The predicted Alpine snowfall has arrived, with up to 50cm of new snow in parts of Italy. There has been less new snow in France, Austria and Switzerland. California's Squaw Valley has an impressive 76cm of fresh powder but nothing can top Canadian Whistler (330cm) which has 181cm of new snow.
Head for Italy for the best European snow, after heavy falls in Madonna di Campiglio (75-175cm, 55cm new) andPasso Tonale (50-500cm. The "best in Europe," says the Ski Club of Great Britain. Courmayeur has (55-110cm) of fresh snow and Sauze D'Oulx has (60-120cm).
Swiss snowfall has been modest with 10-15cm of new snow in Zermatt (10-120cm), Andermatt (30-200cm) and St Moritz (50-70cm). Austrian Obergurgl (45-115cm) and Bad Kleinkirchheim (30-70cm) both have 15cm of new snow but elsewhere in the Skiwelt the only new snow is artificial. Most French resorts have new snow, particularly Isola 2000 (118-221cm) which had 50 cm of new snow, but the Three Valleys missed out.
More new snow is expected in European resorts this week including France's Three Valleys, with the best snowfalls in Austria. Icy temperatures will preserve piste conditions, just in time for the half-term crowds. The Canadian Rockies and Coast Mountains are braced for a bitter –30C. In the US, Vail (Colorado) expects 15cm of new snow while temperatures in eastern Sugarbush will plummet from 3C on Friday to –20C on Monday.