J2Ski Forum Posts and Replies by J2SkiNews

Forecasting models are increasingly confident that the three weeks of dry, mild weather in the Alps will end this weekend with some big falls of up to 80cm (nearly three feet) expected on high terrain, much of it expected on Saturday.

Although this doesn't look like an end of springtime conditions (looks like they'll be back by Monday next week), it should be a significant boost after three straight weeks of bases dropping.

The southern and western Alps are expected to see the biggest falls with Italy's Monterosa region forecast to get about 80cm, Switzerland's Saas Fee and Zermatt 70cm and 60cm respectively. Ski areas in the Grand Massif region of France around Flaine should see 50cm. However most atreras should see temperatures drop and some snow.

The change is already underway with fronts moving in from the south. Isola 2000 posted the most snow in Europe yesterday, 25cm in 24 hours, and is expected to see another 60cm-ish at the weekend.

In advance of the most intense snowfall forecast for Saturday the FIS has switched a World cup Downhill at Courchevel planned for that day with a Super G that had been planned for Friday, expecting a higher chance that it may still be possible to run a Super G in the expected conditions, but not a downhill.

Although powder lovers will be pleased to see the fresh snow, the upside of the past three weeks of dry weather has been resorts being able to open the most terrain they've had open all season in some cases and the avalanche danger dropping from a very high 4-5 on the scale to 5 to a current fairly low 1-2 in most areas. That's expected to change for a while from Saturday.

Les gets is pictured above during the huge snowfalls in the Alps last month which saw up to 3 metres of snowfall in 10 days.

You can see the constantly updating expected snowfall stats for the coming week in the Alps and other ski regions around the world here https://uk.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/

A special women's parallel slalom event was held yesterday on the Seiser Alm at Italy's Val Gardena to mark International Women's Day.

The race, staged at Baita Sanon, brought together 40 two‑woman teams ranging from friends to sisters and mother‑daughter pairs, with entry open to participants aged 18 to 99.

Part of the registration fees supported the Gea Social Cooperative, which works to combat violence against women.
The @dolomites_dirndl_ski_day unfolded under clear skies, delivering a lively mix of sunshine, skiing and celebration.

Organisers say that the atmosphere remained upbeat throughout, rounding off the day with a festive gathering on the slopes.

"Sun, skiing, fun, and a great party!" one commentator concluded.

The Rock The Pistes music festival returns to the giant Portes du Soleil ski region, which straddles the Franco‑Swiss border, later this month, from 15–21 March.

Although its precise format has changed a little over the years, the main concept, that skiers and riders travel from their base resort of the dozen or so villages in the area to the on-slope gigs then ski back, remains the key ingredient.

For 15 years now (excluding the pandemic), the festival has welcomed international artists and this year Morzine is due to host a standout performance from French pop-rock band Superbus.

Rock the Pistes began in 2011, evolving from fairly small pop‑up slope concerts into a full alpine music festival staged directly on the pistes. Held each spring, it delivers high‑altitude, ski‑access‑only shows across resorts including Avoriaz, Les Gets, Morzine, Châtel, and Champéry.

Its line‑ups blend rock, pop, electro, and indie, over the years it has featured gigs from major international acts such as Babyshambles, Klaxons, Rag'n'Bone Man, Eagle‑Eye Cherry, Gotthard, Ofenbach, and Klingande.

The festival now draws tens of thousands of skiing and riding music fans, as well as those who find they just happen to be skiing past a gig.

Image credit: JB Bieuville

Les 2 Alpes is preparing for another exceptionally long season, with the French resort confirming it will offer seven-months of lift‑served skiing again this winter, so we're not even half-way though the season there yet.

For a few years now the southerly resort has offered France's longest ski season, overtaking Tignes (which once opened 365 days a year, then for at least some of every month of the year). Most recently it gave up on its previous early autumn opening and shortened its summer ski season to just over a month.

Les 2 Alpes will stay open right through to 5 July thanks to one of Europe's most extensive glacier areas. Snow depths on the glacier are currently sitting at more than 3.5m, and skiers still have four months of turns ahead while most Alpine destinations start to wind down in March.

The full ski area will operate until 3 May, after which the upper glacier slopes, rising to 3,600m, take over for May and June. This high‑altitude terrain offers wide, cruisy pistes, dedicated race lanes and a world‑class snowpark, making it a magnet for international teams as well as recreational skiers looking for quiet slopes and reliable early‑summer snow. The glacier typically opens into early afternoon, with firm conditions for training early on and softer, spring‑snow laps later in the day.

Access remains fast and simple: the Jandri Express whisks skiers to 3,200m in under 20 minutes. Daily lift passes also become more affordable as the season progresses, dropping from €66 in winter to €56 from 11 April, then €52 from 4 May to 5 July, 2026.

Image credit: Pyrène Duffau

Quebec's Mont-Sainte-Anne has confirmed that its long‑awaited CA$100 million modernisation plan is now moving into full implementation, with the biggest upgrades focused squarely on ski lift renewal, snowmaking expansion, and a major base‑area redevelopment.

Now in its "implementation phase", the five‑year investment plan, follows the finalisation of government‑backed financing and a settlement over the resort's long‑disputed Eastern sector. The agreement clears the way for the most significant upgrade to the ski area in decades.
Mont-Sainte-Anne will replace its major lifts, including the gondola, Express du Sud, Express du Nord, and Tortue, with three new state‑of‑the‑art lifts designed to improve circulation and reliability across the ski area. Construction will begins this summer 2026, with phased openings planned over the next 3–4 years.

A major overhaul of the snowmaking system will deliver 30% more snow production capacity but with 30% lower energy consumption. This aims to improve early‑season reliability and reduce operating costs while supporting sustainability goals.

Mont-Sainte-Anne also plans a complete redesign of its base and summit zones, integrating new services, improved guest flow, and modern facilities that blend with the natural environment. It's all intended to be a four‑season expansion with a new year-round mountain coaster added to broaden the resort's family offering.

The resort's Eastern sector has now been fully transferred to SÉPAQ (Quebec's crown corporation managing provincial parks, wildlife reserves, and tourism facilities), allowing the entire CA$100 million to be concentrated on the Western sector, the ski mountain itself, while SÉPAQ develops a new regional outdoor recreation park next door.

Alongside the ski‑focused investment, the resort is planning a major real‑estate project at the base area that could attract up to CA$450 million in additional private investment. A masterplan is due later in the year.

Snowboxx will return to Avoriaz from 14–21 March 2025 for its 12th edition, with organisers confirming a full week of skiing, live music and après‑ski across the French resort. The line‑up includes headline sets from Fatboy Slim, Josh Baker, Wilkinson and Andy C, supported by a wider roster of DJs and performers appearing throughout the week.

The festival programme blends mountain sports with on‑snow entertainment, featuring Snowboxx's trademark bottomless brunches, downhill inflatable races, heated snowball fights and the annual skim‑pool challenge. Visitors will also have access to Avoriaz's indoor water park, spa facilities and a broad range of restaurants and bars, adding to the resort's appeal during the event.

Avoriaz's pedestrian‑only layout provides direct access between accommodation, venues and the ski area, allowing festivalgoers to move easily between events and the wider Portes du Soleil domain. Tickets start at £379 per person, including a full‑week festival pass and a three‑day Portes du Soleil lift pass.

Image credit: Geoffrey Hubbel

Britain's Zoe Atkin rounded off the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics with a superb bronze medal in the women's freeski halfpipe, securing Team GB's fifth podium of the Games and reinforcing the Atkin family's remarkable Olympic pedigree.

The 21‑year‑old came out firing, producing a composed and stylish opening run that briefly put her in the lead. Her height, flow and precision set an early benchmark and underlined her intent to challenge for the top step. But as the final progressed, China's Eileen Gu surged ahead with a commanding second run, while her teammate followed with another high‑scoring display to complete a Chinese one‑two and push Atkin into third.

Even so, Atkin's skiing bronze stands as a landmark moment for British snowsport. It also extends a family tradition: her sister, Izzy Atkin, made history at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea when she became Britain's first Olympic skiing medallist to retain her medal, also taking bronze, but in slopestyle.

Great Britain's Winter Olympic medal haul matches the five previously achieved at both Sochi 2014 and PyeongChang 2018, however with three golds, including a first even in snowsports in the Team Snowboard Cross, 2026 is the best ever in terms of medals won.