Much higher chances of a skiable base in March.
Europe 2025/26
- Thread starter ChrisC
- Start date
It's always good to have potential bailout strategies for wherever you go. Still, panicking five weeks in advance feels a bit premature considering all of the options from Zurich.
jnelly
Member
@skiandgolfnut I also have a refundable ZRH for the 25th. Holding for now, but finger hovering over the GVA / push til March key.
ChrisC
Well-known member
I have been tracking Austrian resorts, and they are not doing well. As you go further east and lower, it's mostly WROD. They have not yet received base-building storms. The glacier resorts are doing OK - Solden, Hintertux, Kitzsteinhorn. Even the Arlberg looks quite underwhelming.
Austria will need a couple of meters of snow to be worthwhile. Otherwise, I will need to consider other destinations. I can wait until the last minute - even just a day or two before departure.
NW Europe received early storms, and Aosta Valley/Zermatt to France has a decent base. They need a refresher and a few more storms. I randomly have a friend skiing in Engelberg over the holidays - said decent base, but hard since there has been no snow.
This reporter is doing daily updates from Kitzbühel-SkiWelt.
And here is Saalbach at its finest. Yikes! Yes, they say it's clickbait, but it aligns with other reports.
Austria will need a couple of meters of snow to be worthwhile. Otherwise, I will need to consider other destinations. I can wait until the last minute - even just a day or two before departure.
NW Europe received early storms, and Aosta Valley/Zermatt to France has a decent base. They need a refresher and a few more storms. I randomly have a friend skiing in Engelberg over the holidays - said decent base, but hard since there has been no snow.
This reporter is doing daily updates from Kitzbühel-SkiWelt.
And here is Saalbach at its finest. Yikes! Yes, they say it's clickbait, but it aligns with other reports.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
Although it looks like there is potential for a Nordstau weather event in the future. This is what one wants if skiing around Zurich - moisture directly from the north hitting Switzerland and Austria.
What is a Nordstau?
OpenSnow models seem to favor this. Will see what happens. (I follow about 60 Euro resorts - 15 per major Alpine country.)
Following the Ski Lodge Engelberg is a good source for resort conditions. LINK
What is a Nordstau?
"Nordstau" refers to a meteorological event in the Alps where cold, moist polar air from the north hits the northern side of the mountains (Stau means 'barrier'), causing significant, often heavy, snowfall in regions like Switzerland and Austria, crucial for ski areas.
Nordstau (Northern Stau): A weather pattern where cold, moist air from the North Sea/Arctic is forced upward by the Alps.
Result: Condensation, cloud formation, and heavy snow on the northern slopes.
Affected Areas: Primarily the Northern Alps, including parts of Switzerland (Glarus Alps, Engelberg) and Austria (Bregenzerwald, Arlberg, Karwendel, Tauern).
Impact: Can lead to significant snow accumulation (even meters in extreme cases like January 2019) and high avalanche danger, with strong winds and drifting snow.
Location: Often means great snow for north-facing slopes, while southern areas might remain drier.
In short, it's a key term for skiers and snowboarders looking for fresh snow in the Alps when cold northerly winds align with mountain barriers.OpenSnow models seem to favor this. Will see what happens. (I follow about 60 Euro resorts - 15 per major Alpine country.)
Following the Ski Lodge Engelberg is a good source for resort conditions. LINK
Good thing that we won't be there until the first week of March.
ChrisC
Well-known member
A friend (& family) is in Zermatt for the holiday, and was posting some 'stories' on Instagram. Unfortunately, no pics since they're gone now.
However, I asked him how the skiing was. He said the following:
"It’s an amazing place. Snow is much better on the Italian side. The town of Zermatt is great. Need to come back in Feb or March for better snow."
And this tracks how the season is going. All the major pistes are open at Zermatt, but the snow is old. And Cervinia got a dump last week. The snow looked much better in Italy!
Also, it supports the idea - if you want Zermatt's excellent off-piste terrain available - wait! I think March 1st in most years might be a safe date.
ChrisC
Well-known member
The Austrian resorts do not need as much snow since the terrain is less rugged. Just a couple of moderate storms. Even today, after a few inches in the Kitzbuhel region, it looks like winter!
I am not supposed to visit until early February, and I have lots of Epic Pass options. I might focus on the Arlberg and glacier resorts (Stubai, Solden, Hintertux). Likely to visit Kitzbuhel for one day.
ChrisC
Well-known member
WePowder gave a weather update and season progress report for Europe.
wepowder.com
Austria is having a horrific year, competing with Colorado and Utah for the best ski disaster story. You are basically starting from zero in 2026 - except for exceptional snowmaking systems:
Temperatures in Austria for December 2025
Average Snowfall in Austria for December 2025
If I read this correctly, some part of Austria - specifically those near Salzburg (Saalbach, Kitzbuhel, SkiWelt, etc) - were 83-99% below normal for December. Wow!
And most of Tyrol and Vorarlberg were 67-83% below normal.
Very cold and 10–20 cm of snow regionally in the Northern Alps - wePowder
The dryness will continue for a while, but in about a week, that too seems likely to change.
Austria is having a horrific year, competing with Colorado and Utah for the best ski disaster story. You are basically starting from zero in 2026 - except for exceptional snowmaking systems:
Temperatures in Austria for December 2025
Average Snowfall in Austria for December 2025
If I read this correctly, some part of Austria - specifically those near Salzburg (Saalbach, Kitzbuhel, SkiWelt, etc) - were 83-99% below normal for December. Wow!
And most of Tyrol and Vorarlberg were 67-83% below normal.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
Anyway, for Plan B, the French Alps have good bases, and there is even powder skiing (yesterday) in Val d'Isere near the Italian border/Fornet sector, from the retour d’Est storm earlier (not as much as further south).
So a backup itinerary is Engelberg to:
Nothing a little driving can't fix
So a backup itinerary is Engelberg to:
- Gstaad/Glacier 3000 (or Grimentz/Zinal) - new mountain
- Sainte Foy - new mountain
- Val d'Isere/Tignes
Nothing a little driving can't fix
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We have done that drive or a close variation in 2022 and 2024. This type of drive is not uncommon in the Alps if you want to chase the best conditions. But it's not so much of an option if you are headed to Utah or Colorado in the next few weeks.
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ChrisC
Well-known member
I should not be so negative about Austria.
I was doing a deeper dive on conditions, and November/October were quite good. Most high altitude and glacier resorts received about 2.5 meters by November 30th.
Looking at ski maps for Pitztal, Solden, Obergurgl, Stubai, and others, most are nearly 90%+ open piste-wise. Still need snow, but salvageable with a few good weeks.
Engelberg should be fine; it's a high-snowfall resort, but its lower elevations need snow to allow easy/possible egress from off-piste routes like Laub and Galtiberg.
Andermatt is not doing that well and really needs snow. The Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis complex appears to be only 50%+ open, with many gaps. And Andermatt-Gemsstock has some closed pistes in the main bowl. Assume that means off-piste is almost a no-go. A 'skip' until further notice/snowfall - like 1-2 meters.
I was doing a deeper dive on conditions, and November/October were quite good. Most high altitude and glacier resorts received about 2.5 meters by November 30th.
Looking at ski maps for Pitztal, Solden, Obergurgl, Stubai, and others, most are nearly 90%+ open piste-wise. Still need snow, but salvageable with a few good weeks.
Engelberg should be fine; it's a high-snowfall resort, but its lower elevations need snow to allow easy/possible egress from off-piste routes like Laub and Galtiberg.
Andermatt is not doing that well and really needs snow. The Andermatt-Sedrun-Disentis complex appears to be only 50%+ open, with many gaps. And Andermatt-Gemsstock has some closed pistes in the main bowl. Assume that means off-piste is almost a no-go. A 'skip' until further notice/snowfall - like 1-2 meters.
Fraser puts it bluntly: "It hasn’t snowed properly in many parts of the Alps for nearly 6 weeks!"
jimk
Well-known member
Hmmm, it's looking more likely that I'll make that trip to Europe for the last ten days of January. Need to do a little more intra-family coordination, but considering pulling the trigger on airfares to Geneva this weekend. Likely to spend five days in Chamonix. Where I spend the second five days involves a few variables and is TBD. Two of our skiing adult children will be in the Alps at the same time and we hope to hook-up with one or both.
Not sure Vallee Blanche will be open this early. You should inquire before committing as many as 5 days, in view of the fact that the Grands-Montets upper tram is still not rebuilt. I'd say 2-3 days, mainly to check out the mind blowing scenery, best viewed from Brevant-Flegere.
Given that Jimk rarely goes to the Alps, he should really prioritize where the best conditions are. The safest bets are the high Tarantaise resorts, Val d'Isere/Tignes and Val Thorens.
ChrisC
Well-known member
The OpenSnow models bounce all around multiple times per day. I know not to invest too heavily in a forecast 5+ days out, but they have some insane snow totals forecasted that I highly doubt will materialize. Fun to look at; I have almost entirely written off OpenSnow fo Europe.
Both WePowder and Luke Stone of OpenSnow mention the possibility of that big dump from the west 5 days out, but don’t quote anything specific until it gets closer.