown to include the world’s biggest fully lift-linked ski region (The 3 Valleys – which always had a 600km total no matter how many new runs are added); its biggest lift served vertical (at Chamonix) and indeed six of the world’s 10 biggest ski regions. Europe’s highest resort, Val Thorens, is also here.

But it’s not just size but also convenience that led many French resorts to success and ever more people to love to ski France – the original concrete resorts built in the 1960s were not always pretty but they were designed to be functional and give slopeside access to the skiing and all other facilities in a few short steps at a time when most resorts in Europe required a laborious trek to catch a ski bus and then ages on lifts getting up to the slopes.

This decision to build resorts at altitude has paid extra dividends in these years of climate change fears as, with many ski areas beginning and ending 1000 vertical metres higher than many traditional resorts, they are more likely to get natural snowfall when lower elevation resorts get rain, and for it to be cold enough to run snow making machines when lower resorts have air too warm.

Those who are not so keen on this high altitude, purpose-built ski experience however criticise the resorts as soul-less places, artificial communities (they are almost completely empty in spring and autumn) with their captive market charged high prices for a sometimes inferior service. The slopes are also criticised as bleak, being high above the treeline.

Aimed squarely at the family market, French resorts also offer the most comprehensive childcare for babies as young as a few months old at most resorts, and ski kindergarten from three, although they do make children pay for lift passes a few years younger than elsewhere in the Alps and the full adult price from early teens or younger. The family orientation also means that lively après ski is something of a rarity in France.

Although French lift passes for these big ski regions are – except when the Swiss franc is on a high – among the most expensive to ski at in Europe, the French argue that they are still the best value because your extra Euros buy access to far more kilometres of piste and the use of many more fast lifts than at smaller resorts. In any case there is usually a cheaper pass for part of the giant ski area which in any case is equal in size or larger than a ‘regular’ ski area elsewhere.

It is wrong to think however that all French resorts are purpose-built. Chamonix, Morzine, Val d'Isere, Montgenevre (Via Lattea) and many other famous resorts have long histories as mountain and ski tourism communities, some originally spa towns. Megeve was developed in the 1920s as a rival to St Moritz by Baroness Rothschild and it still retains much of the ‘old money’ and more Michelin starred chefs than any other French resort, while Courchevel has become the country’s most glitz resort where the most expensive chalet costs £200,000 a week to rent.

Summer glacier skiing has declined dramatically in France since 2000. There used to be 7 or 8 resorts offering summer skiing but now only three (Tignes, Val d'Isere and Les Deux Alpes) are open briefly in July and August and there’s no skiing at all in France from mid-May to late June or in September. From October to late November Tignes is the only ski area open.

For Brits, France has been the most popular destination for the past two decades taking nearly 40% of the UK market each winter. Fast motorways from the English Channel to the Alps make French resorts the easiest to reach from southern England and it’s also possible to reach many French ski areas direct by Eurostar from London St Pancras railway station.
read more...

France: latest snow conditions round-up


FRANCE REPORT It has been another snowy week in the French Alps and Pyrenees with ski areas at more southerly latitudes seeing some of the biggest gains. Isola 2000 (235/300cm / 94/120"), the closest centre to Nice and the Mediterranean coast, for example, posted a 1 metre (40") accumulation over 72 hours at the start of this week.

Elsewhere, there's been plenty more snowfall at high altitudes, and 6 of the world's 10 deepest reported snow bases, including four of the top 5, are in the French Alps, led by Alpe d'Huez (121/480cm / 50/192"). Open terrain also remains excellent, with most big areas posting over 90% of their slopes still open.

Summary of forecast snowfall and ski conditions for resorts in France. Fresh snow is forecast at 0 resorts. Powder is reported at 1 resorts and 3 are reporting good piste conditions.

read more...

Recent Eyeball Snow Reports for France

A–B

C–K L–L M–R S–Z Best powder (1)Best piste conditions (3)

Ski resorts in France from A to B

Resort
snow depth
top and bottom

on-piste

off-piste

Last Snow

Next 9 Days
0–3 | 3–6 | 6–9
snow (cm)
Next 5 days weather forecast.
Freezing level (m)
Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

(950m — 2001m)

snow report 7 days ago

Abondance webcam
1.0 cm
7 days ago
18.0
5.0
part cloud part cloud light rain part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1476 m
2450m 2750m 2400m 2600m 650m

(1550m — 2451m)

snow report 8 days ago

1.0 cm
8 days ago
1.0
part cloud part cloud rain showers rain showers snow showers
Mid station 2000 m
2650m 2550m 2550m 2450m 1050m

(1000m — 1900m)

snow report 7 days ago

2.0 cm
8 days ago
10.0
2.0
clear part cloud thunderstorm part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1450 m
2750m 2850m 2450m 2550m 850m

(1500m — 2201m)

snow report 3 days ago

1.0 cm
4 days ago
7.0
1.0
part cloud part cloud thunderstorm part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1850 m
2700m 2650m 2450m 2450m 800m

(1100m — 3350m)

snow report yesterday

480
98
Spring snow 3.0 cm
2 days ago
7.0
part cloud part cloud thunderstorm part cloud snow showers
Mid station 2225 m
2750m 2750m 2450m 2500m 850m

(1367m — 2200m)

snow report yesterday

2.0 cm
8 days ago
7.0
1.0
clear part cloud thunderstorm clear snow showers
Mid station 1784 m
2800m 2800m 2450m 2500m 850m

(1251m — 1808m)

snow report yesterday

40
40
Packed powder and groomed snow 1.0 cm
8 days ago
part cloud part cloud light rain part cloud part cloud
Mid station 1530 m
2750m 2700m 2700m 2600m 1050m

(1400m — 1700m)

snow report 7 days ago

1.0 cm
7 days ago
10.0
4.0
clear part cloud thunderstorm part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1550 m
2650m 2850m 2400m 2550m 850m

(1050m — 2300m)

snow report yesterday

Arêches-Beaufort webcam
230
5
Wet snow 1.0 cm
4 days ago
13.0
5.0
part cloud part cloud mod rain part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1675 m
2450m 2650m 2400m 2500m 750m

(1252m — 3275m)

snow report yesterday

420
10
Packed powder and groomed snow 8 cm
2 days ago
3.0
18.0
6.0
part cloud part cloud light snow part cloud light snow
Mid station 2264 m
2100m 2550m 2400m 2550m 550m

(1400m — 2100m)

snow report yesterday

10 cm
8 days ago
thunderstorm thunderstorm thunderstorm light rain part cloud
Mid station 1750 m
2900m 3050m 3150m 3200m 1300m

(1681m — 2111m)

snow report 8 days ago

1.0 cm
8 days ago
clear part cloud rain showers rain showers snow showers
Mid station 1896 m
2600m 2500m 2550m 2450m 1050m

(1500m — 2000m)

snow report 7 days ago

11 cm
8 days ago
1.0
thunderstorm rain showers mod rain part cloud part cloud
Mid station 1750 m
2850m 3150m 2900m 3000m 1350m

(1400m — 1800m)

snow report 8 days ago

1.0 cm
8 days ago
1.0
rain showers part cloud part cloud light rain clear
Mid station 1600 m
2800m 2700m 2850m 2400m 1400m

(1600m — 3330m)

snow report yesterday

4 cm
2 days ago
2.0
4.0
part cloud part cloud snow showers part cloud snow showers
Mid station 2465 m
2700m 2750m 2450m 2500m 900m

(1600m — 2450m)

snow report yesterday

250
140
Packed powder and groomed snow 1.0 cm
8 days ago
1.0
3.0
rain showers part cloud rain showers rain showers clear
Mid station 2025 m
2600m 2600m 2700m 2450m 1350m

(1500m — 2750m)

snow report yesterday

172
55
Packed powder and groomed snow 4 cm
2 days ago
4.0
1.0
cloud part cloud light rain clear light snow
Mid station 2125 m
2500m 2300m 2500m 2450m 800m

(1050m — 1710m)

snow report 7 days ago

1.0 cm
8 days ago
9.0
2.0
clear part cloud thunderstorm part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1380 m
2800m 2850m 2400m 2500m 900m

(1144m — 2254m)

snow report yesterday

Avoriaz webcam
145
10
Packed powder and groomed snow 3.0 cm
4 days ago
19.0
5.0
part cloud part cloud mod rain part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1699 m
2450m 2750m 2400m 2600m 600m

(1400m — 2399m)

snow report yesterday

100
70
Spring snow 13 cm
8 days ago
1.0
thunderstorm rain showers mod rain part cloud part cloud
Mid station 1900 m
2850m 3150m 2900m 3050m 1350m

(850m — 1237m)

snow report today

2.0 cm
8 days ago
17.0
8.0
part cloud part cloud rain showers part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1044 m
2250m 2650m 2250m 2450m 750m

(1000m — 1301m)

snow report 7 days ago

3.0 cm
8 days ago
13.0
4.0
part cloud part cloud rain showers cloud snow showers
Mid station 1150 m
2500m 2850m 2350m 2650m 750m

(1101m — 1801m)

snow report 7 days ago

1.0 cm
7 days ago
17.0
4.0
part cloud part cloud light rain part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1451 m
2500m 2800m 2400m 2600m 800m

(1001m — 1912m)

snow report yesterday

38
10
Packed powder and groomed snow 1.0 cm
7 days ago
17.0
6.0
part cloud part cloud light rain part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1456 m
2450m 2800m 2400m 2600m 800m

(1740m — 2200m)

snow report 9 days ago

14 cm
9 days ago
3.0
1.0
part cloud part cloud rain showers clear snow showers
Mid station 1970 m
2550m 2500m 2550m 2450m 900m

(1350m — 1849m)

snow report yesterday

40
30
Wet snow 5 cm
8 days ago
6.0
2.0
clear cloud thunderstorm cloud light snow
Mid station 1600 m
2700m 2900m 2650m 3000m 1000m

(1430m — 1725m)

snow report 8 days ago

1.0 cm
8 days ago
1.0
2.0
rain showers rain showers rain showers rain showers clear
Mid station 1578 m
2650m 2600m 2750m 2500m 1500m

(1700m — 2001m)

snow report 7 days ago

5 cm
8 days ago
rain showers rain showers mod rain part cloud snow showers
Mid station 1850 m
2950m 3100m 3000m 3050m 1750m

(1801m — 3001m)

snow report yesterday

390
145
Packed powder and groomed snow 5 cm
2 days ago
5.0
2.0
part cloud part cloud snow showers clear snow showers
Mid station 2401 m
2550m 2500m 2500m 2450m 900m

(900m — 1351m)

snow report 7 days ago

2.0 cm
8 days ago
4.0
2.0
part cloud part cloud thunderstorm part cloud light snow
Mid station 1126 m
2350m 2450m 2400m 2450m 750m

(1200m — 1600m)

snow report 7 days ago

1.0 cm
8 days ago
2.0
cloud part cloud light rain clear light snow
Mid station 1400 m
2500m 2300m 2500m 2450m 800m

(1030m — 2525m)

snow report yesterday

Brévent-Flégère webcam
290
10
Packed powder and groomed snow 3.0 cm
4 days ago
13.0
4.0
part cloud part cloud mod rain part cloud light snow
Mid station 1778 m
2150m 2550m 2400m 2550m 600m

(1200m — 2501m)

snow report 8 days ago

1.0 cm
8 days ago
part cloud part cloud rain showers clear snow showers
Mid station 1850 m
2550m 2500m 2550m 2450m 1000m

(600m — 2950m)

snow report 3 days ago

Brides Les Bains webcam
2.0 cm
4 days ago
10.0
3.0
clear part cloud mod rain part cloud light snow
Mid station 1775 m
2450m 2550m 2400m 2450m 800m

(600m — 1220m)

snow report 7 days ago

2.0 cm
8 days ago
15.0
7.0
part cloud part cloud rain showers part cloud light snow
Mid station 910 m
2250m 2650m 2250m 2450m 750m