J2Ski Snow Report - April 3rd 2025
J2Ski Snow Report - April 3rd 2025
Published : 03-Apr-2025 06:01
Fresh snow and blue skies in St. Johann in Salzburg, Austria
Late season snow in Scandinavia, eastern Austria and North America this week, whilst spring sets in across the northern hemisphere.
The Snow Headlines - April 3rd
- Arctic Circle ski areas in Norway and Sweden post some of week's biggest snowfalls.
- Bulgaria's Borovets centre closes early at short notice.
- Over a metre of snowfall, again, in California.
- Austria sees some of its best snowfalls in a month, up to 70cm reported.
- Stormy weather in Eastern North America brings snowfall but gales cut power.
- Scotland's season appears about over.
Snow forecasts worldwide.
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World Overview
There was a bit of a return to winter in the eastern Alps to start the week, with ski areas in Austria especially seeing up to 70cm of snowfall on their higher slopes... but with spring getting a grip elsewhere.
Lighter snowfall was reported over a wider area but springtime continues to take hold nonetheless and even with snow falling up high, most valleys are seeing snowlines rising ever higher.
At least a third of the lower-lying, smaller ski centres have already ended their season and the next two weekends will see most of the rest follow suit. However, the majority of the bigger, higher, better-known destination resorts continue to have 70-100% of their terrain open and intend to remain open at least through to the late Easter weekend.
The snow is still lying up to three metres deep in parts of Europe.
It's a similar changing of the seasons in North America with winter making a re-appearance in the Rockies, California and New England at the weekend and start of this week, with some good snowfalls. At this time of year the cold spells are increasingly short-lived and largely concentrated at altitude. California has had huge snowfalls over the past few days which closed some centres down.
Europe
Austria
Higher Austrian ski slopes have seen some of the biggest snowfalls in Europe over the past week, reversing a trend that saw the country's slopes under-perform for snowfall as Western European centres in France, Italy and Switzerland got much more.
Up to 70cm was reported, mostly above 2,000m altitudes, over the past week, the majority arriving between Sunday and Tuesday. Temperatures remain warm in valleys though so lower mountain areas have mostly had sleet and rain instead, but St Anton did note snow to village level on Monday.
More than half of Austrian ski areas have already closed (mostly the smaller, lower ones that have had rain), whilst some higher areas will stay open to Easter or even into May.
The Arlberg above Lech and St Anton and the Ziller Valley were among the areas posting powder conditions to start the week with glaciers including the Stubai and Pitztal reporting 50-70cm accumulations.
After the late snowfall excitement, the week ahead is expected to be dry and sunny.
France
Sunshine and snow showers on high slopes have been characteristic of the weather in the French mountains this week, with temperatures varying between -15C overnight up at 3,000m to +10C in the afternoons down at 1,000m. The freezing point has moved between around 1200 and 2200m altitudes.
As elsewhere, smaller, lower French ski areas have been ending their seasons, but most of the big, large ski areas will remain open at least until Easter and most continue to post between 80-100% of their slopes still open.
Les 3 Vallées still has over 500km of slopes open, Flaine and the Grand Massif the deepest snow depth at 2.8m up high. A warm, sunny week ahead now.
Italy
Italy has also had a week of sunshine and (rain/sleet/snow) showers.
The snow showers have mostly been fairly light and above 1500m but gave a good refresh to cover where they fell.
About a third of Italian centres have closed so far but as elsewhere in the Alps most of the country's big ski areas remain open with most of their slopes still skiable. Some will be closing this coming weekend though, including Val Gardena, whilst others like Cervinia and Cortina plan to keep at least some terrain open into May.
Sella Nevea over on the country's Eastern border with Slovenia is posting the joint deepest base in Europe at 3m/10 feet up high.
It looks like sunny weather for the week ahead with afternoon highs set to touch +20C at 1000m altitudes.
Switzerland
Eastern Swiss ski areas had a snowy start to the week with Engelberg among the resorts reporting 10-30cm accumulations on higher slopes by Monday afternoon. It was drier further west and south in a reverse of snowfall trends for much of March.
About half of Swiss areas have already ended their 24-25 seasons, but the higher, larger, better-known areas are mostly staying open at least to the Easter weekend and most report 75-100% of their slopes still open.
The rest of this week looks fairly settled with prolonged sunny spells, mild temperatures and a few light showers of snow (generally up high) sleet or rain.
Scandinavia
Northern Scandinavian ski areas like Norway's Narvik and Bjorkliden in Sweden's Arctic circle have posted some of the bigger snowfalls of the past week, as you might expect as temperatures rise across Europe pushing winter ever further north.
Accumulations of up to 30cm in 72 hours were reported over the weekend.
Unlike much of Europe, most Scandi areas plan to stay open to late April or early May but the area is not immune to spring's advance with centres further south in Norway and Sweden reporting periods of sleet and freezing rain as well as light snow showers over the last week with daytime highs getting above +5C.
The week ahead looks set to be sunny for most of the region but with snowfall continuing up in the Arctic Circle.
Pyrenees and Spain
Ski areas in the Pyrenees and the wider region have continued to post some of the best snow conditions in Europe. There have been more snowfalls reported, with the largest area in the region, Andorra's Grandvalira posting another 25cm in 72 hours through the weekend.
The first few days of April have seen temperatures climbing though, the freezing point getting above 3,000m and valley highs above +15C in the afternoons.
The week ahead looks set to be changeable and a little cooler than the Alps with rain and snow showers continuing into next week.
Sierra Nevada, the Europe's most southerly resort, continues to post the deepest snow at 3 metres.
Scotland
Scotland's so far failed-to-really-launch 24-25 season appears about over, barring a surprise very heavy April snowfall. It's unclear if anywhere will be open for the Easter holidays and with 10 more days of dry, sunny weather forecast, it's currently not looking promising.
Eastern Europe
Spring conditions are dominating in Eastern Europe too with the warm temperatures leading to Bulgaria's Borovets abruptly announcing last Friday afternoon that it would close on Monday 31st March, not this coming Sunday as planned. It blamed "an abrupt change in snow conditions" which might have been expected as daytime highs neared +20C.
Most centres in Eastern Europe have now closed but a dozen or so of the larger, higher centres are still going, albeit with plans to close this weekend or next in most cases.
The forecast is for predominantly warm, sunny weather which should deliver some nice final days, as well as continuing fast thawing.
North America
Canada
Things are finally turning more springlike in Western Canada.
Snow has kept falling but lighter than in previous weeks and we've seen daytime highs getting towards double figures above freezing.
On the East Coast, there's been more sunny weather but when the precipitation has arrived it's been freezing rain or sleet at times, as well as snowfall. The end-of-season feeling is translating into the actual end-of-season that's starting to arrive now.
Big White and Sun Peaks in BC are due to close this weekend as well as Blue Mountain and Le Massif in the east. Many others will close over the following two weekends although some areas will stay open into May.
USA
The US has seen some big snowfalls on the West Coast and the Rockies over the past week and stormy conditions also brought some snowfall, although unfortunately with damaging ice, gales and rain in the mix) to the East Coast too. A lot of this happened at the weekend and start of the week with calmer weather since.
Colorado's ski areas saw 6-12inches (15 to 30 cm) of snowfall on higher slopes with Winter Park one of those doing especially well.
Ski areas in Utah did even better though, The Palisades posting nearly 1.2 metres this week.
Here too the arrival of April means most US ski areas will be ending their seasons over the next few weekends although some will continue to Easter weekend and a few dozen into May.
It looks like a drier, sunny few days for most US ski areas this weekend compared to last.
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