Huge snowfall allows European ski resorts to open early
Les 2 Alpes earlier this week
Ski operators are reporting a great start to the season with enough snow to allow some resorts to open early.
William Moleshead, product and commercial manager for Skiworld, said it is ‘probably the best start to the season in the last five years’.
"Some resorts are now opening this weekend and it looks like skiers have noticed as sales are very strong for December departure," he said.
Julie Franklin, head of agency sales for Inghams, said: "We’ve seen some fantastic snowfall across France, Italy, Switzerland and Lapland recently, which has got us even more excited for welcoming our very first guests of the season in just a few weeks’ time. As the snow falls, bookings are flooding in, so we’re looking forward to another great ski season this winter."
Simon Holmes, commercial director at ski transfer company, Ski-Lifts.com, said: "This is a very encouraging start to the winter months for ski holidays, with huge snowfalls during the first three weeks of November including this week’s fantastic snow across the Alps.
"This means many resorts are opening early for the 2019-20 season, with big name resorts such as Val Thorens opening imminently, and higher areas in the Chamonix Valley also set to kick off the season earlier as well as several resorts in Switzerland, Italy and Austria."
According to the latest report from the Ski Club of Great Britain, snow conditions are ‘exceptional’ for the time of year across many central and southern parts of the Alps, including the southern French Alps roughly south of Les 2 Alpes, most of the Italian Alps, the southern Swiss Alps roughly east of Zermatt and as far north as Andermatt and the Austrian Alps south of Innsbruck, especially near to the Italian border.
"Further north, snow conditions are generally unremarkable, although some parts of the northern Alps do also have very good snow, including Val d’Isere and Tignes," it said.
"Most of the northern Alps have continuous snow cover above about 1000-1200m, but with generally quite modest snow. This is not at all unusual for the time of year, so no particular cause for concern at this stage."
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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