From the French Alps to the US, the 10 best and worst places to ski right now

Rain and unseasonably mild temperatures across much of the Alps has caused chaos over Christmas and New Year, two of the peak weeks for ski holidays, raising concerns that climate change might kill the ski holiday, or at least the Christmas ski holiday, sooner than we all thought.

Although North America and Scandinavia have plentiful snow, parts of Europe are in dire straits with the northern French Alps – the area most popular with Brits – the worst affected. Social media has been awash with pictures of bare slopes, green trees and slushy pistes as well as horrendous queues as skiers pack lifts to find better conditions at higher altitude, and crowded on the few slopes with enough white stuff. 

Fraser Wilkin of snow forecaster weathertoski.co.uk says the situation is by no means unprecedented — the 2015-16 season started with widespread drought in the Alps until New Year – and says that while the situation is “very bad” in the north-western Alps other areas, such as the Dolomites, have better conditions.

“We’ve had mild temperatures since before Christmas coupled with unusual, heavy and prolonged rain that destroyed the quite reasonable amounts of snow that had fallen,” he said. “The rain was a killer.” 

Resorts are putting on free entertainment and slashing the cost of lift passes while waiting for snow to arrive – some is due next week – and while skiers are worried, few have cancelled holidays altogether. 

Diane Palumbo of Skiworld said sales of ski holidays remain strong, but admits the company is “featuring only the highest snow-sure resorts”.

She refuted any suggestion that Christmas in the Alps might soon become a thing of the past. “We have the highest number of whole-chalet bookings at Christmas and people who choose to go away over the festive period often have ancillary reasons to go – to be celebrating with family and friends, enjoying time together without having to cook a Christmas meal and wash up.”

Skiers who booked early in the season to secure an all-inclusive deal amid rising prices are among the worst hit. 

“These are possibly the worst conditions I have seen in the Alps at this time of year in more than 20 years of skiing,” says Louise Johnson, from Lyndhurst, Hampshire, who has spent New Year in Alpe d’Huez with partner Mark Barwell. The couple normally book a last-minute deal according to conditions, but this year bought an all-inclusive package in October to be sure of their holiday costs. 

“It’s not all bad, there is snow at the top but it’s so warm it doesn’t take much to be slush and the snow cannons aren’t on — but it’s still nice to be in the mountains and generally the morale in the resort is OK.”

Which resorts are worst affected? 

Nowhere in the Alps has abundant snow right now, but the northern French and western Swiss Alps are the most badly affected, having been hit by rain in the past week due to mild temperatures. Lower resorts in Austria are also badly affected and things look grim in the lower French resorts of the Grand Massif, including Samöens, which is closed until the end of this week, as well as Megeve, La Clusaz and parts of the Portes du Soleil, which are open but in desperate need for improved snow conditions. 

Conditions have deteriorated so much in Les Gets that only three lifts – the Chavannes gondola lift, the Vieux-Chêne drag lift and the Chavannes magic carpet – remain open despite heroic efforts by resort staff to keep snow cover on the pistes. 

While links are still open between Morzine and Avoriaz, there was chaos last week when queues for the link between both resorts hit three hours, with lift pass sales suspended and skiers describing the situation as “a nightmare”.

Which resorts still have good snow cover? 

North America, which has been experiencing extreme weather conditions, still has an abundance of snow, with avalanche warnings in parts of Colorado after heavy storms, and conditions in Norway and Sweden, where temperatures are cold, are also good.

In Europe, Italian resorts have been faring best, having avoided the recent rain, and while snow cover in Switzerland is not what it usually would be at this time of year, most are operating a good number of runs – with the high-altitude resorts of Zermatt and Saas-Fee offering decent conditions.

What’s the short-term forecast? 

Some snow is currently due late Sunday and Monday, but not enough to remedy the current situation, says Fraser Wilkin. 

“We really need a series of storm cycles back to back and while it was looking very promising, at the moment it looks like one fairly major storm and I’m not convinced we’re going to get enough to change the game given the mild air,” he said, but added: “The jury is still out.” Find more information on snow-sure resorts here and find the latest forecast here.

What’s the long-term forecast? 

Long-term predictions for the Alps are difficult because the weather is so volatile, said Wilkin, but he added: “There is genuine talk in meteorological circles of a plunge in temperatures in a couple of weeks and while the building blocks are there, cold doesn’t necessarily mean snow – so it’s very difficult to try to predict anything.” Find the latest forecast here.

Can I get a refund if I cancel my booking? 

If your ski holiday was booked as part of a package – that means your flights, accommodation and at least one other significant element included in the price – most operators will move you to a resort where you can ski, or offer a refund. 

Club Med, for example, is directly contacting customers affected by the closure of Grand Massif offering them alternative resorts if they wish to change.

If you have booked independently; you will have to address each element independently. If you have booked flights, ferry or train, you can change your travel dates or apply for a full refund if you purchased a flexible ticket – though rules vary. EasyJet, for example, allows ticket changes for a fee and Eurotunnel allows travellers with standard tickets to change travel dates by paying any applicable difference between original dates and new ones. 

While there is no legal requirement for accommodation booked independently to offer a refund other than goodwill, this also varies. 

Tim Townsend from Chandlers Ford, Hampshire, for example, owns a chalet in Samöens and offers a “no snow guarantee”. 

“I’ve had an email from my letting agent saying they have requests for cancellations as the resort is closed,” says Townsend. “As the resort has closed we are offering guests who want to cancel the option of 50 per cent off what they have spent with us as a credit towards next year.

“It’s the first time in 12 years of owning the chalet that the resort has actually closed.”

If you have pre-booked lift passes or lessons that prove redundant if you cannot ski you should consult the resort or provider's terms and conditions regarding a refund, or your insurance policy. Do note, some insurance policies (but not all) cover poor snow, but only if lifts are closed. So check the small print.

What else is there to do in badly hit resorts?

Resorts have been working hard to keep snow on the pistes, as well as offering extra entertainment and activities from ski touring and snow shoeing to snow karting, hiking, fat-biking and climbing. Cinemas increased their offering, and tennis courts, ice rinks and swimming pools have either reopened or extended opening hours. 

Les Gets took the step of re-opening its ski lifts to mountain bikers, while also offering free games and entertainment beside the Tourist Office.