Easter Sunday falls late this year on 24th April – making the ski season unusually long. Following from the great feedback we received from our earlier post on late season skiing, we’ve got some more data from the Ski Club of Great Britain to help you decide where to head off to for that all-important spring ski trip…

Most European resorts stay open until mid-April, even into May. So don’t pack those skis and snowboards away, read on for our guide to late season snow-sure resorts across Europe and North America.

Why go skiing late season?

Perhaps the most attractive element of late season skiing is the weather. As spring approaches it’s much sunnier, with longer daylight hours, which means longer lift opening times. Plus, longer days mean there’s the chance to enjoy BBQs and beer drinking on the sun terraces of the slope-side bars and mountain restaurants.

It’s also much cheaper to go skiing in the spring. Late season is low season, so lift passes, accommodation and flights all cost considerably less. What’s more, the slopes are also quieter, with less chance of lift queues.

Where to go for late season skiing?

The key elements to look out for are, of course, altitude (high – ideally with glacier) or latitude (northern) and a reputation for lots of snow (machine made or natural). A combination of any two of these factors normally ensures skiing success.

The higher the altitude of the ski area, the colder it is,  and the longer the snow lasts, so aim for resorts that have skiing at 2,000 metres or above. Several of the best-known resorts in the Alps offer glacier skiing in the summer. In March and April however, these are your best bet for fine winter snow conditions all day.

Easter snow conditions from Ski Club of Great Britain

The Ski Club of Great Britain has historical snow records for the last 17 seasons (from 1993). Using this data, Crystal Ski have compiled a list of the best resorts for late season skiing.

In the charts below, average snow depths are from the Ski Club of Great Britain’s historical snow reports and are an average of the last 17 seasons (starting in 1993). Also shown is the average total fresh snow fall during the month of April (based on data from 2006-2010).

Jump to a resort:
Val Thorens (Three Valleys), France
Espace Killy (Tignes, Val D’Isere), France
Paradiski (Les Arcs, Le Plagne), France
St Anton, Austria
Obergurgl, Austria
Ischgl, Austria
Zermatt, Switzerland
Saas Fee, Switzerland
Banff – Lake Louise, Canada
Mammoth, USA
Lake Tahoe, USA

Val Thorens, France (Val Thorens piste map)

Europe’s highest ski resort – making it snow sure throughout the season.

Snow range 1300-3200m
Total kms of piste 600kms Three Valleys (140kms Val Thorens)
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 183
Intermediate 119
Difficult 33
Number of lifts 183 (Three Valleys) (3 cable cars, 37 gondolas, 69 chairlifts, 74 drag lifts)
Snow cannons 40%
Off-piste excellent
Average fresh snowfall in April 47cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Val Thorens page

Espace Killy: Tignes/Val d’Isère (Espace Killy Piste Map)

Offering some of the most extensive skiing and snowboarding in Europe including the Grand Motte glacier.

Snow range 1550-3550m
Total kms of piste 300kms
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 83
Intermediate 46
Difficult 25
Number of lifts 94 (2 funiculars, 4 cable cars, 4 gondolas, 44 chairlifts, 40 drag lifts)
Snow cannons 15%
Off-piste excellent
Average fresh snowfall in April 66cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Tignes or Val D’Isere pages

Paradiski: La Plagne/Les Arcs (Paradiski piste map)

Offering a wide variety of skiing for all abilities with ski-in ski-out convenience.

Snow range 1609-3226m
Total kms of piste 425kms
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 140
Intermediate 65
Difficult 37
Number of lifts 141 (1 funicular, 9 cable cars, 62 chairlifts, 58 drag lifts)
Snow cannons 11%
Off-piste excellent
Average fresh snowfall in April 34cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Les Arcs or La Plagne pages

St Anton (St Anton piste map)

Firmly established as one of Europe’s top resorts with great skiing and après-ski.

Snow range 1304-2811m
Total kms of piste 276kms (Arlberg ski circuit)
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 34
Intermediate 70
Difficult 30
Number of lifts 82 (4 cable cars, 3 gondolas, 39 chairlifts, 36 drag lifts)
Snow cannons 35%
Off-piste excellent
Average fresh snowfall in April 51cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s St Anton page

Obergurgl (Obergurgl piste map)

The highest parish in Austria and with wide open slopes and fun après-ski.

Snow range 1800-3082m
Total kms of piste 110kms
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 16
Intermediate 18
Difficult 6
Number of lifts 23 (4 Gondolas, 12 chairlifts, 7 drag lifts)
Snow cannons 81%
Off-piste good
Average fresh snowfall in April 46cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Obergurgl page

Ischgl (Ischgl piste map)

Party town Ischgl has a life and soul of its own, with a season that continues until the first weekend in May.

Snow range 1400-2864m
Total kms of piste 230kms
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 21
Intermediate 59
Difficult 18
Number of lifts 54 (5 gondolas, 2 cable cars, 25 chairlifts, 22 drag lifts)
Snow cannons 80%
Off-piste fair
Average fresh snowfall in April 28cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Ischgl page

Zermatt, Switzerland (Zermatt piste map)

Spectacularly situated beneath the majestic Matterhorn, it offers fantastic skiing including a glacier, picturesque surroundings and lively nightlife.

Snow range 1620-3883m
Total kms of piste 313kms (including Cervinia)
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 19
Intermediate 33
Difficult 15
Number of lifts 36 (57 including Cervinia)
Snow cannons 25%
Off-piste very good
Average fresh snowfall in April 99cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Zermatt page

Saas Fee, Switzerland (Saas Fee piste map)

Traditional Swiss village at 1800m amid peaks and glaciers with an exceptionally high ski area.

Snow range 1800-3500m
Total kms of piste 100kms
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 13
Intermediate 14
Difficult 5
Number of lifts 26 (1 funicular railway, 4 cable cars, 3 gondolas, 2 chairlifts, 13 drag lifts)
Snow cannons 30%
Off-piste good
Average fresh snowfall in April 61cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Saas Fee page

Banff and Lake Louise, Canada

(Banff piste map) (Lake Louise piste map)

Skiing in the Banff National Park in the heart of the Canadian Rockies.

Snow range 1630-2730m
Total piste 7748 acres
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 63
Intermediate 132
Difficult 73
Number of lifts 41 (Banff and Lake Louise)
Snow cannons 32
Off-piste excellent
Average fresh snowfall in April 35cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Banff page

Mammoth and Lake Tahoe, USA

(Mammoth piste map)(Lake Tahoe piste map)

The extensive and varied terrain of these two West Coast US ski areas offers incredible skiing up to 3370 meters and an average of 30 feet of snow every year.

Mammoth

Snow range 2425-3370m
Total piste 3500 acres
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 38
Intermediate 60
Difficult 58
Number of lifts 28 (including 9 quads, 2 express six-packs and 3 gondolas)
Snow cannons cover 46 trails
Off-piste excellent
Average fresh snowfall in April 81cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s  Mammoth page

Lake Tahoe

Snow range 1962-3012mm
Total piste 19,700 acres
Piste type / No. of runs
Easy 124
Intermediate 291
Difficult 217
Number of lifts 125 across 7 Lake Tahoe resorts
Snow cannons 3600 acres
Off-piste excellent
Average fresh snowfall in April 81cm

Learn more about this resort by visiting Crystal’s Lake Tahoe page

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