J2Ski is receiving ever more sensational snowfall stats from the Alps, although in many cases these big numbers are causing big problems for ski areas that are unable to open their ski slopes (or only a small part of their terrain) due to the resulting avalanche danger, or are again cut off from the outside world.
Snowfall totals for the past 7 days have been remarkable across the Alps, with ski areas reporting up to 3.3 metres (11 feet) – at Lotschental in the Swiss Valais - of snow in the past week.
The snowfall has been particularly heavy over the past 72 hours with another Swiss resort, Braunwald in Eastern Switzerland reporting 1.9m of snowfall.
The snowfall has now eased a little in many areas but the Stubai glacier says it has had 1m of snow in the past 24 hours.
Courchevel (pictured top) says its accumulated snow base has now reached 549cm (nearly 18 feet), the deepest for 33 years.
Zermatt has closed rail and road access for the second time in two weeks as the avalanche danger is at level 5, rated 'extreme', the maximum on the danger scale.
The resort closed access at 10pm on Saturday and is as yet unable to say when links will re-open, but says it expects them to remain closed tomorrow, Tuesday 23rd January, for a third day.
Engelberg says it now has a 625cm (21 foot) base, the first time a European resort has passed the 6m mark for some years.
