Where to go on a ski trip in the Alps in March and Easter?
March is just around the corner and since the winter school breaks are over in most countries, the prices for ski trips to the Alps and hotels in the ski resorts are slightly cheaper now compared to February. But it is also the end of winter, which means that the snow can start to melt away at many of the ski resorts, so the question then becomes: where should you go to "guaranteed" have snow during your March ski holiday?
We start by referring to an article in the British newspaper Daily Mail that mentions seven different ski resorts in the different Alp countries where the snow supply is normally good in March. The ski resorts they are suggesting are Obergurgl and Obertauern in Austria, Zermatt and Saas-Fee in Switzerland, Val Thorens and Tignes in France and finally Breuil-Cervinia in the Italian Alps. If you look at the current snow depth and the historical snow depth in March, you will see that these ski resorts are quite decent tips:
| Ski resort | Current snow depth | Historical average snow depth in March |
|---|---|---|
| Obergurgl | 186 cm | 131 cm |
| Obertauern | 210 cm | Data missing |
| Zermatt | 240 cm | 186 cm |
| Saas-Fee | 340 cm | 300 cm |
| Val Thorens | 200 cm | 247 cm |
| Tignes | 380 cm | 277 cm |
| Breuil-Cervinia | 240 cm | 186 cm |
But even though these ski resorts have good amounts of snow, and are historically snow-proof, they are far from alone in having a good amount of snow in the Alps right now. In fact, despite the rising temperatures in Europe, things are looking very good this season, thanks in large part to the big snowfalls at the start of the season which were topped up with lots of precipitation last weekend.
Mostly snow right now
If we look at other ski resorts in the Alps than those mentioned, it is undoubtedly in France that you find the largest amounts of snow right now. Topping the list is Alpe d'Huez, which has a whopping 480 cm of snow, and the ski season is also expected to last until April 21. The ski resorts that belong to the Paradiski ski areas (including the ski resorts of Les Arcs and La Plagne) and Le Grand Massif (which includes Flaine, among others) have plenty of snow, as much as 420 centimetres, but there are also plenty of other ski resorts in France that have lots of snow on the slopes.In other countries, it is the Swiss Flims / Laax that has the most snow with its 412 centimetres and Lauchernalp has 379 centimetres of snow. Even popular Swiss ski resorts such as Engelberg, Verbier, Mürren and Zermatt have just under 300 cm of snow.
In Austria, the Stubai Glacier is at the top with its 385 centimetres of snow, and popular ski resorts such as St. Anton, Lech / Zürs and Sölden all have over 300 centimetres.
Although Italy has less maximum snow depth than its neighbouring countries, it is looking very good there as well at the moment. La Thuile peaks with a whopping 350 centimetres and Passo Tonale have a fine 300 centimetres. There are also several popular ski resorts with over 200 centimetres of snow such as Sauze d'Oulx and Sestriere.
In other words, as it stands right now, there seems to be hardly any problems with snow this March season in the Alps. Also keep in mind that Easter is early this year, the last weekend in March with Maundy Thursday already on March 28, and most likely there won't be any problems finding ski resorts with snow then either, which makes this Easter optimal for a last ski holiday of the season. You can find the entire list of current snow depths at all ski resorts, even outside the Alps, here.
Most snow in the Alps historically in the last five seasons
For those who are a little worried that the snow will now start to melt away and do put their trust in statistics, it might be worth looking at the ski resorts that historically have the most snow in March, and there the top ten list in terms of average snow depth over the last five seasons looks like as follows:| Ski resort | Historical average snow depth in March | Current snow depth |
|---|---|---|
| Engelberg | 383 cm | 297 cm |
| Andermatt | 357 cm | 190 cm |
| Stubai Gletscher | 324 cm | 385 cm |
| Lauchernalp | 321 cm | 379 cm |
| Kaunertal | 303 cm | 380 cm |
| Sölden | 301 cm | 341 cm |
| Saas-Fee | 300 cm | 340 cm |
| Sella Nevea | 295 cm | 300 cm |
| Le Grand Massif (including Flaine, Morillon and Samoëns) | 292 cm | 420 cm |
| Les Arcs | 291 cm | 420 cm |
If you are planning to go to another ski resort in the Alps, or any other popular ski resort in the whole world, you will find the historical average snow depth for the last five seasons for all ski resorts here.