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 0 resorts and 0 are reporting good piste conditions.

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A–B

C–K L–L M–R S–Z

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)
Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

(950m — 2001m)

Abondance webcam
2.0 cm
47 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1476 m
3350m 3600m 3800m 3900m 3950m

(1550m — 2451m)

18 cm
on 7 May
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 2000 m
3300m 3500m 3700m 3950m 3900m

(1000m — 1900m)

snow report 26 days ago

1.0 cm
26 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1450 m
3350m 3550m 3700m 3850m 3900m

(1500m — 2201m)

snow report 26 days ago

1.0 cm
26 days ago
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 1850 m
3300m 3500m 3700m 3950m 3900m

(1100m — 3350m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 31 days 1.0 cm
27 days ago
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 2225 m
3300m 3500m 3600m 3850m 3900m

(1367m — 2200m)

snow report yesterday

1.0 cm
27 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1784 m
3300m 3450m 3550m 3850m 3900m

(1251m — 1808m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 45 days 4 cm
on 2 May
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1530 m
3300m 3450m 3550m 3900m 3900m

(1400m — 1700m)

2.0 cm
on 31 May
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1550 m
3350m 3600m 3700m 3850m 3900m

(1050m — 2300m)

snow report yesterday

Arêches-Beaufort webcam
opens in 52 days 1.0 cm
26 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1675 m
3350m 3550m 3750m 3900m 3950m

(1252m — 3275m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 31 days 2.0 cm
26 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 2264 m
3350m 3600m 3750m 3900m 3950m

(1400m — 2100m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 52 days 4 cm
4 days ago
mod rain rain showers rain showers rain showers clear
Mid station 1750 m
3200m 3150m 3100m 3050m 3200m

(1681m — 2111m)

18 cm
on 7 May
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1896 m
3300m 3450m 3650m 4000m 3900m

(1500m — 2000m)

14 cm
on 7 May
thunderstorm rain showers thunderstorm clear clear
Mid station 1750 m
3400m 3200m 3150m 3150m 3350m

(1400m — 1800m)

4 cm
on 2 May
clear clear part cloud clear clear
Mid station 1600 m
3350m 3400m 3450m 3800m 3850m

(1600m — 3330m)

snow report 20 days ago

2.0 cm
20 days ago
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 2465 m
3300m 3500m 3600m 3900m 3900m

(1600m — 2450m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 38 days 1.0 cm
on 16 May
clear clear part cloud clear clear
Mid station 2025 m
3300m 3400m 3600m 3900m 3900m

(1500m — 2750m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 45 days 1.0 cm
26 days ago
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 2125 m
3250m 3500m 3750m 4000m 3950m

(1050m — 1710m)

22 cm
on 2 May
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 1380 m
3300m 3500m 3550m 3850m 3900m

(1144m — 2254m)

snow report yesterday

Avoriaz webcam
opens in 44 days 5 cm
32 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1699 m
3350m 3600m 3800m 3900m 3950m

(1400m — 2399m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 45 days 4 cm
12 days ago
thunderstorm rain showers thunderstorm clear clear
Mid station 1900 m
3400m 3200m 3100m 3100m 3300m

(850m — 1237m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 45 days 1.0 cm
on 26 Apr
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1044 m
3350m 3900m 4000m 3950m 4000m

(1000m — 1301m)

7 cm
on 2 May
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1150 m
3400m 3650m 3850m 3900m 3950m

(1101m — 1801m)

2.0 cm
47 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1451 m
3350m 3600m 3800m 3900m 3950m

(1001m — 1912m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 52 days 1.0 cm
47 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1456 m
3350m 3600m 3800m 3900m 3950m

(1740m — 2200m)

1.0 cm
48 days ago
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 1970 m
3300m 3500m 3800m 4000m 3950m

(1350m — 1849m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 45 days 1.0 cm
32 days ago
clear clear clear part cloud clear
Mid station 1600 m
3350m 3500m 3550m 3600m 3850m

(1430m — 1725m)

3.0 cm
on 2 May
clear clear part cloud clear clear
Mid station 1578 m
3350m 3400m 3550m 3900m 3900m

(1700m — 2001m)

5 cm
on 7 May
mod rain rain showers rain showers rain showers clear
Mid station 1850 m
3250m 3100m 3000m 3050m 3250m

(1801m — 3001m)

snow report yesterday

opens in 52 days 6 cm
27 days ago
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 2401 m
3300m 3500m 3800m 4000m 3950m

(900m — 1351m)

1.0 cm
on 24 Apr
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 1126 m
3300m 3500m 3750m 3950m 3950m

(1200m — 1600m)

1.0 cm
on 2 May
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 1400 m
3300m 3500m 3750m 4000m 3950m

(1030m — 2525m)

snow report yesterday

Brévent-Flégère webcam
opens in 38 days 1.0 cm
27 days ago
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 1778 m
3350m 3600m 3750m 3900m 3950m

(1200m — 2501m)

7 cm
on 7 May
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 1850 m
3300m 3450m 3700m 4000m 3900m

(600m — 2950m)

snow report 26 days ago

Brides Les Bains webcam
1.0 cm
26 days ago
clear part cloud clear clear clear
Mid station 1775 m
3350m 3550m 3750m 3950m 3950m

(600m — 1220m)

3.0 cm
on 24 Apr
clear clear clear clear clear
Mid station 910 m
3350m 3900m 4000m 3950m 4000m