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.
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France: latest snow conditions round-up


FRANCE REPORT Most of the large French areas are open for another month, to the latter half of April, with some like Chamonix, Tignes and Val Thorens (150/220ccm / 60/88") open into early May and Les 2 Alpes planning to keep its glacier open top the start of July.

France also has the areas with the most open terrain as we near the Easter Holidays, Les 3 Vallees is now at 98% open, the most of the season, and is posting the world's deepest snow at Alpe d'Huez (103/480cm / 41/192"). So, in other words, a very positive picture for the start of astronomical springtime. After the big snowfalls of early March, the past week has seen more light to moderate snow showers on higher slopes for most French areas, with temperatures reaching +10C, bringing rain to valleys.

Summary of forecast snowfall and ski conditions for resorts in France. Fresh snow is forecast at 0 resorts. Powder is reported at 12 resorts and 12 are reporting good piste conditions.

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Recent Eyeball Snow Reports for France

A–B

C–K L–L M–R S–Z Best powder (12)Best piste conditions (12)

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)
Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon

(950m — 2001m)

snow report today

Abondance webcam
11 cm
yesterday
5.0
13.0
6.0
snow showers cloud light rain cloud light snow
Mid station 1476 m
1400m 2400m 2050m 1850m 1450m

(1550m — 2451m)

snow report today

14 cm
yesterday
23.0
36.0
5.0
snow showers cloud heavy snow mod snow snow showers
Mid station 2000 m
1350m 1900m 1800m 1150m 1200m

(1000m — 1900m)

snow report yesterday

6 cm
yesterday
3.0
22.0
3.0
rain showers part cloud light rain cloud light snow
Mid station 1450 m
1500m 2700m 2100m 2000m 1400m

(1500m — 2201m)

snow report today

16 cm
yesterday
13.0
36.0
7.0
light snow part cloud mod snow light snow light snow
Mid station 1850 m
1650m 2150m 1900m 1250m 1350m

(1100m — 3350m)

snow report today

450
115
Spring snow 17 cm
yesterday
15.0
42.0
7.0
snow showers part cloud mod snow light snow light snow
Mid station 2225 m
1700m 2350m 1900m 1600m 1450m

(1367m — 2200m)

snow report today

opens in 268 days 13 cm
yesterday
9.0
32.0
3.0
snow showers part cloud light snow mod rain light snow
Mid station 1784 m
1700m 2450m 2050m 1800m 1450m

(1251m — 1808m)

snow report today

30
20
Packed powder and groomed snow 11 cm
yesterday
4.0
23.0
4.0
light snow part cloud mod rain heavy rain light snow
Mid station 1530 m
1700m 2200m 1850m 1550m 1400m

(1400m — 1700m)

snow report yesterday

7 cm
yesterday
5.0
21.0
5.0
snow showers cloud light rain cloud snow showers
Mid station 1550 m
1400m 2700m 2050m 2050m 1400m

(1050m — 2300m)

snow report today

Arêches-Beaufort webcam
230
5
Fresh snow across the ski area
Fresh
13 cm
yesterday
11.0
28.0
11.0
light snow part cloud light snow cloud light snow
Mid station 1675 m
1450m 2350m 1950m 1700m 1400m

(1252m — 3275m)

snow report today

440
15
Packed powder and groomed snow 20 cm
yesterday
16.0
29.0
14.0
snow showers cloud light snow light snow light snow
Mid station 2264 m
1300m 2100m 1950m 1650m 1450m

(1400m — 2100m)

snow report today

opens in 268 days 7 cm
yesterday
23.0
16.0
14.0
rain showers heavy rain snow showers snow showers light snow
Mid station 1750 m
1750m 1700m 1200m 1600m 1500m

(1681m — 2111m)

snow report today

16 cm
yesterday
18.0
35.0
7.0
snow showers part cloud mod snow mod snow light snow
Mid station 1896 m
1300m 1800m 1700m 1000m 1000m

(1500m — 2000m)

snow report today

1.0 cm
yesterday
1.0
5.0
rain showers rain showers rain showers light snow light snow
Mid station 1750 m
2050m 2550m 1750m 1650m 1550m

(1400m — 1800m)

snow report today

4 cm
yesterday
15.0
clear part cloud heavy rain heavy rain thunderstorm
Mid station 1600 m
2100m 2450m 2000m 1700m 1700m

(1600m — 3330m)

snow report today

19 cm
yesterday
19.0
44.0
9.0
snow showers part cloud mod snow light snow light snow
Mid station 2465 m
1650m 2250m 1850m 1500m 1450m

(1600m — 2450m)

snow report today

Auron webcam
230
120
Powder
Powder
14 cm
yesterday
20.0
46.0
6.0
snow showers cloud heavy snow heavy snow snow showers
Mid station 2025 m
1400m 2100m 1800m 1200m 1050m

(1500m — 2750m)

snow report today

170
20
Spring snow 14 cm
yesterday
29.0
32.0
9.0
snow showers cloud heavy snow light snow light snow
Mid station 2125 m
1050m 1400m 1900m 1200m 1350m

(1050m — 1710m)

snow report yesterday

6 cm
yesterday
1.0
7.0
1.0
rain showers part cloud light rain light rain mod rain
Mid station 1380 m
1600m 2650m 2150m 1950m 1400m

(1144m — 2254m)

snow report today

Avoriaz webcam
158
5
Packed powder and groomed snow 14 cm
yesterday
8.0
17.0
10.0
snow showers cloud light rain cloud light snow
Mid station 1699 m
1400m 2250m 2000m 1800m 1450m

(1400m — 2399m)

snow report today

75
30
Spring snow 2.0 cm
yesterday
2.0
8.0
rain showers rain showers snow showers snow showers light snow
Mid station 1900 m
2000m 2450m 1750m 1600m 1500m

(850m — 1237m)

snow report today

opens in 261 days 6 cm
yesterday
2.0
6.0
2.0
light rain light rain light rain light rain thunderstorm
Mid station 1044 m
1050m 2300m 1900m 2050m 1350m

(1000m — 1301m)

snow report yesterday

4 cm
yesterday
1.0
13.0
1.0
rain showers part cloud mod rain light rain thunderstorm
Mid station 1150 m
1300m 2550m 2000m 1950m 1350m

(1101m — 1801m)

snow report yesterday

9 cm
yesterday
4.0
14.0
4.0
snow showers cloud mod rain cloud light snow
Mid station 1451 m
1400m 2650m 2100m 2050m 1400m

(1001m — 1912m)

snow report today

opens in 268 days 10 cm
yesterday
4.0
11.0
4.0
snow showers cloud light rain cloud light snow
Mid station 1456 m
1400m 2500m 2100m 1950m 1450m

(1740m — 2200m)

snow report today

14 cm
yesterday
35.0
27.0
7.0
snow showers light snow heavy snow light snow snow showers
Mid station 1970 m
1250m 1900m 1900m 1250m 1150m

(1350m — 1849m)

snow report today

7 cm
yesterday
9.0
10.0
3.0
snow showers light rain thunderstorm mod snow light snow
Mid station 1600 m
1150m 2450m 1250m 1400m 1300m

(1430m — 1725m)

snow report today

9 cm
yesterday
28.0
rain showers part cloud heavy rain light snow rain showers
Mid station 1578 m
1850m 2300m 1900m 1550m 1500m

(1700m — 2001m)

snow report today

2.0 cm
yesterday
1.0
10.0
rain showers rain showers snow showers light snow snow showers
Mid station 1850 m
2000m 2250m 1750m 1500m 1150m

(1801m — 3001m)

snow report today

390
135
Spring snow 19 cm
yesterday
48.0
36.0
9.0
snow showers light snow heavy snow mod snow snow showers
Mid station 2401 m
1300m 1950m 1950m 1350m 1200m

(900m — 1351m)

snow report yesterday

5 cm
yesterday
4.0
rain showers part cloud mod rain light rain mod rain
Mid station 1126 m
1300m 2150m 1950m 1400m 1450m

(1200m — 1600m)

snow report today

7 cm
yesterday
14.0
rain showers cloud heavy rain mod rain light snow
Mid station 1400 m
1050m 1400m 1900m 1200m 1300m

(1030m — 2525m)

snow report today

Brévent-Flégère webcam
290
10
Packed powder and groomed snow 14 cm
yesterday
12.0
21.0
11.0
snow showers cloud light snow light snow light snow
Mid station 1778 m
1250m 1700m 1950m 1650m 1450m

(1200m — 2501m)

snow report today

16 cm
yesterday
19.0
34.0
7.0
snow showers cloud mod snow mod snow snow showers
Mid station 1850 m
1200m 1800m 1700m 1150m 950m

(600m — 2950m)

snow report today

Brides Les Bains webcam
13 cm
yesterday
10.0
29.0
8.0
light snow part cloud light snow light snow mod snow
Mid station 1775 m
1350m 2200m 1900m 1400m 1450m

(600m — 1220m)

snow report today

6 cm
yesterday
2.0
2.0
2.0
light rain rain showers light rain light rain thunderstorm
Mid station 910 m
1050m 2300m 1900m 2050m 1350m