Winter Snow Conditions Update: 04 February 2009

4th February 2009

As we all enjoy a snowy start to February we have several reasons to celebrate. It is a short month, we have the chance of receiving a lovely card from a secret valentine and the snow is officially fantastic throughout Europe!  The Alps, Pyrenees, Dolomites and the Tirol are all predicting heavy snowfalls and now looks to be the perfect time to book that winter getaway.

The Alps have already received yet another covering of fresh powdery snow with some resorts in France and Italy recording over 1 metre of snow falling in the last week of January.  Due to the high snowfall avalanche risks are raised and all resorts are working hard to make sure the areas are safe for everyone to enjoy.  Chamonix has a base snow depth of over 140cm with 290cm being recorded at 3340m.

The Pyrenees are still in great shape.  Our leader out in Luchon has been enjoying lots of snowshoeing and recent snowfalls have meant that good snow depths are being maintained throughout the mountain range.

The Italian Dolomites are continuing to enjoy superb conditions with more snow than they know what to do with.  Current weather reports show snow showers predicted from tomorrow continuing right through the weekend and all ski lifts, cross country tracks and downhill slopes are still open.

Further afield in Scandinavia, Sweden, Finland and Norway have also been benefiting from the arctic blast with more snowfalls being recorded today, however the chilly temperatures mean that you will need to wrap up warm.

So far 2009 has seen some of the best winter conditions seen in years, so wax up those skis, grab your snowshoes and get out there and enjoy it!