Obergurgl has benefitted from a fresh range of snow after Austrian mountains had a barren start to 2023
(Picture: Oetztal Tourismus / Alexander Lohmann)Ski holidaymakers will be greeted with a fresh batch of snow in the Alps after a barren start to the year.
Fallings of snow are set to cover mountains in France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland after unseasonal January heat left resorts looking bare or rendered unskiable.
Until now, only the trails at the highest altitude in the Alps were fully functioning and lower resorts popular with British skiers, such as Morzine in the Portes du Soleil and Megeve, have suffered a difficult start to the season with rain and warmer temperatures stopping snowfall or causing it to melt.
But most ranges in the Alps benefited from 30-60cm of fresh snow on Monday and Tuesday and are back in action. And forecasted further snowstorms are likely to bring fresh inches where it is needed most, with the lower French Alps set to be one of the biggest beneficiaries.
For snowfall for the next seven days, Megeve in France and Courmayeur in Italy are both set to take their share of the spoils, with forecasters saying they are in line for 123cm.
French resorts Val d’Isere, Chamonix, and Morzine are also set to be big winners. Austria has been among the hardest hit in Europe but the Obergurgl will at least see a further 40cm.
Craig Burton, managing director of holiday booking service Ski Solutions, said the company is anticipating an “avalanche of bookings,” after a “tricky start”.
“After a tricky start to the season in places, the snow we are expecting next week will be a game-changer and an enormous relief to lower-lying resorts impacted by the recent mild weather,” he said.
“We have a stormy, snowy week coming up, but when the skies clear the conditions will be incredible and set most resorts up perfectly for the season ahead.”
The scene in central and southern Europe has been in marked contrast to that of North America and Scandinavia where snow has been deep. The US and Canada in particular have even seen potential customers put off by severe stormy weather.
But the situation is set to balance out as the conditions reset to average for January.
Mr Burton added: “Booking demand in recent weeks has been concentrated towards higher altitude destinations in the Alps and Norway, but with all resorts set to benefit from this snow, we are preparing ourselves for an avalanche of bookings in the next few days.
“If you haven’t secured your trip for this winter, we recommend booking quickly before word gets out.”
