Easter is coming up fast this weekend, and if you’ve not booked yet you’re cutting it fine but… It’s not too late!
The late arrival of this season’s snow almost everywhere led to a slow start to winter 2015-16 and a challenging Christmas and New Year holiday, but when the snow did arrive in early January, it dumped down big time and has been doing ever since, almost everywhere.
This year Easter Sunday is in March, one of its earliest dates in recent years (and next season its back to late April) which is also good news for better snow conditions – the closer to winter you can get it.
So all in all this Easter is shaping up to be one of the best in recent years and probably, date wise, for the next few winters to come too.
Some resorts have done better than others so here are some of the ski areas that are looking the snowiest:
(Picture above is from Courchevel in France – which is also looking good for Easter with 1.4m in resort and 2m of snow at the top of the slopes)
Flaine, France
Flaine pretty much invariably builds up a big base by the start of spring, its proximity to Mont Blanc has proved season after season that it’s got a great snowfall record and it always closes in late April with massive amounts of snowy still lying.
This season is no exception and although Chamonix is claiming the deepest snow in France and the world with a 7 metre base up top, it only has 10cm at resort level. Flaine is second in France with a 365cm base up top (more than 12 feet of snow!) but down in resort it’s looking good too with a 145cm base.
PowderBeds.com is offering seven nights at Le Centaure in Flaine from only £35 per person per night. Price based on six people sharing a two bedroom apartment, from the 2nd to the 9th of April.
Sierra Nevada, Spain
It’s not been a record snowfall season for Spain’s highest and Europe’s most southerly ski area – far from it in fact with only about 15% of its terrain open until the snow finally arrived in late February. Since then it has hardly stopped snowing however and the base is up to 2m with another foot expected this week and virtually all terrain open so the usual opening to the start of May now looks to be on target as usual. There’s always a great atmosphere here under the Spanish sunshine with the long daylight hours and the beaches of the Med only a short hop away. BA can fly you in to the historic city of Grenada from London City just a 45 minute transfer from the slopes.
Fernie, Canada
Like many ski areas in Western North America, Fernie will close early in April as soon as the Easter Holiday period is over –even though it has a huge snow base. They don’t mess around across the Atlantic, at most areas (Although there are exceptions like Banff and Whistler – open in to MAY), when the ‘ski season mindset’ ends for the year, they shut down, regardless of the snow. And Fernie has lots of it, topping the country’s snow depth tables for the past three months (although just pipped by Whistler in the last week), with 330cm (11 feet) lying for Easter .
Are, Sweden
Scandinavia’s biggest ski area is a little cold and dark in midwinter but by Easter time the daylight ours are longer than back in Blighty and the Swedes are in party mood with a relaxed vibe in the resort. Open until early May there’s more than two feet of snow lying on the slopes and another foot or so forecast in the run up to Easter. Operator Skistar say they’re having a record season for bookings and the 2007 Alpine Skiing World Championships host will be hosting them again in 2019.
Engelberg, Switzerland
Open to mid-May, crowned with a glacier and leading Switzerland for snow depth with a 3.7m (over 12 foot) base, Engelberg is in great shape for Easter. The massive 2000m vertical is open top to bottom, albeit with much less snow – 30cm – down at resort level and all lifts and runs are open. Engelberg is a good choice for a quick Easter beak too if you can’t take a full week off – it’s a short hop from Zurich which has a range of daily flights in.
flexiski offer Hotel Terrace (3*) with lift pass included in Engelberg, three nights bed & breakfast from £586 per person (based on two sharing) with Easyjet flights from Gatwick to Zurich and train transfers. Departure 31 March.
Hemsedal, Norway
Hemsedal will be open for at least another month to the start of May and its current 1.2m base is the deepest of any major Norwegian ski resort (bases don’t need to be so big in Scandinavia as the snow lasts longer and stays fresher at the more northerly latitude).
There aren’t many tour operator packages to Hemsedal at Easter it seems but you can book direct,
Squaw Valley, California
Although not quite the deepest base in the US, Squaw Valley does have an incredible 4.2m (14 foot) base and the self-styled “America’s Spring Skiing capital” has just announced it will be open at least to mid-May, when it will review whether to stay open longer. It’s the best ski season for snow in California for five years, thanks to a strong El Nino weather system and lots of fresh snow is still falling. Plus Squaw has loads of activities lined up for the Easter period and beyond.
Ski Independence have 7 nights at the luxurious 4-star plus Resort at Squaw Creek from £1899 per person. Price based on 2 sharing a Deluxe King Forest View Room on a B&B basis, departing on the 7th April 2016, including return flights from London Heathrow to San Francisco and Compact Gold car rental.
Solden, Austria
With a 3m (10 foot) base and twin glaciers to ski on, Solden has the deepest snow of Austria’s leading ski areas. The full vertical down to the villgae remains open too at present, although snow depths down at village level are much less impressive at nearer 20cm – but that should see us through Easter.
Crystal Ski Holidays offer Hotel Rosengarten (4*) in Solden, seven nights half board from £809 per person (based on two sharing) with Thomson Airways flights from Gatwick to Innsbruck and transfers. Departure 2 April.
La Thuile, Italy
It has been a funny old season in Italy. Conditions in the west of the country (The Alps side) have been pretty good since New Year with some heavy snowfalls from January onwards, but it was nearly March before the Dolomites got any proper snow. They have since had LOTS and are looking good for a great Easter, but still the deepest snow is in the West, with a 290cm (nearly 10 foot) base at La Thuile, from where you can ski across to La Rosiere in France, the deepest in Italy.
Interski offer holidays to La Thuile.
Vallnord, Andorra
Perhaps not a banner season in Andorra but certainly a good one with consistent snowfall all through the season (things were better here than the Alps back in December) and it has kept snowing right up to Easter. Vallnord encompasses a number of ski areas in Andorra – including Pal, Arinal and Arcalis – but all have had about a foot of fresh snow in the week up to Easter and have the deepest base in the principality at around 1.5m (five feet)
Neilson offer holidays in Andorra.
Levi, Finland
Finnish ski areas have had a fairly good season with snow depths currently a little over the metre mark, which is good for the area where the fine snow typically doesn’t tend to accumulate to great depths but does stay in good condition and doesn’t thaw at this northerly latitude. Daylight hours are rapidly increasing now too.
Sno.co.uk offer holidays to Levi