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Mont Blanc, seen from La Plagne this week

Heavy snow has transformed conditions across major ski regions, with big falls in the Alps, Pyrenees, Japan, and Scotland boosting long-term prospects despite short-term avalanche risk, while conditions improve elsewhere in Europe and North America.

The Snow Headlines - January 15th
- Biggest snowfalls of the season in the Alps - up to 165cm in 72 hours reported.
- Avalanche danger jumps to Level 4/High after huge snowfalls in the Alps.
- Big snowfalls in the Pyrenees - up to 90cm reported.
- Scottish ski areas have most slopes open for several years after snowy start to 2025.
- Japan's Nozawa Onsen posts 1m of snowfall in 48 hours to Monday morning.



Snow in the forecast.

Re-publication :- the J2Ski Snow Report Summary, being the text above this line, is free to re-publish, but must be clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with text including "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to this page - thank you.

World Overview
There's excitement and relief in the Alps after a big snowfall over the end of last week transformed conditions for many resorts. A month of dry weather for much of the region ended dramatically with huge accumulations of up to 165cm in 72 hours reported. There were also strong winds and periods when warm temperatures brought rain to high altitudes in the mix, though, so the suddenly boosted snowpack is rather unstable with high avalanche danger in the short term. In the long term, it's clearly good news for base building for the remainder of the season.

Elsewhere, the Pyrenees saw good snowfalls too and Scottish ski areas have been enjoying some of their best conditions in years. It's an improving picture in Scandinavia, although some very cold temperatures have been reported, and Bulgaria got some snowfall too, much needed after a poor start to the season there.

Much of North America has had a drier week, but the snows are coming in Western Canada, and things are looking much better on the West Coast and in the northern half of the US Rockies, although resorts in Colorado are still struggling.

Europe
Austria
Austrian ski areas saw a good amount of fresh snow through the weekend, if not the excesses reported further west. But base depths have jumped across the country, and resorts are mostly now describing their conditions as "powder".

The Skiwelt continues to post the most terrain open, and the Pitztal glacier has the country's deepest snow at 175cm up top.

Temperatures are around the -8C to -4C range, and it's been drier and often overcast since the weekend, with just light snow showers. That's the picture for the coming week too.

France
The French ski season has been transformed by the huge snowfalls over the weekend, which saw some resorts receive more snowfall in 48 hours on Friday-Saturday than they'd previously had all season to date. For many in the northern Alps, it was also their first significant snowfall in over a month.

Saint Sorlin d'Arves in The Sybelles region reported the biggest accumulation over 72 hours to Sunday – a remarkable 165cm or 5.5 feet. It was ahead of Chamonix with 120 cm, Les 2 Alpes on 110cm and Les Arcs on a metre. Most other resorts posted 50-90cm totals.

Of course, these fabulous numbers are great news for the remainder of the season and potentially for freeriders, although initially, avalanche danger levels have shot up to High (Level 4), and skiers are being told to stay on piste. It's been warmer and drier since the weekend with the avalanche danger dropping slightly to 'considerable' in some places but remaining High, and dangerous, over a wide area.

The week ahead looks mostly dry with the chance of some snowfall in the southern alps going into the weekend..

Italy
Italy also saw big snowfalls, especially in its northwestern corner close to the French and Swiss borders. La Thuile, linked to La Rosiere on the French side, topped the 72-hour totals table on Sunday with a metre of snowfall reported.

Of course, the Aosta Valley had already been in the sweet spot for storms moving in from the southwest in December, which missed much of the rest of the Alps, so it was a double prize there. Unfortunately, also high avalanche danger, though with a ski tourer dying in one on Saturday, not far from Pila.

It's now only three weeks until the Winter Olympics are due to begin, and most of the venue resorts, including Bormio, Cortina and Livigno, report adequate if not great snow cover, much of it machine-made. Livigno's snow depth is a third of its average at this point, but it did get 15cm of fresh at the end of last week.

The week ahead looks more unsettled that further north with more cloud and snow showers, though mostly expected to be light. Heavier possibly along the French border in Piedmont and the Aosta Valley.

Switzerland
Swiss ski areas, particularly in the middle and western side of the country, reported big snowfalls on Friday/Saturday. Saas-Fee posted the biggest accumulation, getting nearly five feet (1.4 m) in a little over 48 hours. Andermatt was another big winner, posting a 1m total.

It's calmed down since Sunday, with temperatures in the -6 to +3 °C range, mostly dry weather with just the odd snow shower.

Avalanche danger in the Valais and nearby regions was at a "High" Level 4 following all the snowfall but is now at 3, still Considerable, in most areas.

The week ahead looks mostly dry with just a chance of snowfall in the southwest for resorts like Zermatt and Saas-Fee (again).

Scandinavia
Snow depths and open terrain in Scandinavia remain well below average, but it's an improving picture with more snowfall reported this week and more terrain opening too, including Norway's Hemsedal opening the third of its three mountain areas for the first time this season.

Up in Finland, bitterly cold temperatures getting down to the -30s (C) led Levi, the largest ski area in Levi, to close its chair and gondola lifts.

Pyrenees
It wasn't just the Alps that got dumped on at the weekend. The Pyrenees clocked up some big accumulations too, with Spain's Baqueira Beret in particular celebrating a 60cm accumulation at the start of the week in which they host the opening stage of the 2026 Freeride World Tour.

Conditions are reported to currently be the best they've been in several years, with most areas close to fully open and plenty of fresh snow cover.

Scotland
Scottish ski areas are continuing to post their best conditions of several years, at least in the east of the country, where Cairngorm, Glenshee and The Lecht all have top-to-bottom terrain open beyond their usual all-weather snowmaking slopes, thanks to natural snowfall and cold enough temperatures for conventional snowmaking too.

The past week has brought some warmer temperatures and the usual ups and downs of gales, rain, sleet or snowfall impacting day-to-day operations. Glencoe, which in recent seasons has had the most terrain open of any of the four centres still offering snowsports, is hoping to be able to open its own terrain soon beyond its beginner and sledging areas at its base.

Eastern Europe
An improving picture in Bulgaria, which reported 10-20cm of snowfall over the weekend. That took Borovets, which hadn't managed to open until just after Christmas for lack of snow, up to 55% open, although it still only has a 20-30cm base. Bansko is looking better with a metre lying up top.

Further north, things are more like a normal, decent winter at ski areas in Czechia, Slovakia and Poland, with Jasna's slopes now 80% open.

North America
Canada
Conditions have continued to be superb across much of Western Canada, with another 20-50cm of snowfall reported this week. Lake Louise has reported that it has reached 100% open, and Revelstoke has reported that it has passed 7m of snowfall this season to date.

Ski areas on the Pacific Coast of BC that had struggled pre-Christmas now have mostly good snow cover, and Whistler Blackcomb reports its slopes are 90% open.

There has been less snow in the East, and there have been reports of gales shutting slopes at times, but overall, conditions are good too, with most slopes open in Quebec, Ontario and neighbouring provinces.

USA
It continues to be a mixed picture in the US, with a return to predominantly dry weather for the western half of the nation after some good snowfalls last week. Those snowfalls left a much improved picture for states including California and Utah, but a less dramatic improvement for others like Colorado, where world-famous Vail still has less than half its runs open, having had so little snow this season to date.

The East Coast is having a much better season with consistent low temperatures and regular snowfalls, seeing more top-ups over the past few days.

It's cloudy over the border!

Picture taken 15-Jan-2026

Upper Slopes : Packed Powder, Lower Slopes : Packed Powder, Off Piste : Unstable Snowpack.

Avalanche Risk is still Level 4 (of 5) since last weekend's storm. The fresh snow was significantly wind-affected in places (particularly on the runs off the Aiguille Rouge), and there is now a definite "persistent weak layer" as a result of the new snow falling on month-old hardpack and crust off-piste. So please be careful out there (Avalanche Risk is 4 - High - across a wide area of the French Alps and there have been and will continue to be avalanches with casualties).

On piste conditions are generally excellent, with occasional sun-affected exceptions (small icy patches in the shadows) low on the Arc 1600/1800 side.

Snowfall for the NW Alps, accumulations of 1 metre / 3 feet to Tuesday, from Ventusky

Big snowfalls are underway in the Northern and Western Alps, while California has also seen significant snowfall. Austria experienced up to 35 cm/14 inches of snow in 48 hours last weekend, and powder conditions have finally arrived in Utah.

The Snow Headlines - January 8th
- Big snowfall underway in Northern and Western Alps.
- More heavy snow in California; some areas have now had over 2 m/6.5 ft since Christmas.
- Up to 35 cm/14 inches of snowfall in 48 hours in the Austrian Alps last weekend.
- Powder conditions in Utah as significant snowfall finally arrives.
- Scottish centres start to open terrain beyond all-weather snow areas.
- Torrential rain closes some resorts on the US West Coast.



Snow in the forecast.

Re-publication :- the J2Ski Snow Report Summary, being the text above this line, is free to re-publish, but must be clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with text including "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to this page - thank you.

World Overview
Perhaps the biggest news of the week, for European skiers at least, is that a major storm system is now moving into the NW Alps, with forecasts of accumulations exceeding 1 m/3.3 ft in places by Monday.

This is excellent news as most areas haven't seen a meaningful top-up for a month, leaving little or no fresh off-piste snow. Major resorts still maintain the bulk of their groomed terrain, with some even improving cover for the New Year peak, despite reports of icy, hard-packed conditions.

Northern Europe has generally fared better over the past week, with Scandinavia, Scotland, and parts of Czechia, Poland, and Slovakia receiving 20–50 cm/8–20 inches from an Arctic blast.

North America presents a mixed picture: deep new snow for some and rain-damaged slopes for others. Canada and the northern US remain very cold with solid bases, while the West Coast battles rain at lower levels, while on higher slopes, the snow is metres deep. The Northern Rockies, especially Utah, enjoyed fresh powder, but parts of Colorado continue to struggle.

Europe
Austria
Austrian resorts have enjoyed their best week since late November, with freezing temperatures from valley level upwards and a return of fresh snowfall after a mostly dry month. Some have had just a few centimetres/ inches, but others, like famously powdery Flachau, reported up to 35 cm/14 inches in 24 hours. Obertauern began the week with around 20 cm/8 inches of new snow.

The SkiWelt has now overtaken Ischgl/Samnaun to offer the most open terrain in the country, with over 200 km/124 miles of slopes, surpassing larger areas such as the Arlberg and Saalbach, which have a lower percentage of their terrain open.

More snow is expected here over the coming week, with 30–40 cm/12–16 inches forecast for Friday/Saturday in the north.

France
France's widely anticipated New Year snowfalls failed to materialise, disappointing lower-lying resorts that had hoped for 70 cm/28 inches after a dry December. Some, like Morzine, reported a centimetre or two of fresh snow, and cold temperatures have made snowmaking possible.

The good news is that major snowfall has now returned on a fresh front from the north, expected to intensify over the weekend. Short-term downsides include strong winds, and dangerously high avalanche danger before conditions settle.

Regardless, most of the country's major resorts have 70–90% of their slopes open and managed to open more during the peak New Year week. Les 3 Vallées has about 75% of its slopes open.

We'll be reporting from Les Arcs and the Three Valleys next week - so watch this space!

Italy
Northwestern Italy received the most snowfall in Europe over the final weeks of December and was expecting another round of snowfall in the first few days of this month, but like France, it failed to arrive, with just a centimetre or two.

However, it has been very cold across the country, with daytime lows dipping to -20°C/-4°F at times at around 3,000 m/9,842 ft. Livigno experienced a low of -18.5°C/-1°F at the start of the week, and freezing temperatures have dropped well below base level.

Despite the lack of fresh snowfall, Italian centres have generally increased the amount of groomed terrain open, with the Via Lattea inching ahead of Val Gardena, now offering over 200 km/124 miles of slopes compared to Val Gardena's 170 km/106 miles.

Switzerland
Fresh snow has reached parts of Switzerland this week, with eastern and northern resorts seeing 10–20 cm/4–8 inches of snow after a surge of Arctic air, while many western and southern areas remained mostly dry. Heavier snowfall has now started and is expected to continue in many areas through the weekend.

Andermatt posted 6 cm/2 inches, Davos 8 cm/3 inches, and the Aletsch Arena 11 cm/4 inches. Most pistes above 1,800 m/5,906 ft are now open, with Verbier and its surrounding 4 Vallées having around 60% of terrain available, and Zermatt is at about 80%.

Glacier 3000 still boasts the country and the world's deepest base at nearly 4 m/13.1 ft.

Colder, more unsettled weather is moving in, bringing strengthening winds and increasing snowfall, especially at higher elevations.

Scandinavia
Scandinavian resorts have enjoyed a solid week, with regular snowfall and slowly lengthening daylight. Levi in northern Finland even saw the sun briefly rise on New Year's Day after three weeks below the horizon, and daylight hours are now extending daily.

Western Norway's snowpack is still around half its usual depth, though Røldal gained 25 cm/10 inches over the holidays.

Sweden's Åre continues to offer the most open terrain, with roughly 45 km/28 miles of runs, and Salen posted a 35 cm/14 inches snowfall.

A deep Arctic air mass should continue to keep the region extremely cold, with temperatures of -20°C/-4°F to -30°C/-22°F on many summits, light snowfall, sharp wind-chill, and occasional white-outs, but no major storms are expected.

Pyrenees
Cold conditions have dominated the Pyrenees too, with daytime temperatures barely rising above freezing even in the valleys and overnight lows plunging below -10°C/14°F at altitude. Light, occasional snowfall has alternated with sunny spells and some cloudy but dry days.

Overall, the region still offers some of Europe's best coverage following December snowfalls that mostly surpassed those in the Alps, with 70–90% of terrain open. Andorra's Grandvalira (Pas de la Casa, Soldeu, etc.) leads with around 90% of its 210 km/130 miles of runs now skiable.

More wintry weather is incoming, with frequent snow showers, heavier falls late in the week, very cold upper-mountain temperatures, and reduced visibility during gusty periods.

Scotland
It's been one of the best weeks in recent seasons on Scottish slopes, with consistent sub-zero temperatures and regular snowfalls. The only downside has been amber weather warnings closing roads and the fact that there was so little snow cover before this current cold snap; more is needed for most centres to open runs beyond the small areas currently created with all-weather snowmaking.

That said, Cairngorm did manage to reopen higher terrain and currently has a top-to-bottom run open. The Lecht and Glenshee have also managed to open terrain beyond the machine-made snow areas, and Glencoe is offering its snow-covered dry slopes as a beginner area along with its access chairlift to give ski tourers a lift up.

Eastern Europe
Arctic air pushed into Northeastern Europe on New Year's Eve, triggering the strongest snowfall of the season so far and finally delivering widespread fresh cover.

Resorts across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland benefited, with Tatranská Lomnica recording Europe's highest two-day total into New Year's Day with a foot of snow. Černá hora, another Czechia resort, reported 40 cm/16 inches by the 3rd.

Many neighbouring areas picked up 10–25 cm/4–10 inches, including Slovakia's Jasna and Poland's Zakopane.

Beyond the reach of the Arctic blast, the news was less positive further south, with Bulgaria experiencing a dry week with warmer base temperatures than last week, limiting improvements, although Borovets is up from less than 2% to nearly 20% of its slopes open now and reported colder weather and fresh snowfall on Thursday.

North America
Canada
Bitter cold has settled across Canada's mountains, with temperatures remaining below freezing around the clock. Daytime readings have hovered between -1°C/30°F and -5°C/23°F, dropping to about -15°C/5°F overnight in the west and -25°C/-13°F in the east.

Most resorts have seen little new snow, with only light daily top-ups.

Revelstoke currently reports Canada's deepest base at over 2 m/6.5 ft and is nearly fully open. Whistler Blackcomb is about 90% open, with more frequent snowfall this week than most, but occasional strong winds are causing some issues.

Eastern Canada has been sunny but extremely cold. Quebec's Mont Tremblant is 90% open, the most in the east, while Ontario's Blue Mountain has the region's deepest cover.

USA
It's a complex picture across the US.

On the West Coast, Christmas storms opened huge amounts of terrain, especially in California, but incoming Pacific systems have split fortunes: fresh snow for some, rain for others. The warm spells forced closures at some centres, although many have seen fresh heavy snowfall since. Palisades Tahoe picked up around two feet/61 cm in a day.

Light flurries precede a stronger system late in the week, set to deliver heavier snow to the Sierra and Mammoth. Further north, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska remain wintry.

Inland, the Northern Rockies enjoyed their best snow so far, and there was powder at last for parts of Utah—the return of their trademarked "greatest snow on earth." However, some big-name resorts further south in Colorado still have only a small fraction of their runs open. The East Coast remains cold and snowy, with New York and New England seeing the biggest accumulations this week.

Just to add to what Swingbeep said; going from comments seen on Facebook and other ski sites, it seems quite random whether EES machines are operated on a particular day at any given airport. After initial queues at Geneva, for example, they turned the machines off on the peak weekends over the holiday but how long they continue doing that remains to be seen.

A ski trip, as we all know, can be as much about the weather as it is about picking the right resort. Weather and snow forecasts have always been a core of J2Ski, and we're continually looking to improve our use of available weather models.

For 2026, J2Ski Pro extends our already comprehensive free coverage.

You can Subscribe to J2Ski Pro here or read on to find out more.

Viewing the Long Range Forecast

Go to the snow page of any ski area, and look for the LONG-RANGE tab.



Not all Forecast Models go out to 16 days: select ECM or GFS for those.

What is a Weather Model anyway?

A weather model is a complex mathematical simulation of the Earth's atmosphere. Supercomputers ingest millions of data points - from satellite imagery and weather balloons to ocean buoys and aircraft sensors - and apply the laws of physics to predict how air pressure, temperature, and moisture will move over time.

The Challenge of Mountain Weather

The atmosphere is a fluid, chaotic system, and different models use slightly different "math" and resolutions to fill in the gaps - and quite different approaches to modelling terrain (e.g. mountains) - which is why they often produce varying results for the same mountain peak.

A difference of just a few degrees or a minor shift in wind direction can determine whether you wake up to a "bluebird" powder day or a soggy afternoon of sleet. Global models often struggle with these local "microclimates," which is why being able to compare different sources can help you better understand how the day, week (or even month) ahead is likely to turn out.

Why Comparing Models Matters

No single model is right (or better than another model) all of the time (which won't be a surprise to most skiers and boarders...), so it's useful to keep an eye on the predictions of more than one.

When multiple models (like the ECM and GFS) align on a heavy snowfall event 10 days out, your confidence in that forecast should be much higher. If they disagree, you know the weather pattern is volatile, and difficult to predict.

Today - 5th January 2026 - we have some nice examples of this variation. Last week, GFS in particular (and weather sites that depend on it) was forecasting a widespread heavy snowfall across much of the Alps, right up to around 48 hours of it supposedly happening. ECM and ICON did not agree - and it never happened.

This week, ECM was amongst the first to show a major snowfall for the coming weekend (9-11 Jan). The other models (including GFS) are now on-board, although forecast snow amounts and temperatures continue to vary.

Sometimes GFS is 'better', sometimes ECM, and sometimes they're all wrong!

We'll find out on Thursday!

Major Weather Models (selectable with J2Ski Pro)

J2Ski Pro allows you to compare several of the world's foremost weather models:

- ECM (ECMWF): Often called the "European model," it is widely regarded as among the best global models for medium-range forecasts. It operates on a high-resolution grid and forecasts up to 15 days ahead.

- GFS (Global Forecast System): Run by the US National Weather Service, this is a staple for global forecasting. It provides a reliable outlook up to 16 days in advance.

- ICON: from the German Meteorological Service, ICON is frequently cited as one of the most accurate models for European mountain terrain, out to 8 days, due to its specialized grid system.

- GEM: This Canadian model handles complex geographical features well, making it a good choice for mountainous regions.

- JMA: The Japanese Meteorological Agency's model offers a different global perspective, particularly useful for identifying major shifts in Pacific patterns that eventually influence global weather.

Interpreting the EC46 Long-Range Ensemble

For those looking even further ahead, J2Ski Pro includes the ECMWF EC46, a sub-seasonal model that provides a 45-day outlook. Rather than one single outcome, the EC46 uses "ensembles".

- How it works: The model is run 51 times, each with slightly different starting conditions.
- The "Control" Line: The most prominent line on the chart represents the run with the most accurate initial data.
- The "Spaghetti" Lines: The other 50 lines show the variations.



Interpreting Confidence: If the lines are tightly clustered together, the forecasts are more consistent and more reliable. If the lines are scattered (resembling a mess of spaghetti), it indicates high uncertainty, suggesting you should treat the forecast as a broad trend rather than a certainty.

In the above example, you can see the temperature lines are close together for the first week or so, allowing a high confidence in the forecast for that time period, with the consistency then breaking down - indicating a possible change in weather pattern and less confidence in the prediction.

By focusing on trends rather than exact daily totals, you can spot potential major storms or warm spells weeks before they arrive.

Subscribe to J2Ski Pro here