Snow arrives: opening dates of French ski resorts
Beautiful images show first snowfall of this winter in Alps
The first ski stations should begin opening next week, weather permitting
Fedor Selivanov/Shutterstock / Meteoexpress / X
The first snow of the 2024/2025 winter season has started to fall – and settle – in France, leading to stunning photos being shared across social media.
The snow has so far mainly fallen in the Alps, although some has fallen in the Massif Central and the Pyrénées mountain ranges, as cold European winds push into Spain through France.
More snow is expected throughout the week.
Read more: Cold snap brings snow: Weather in France this week November 11 - 15
Some of the best images were taken at the Isola 2000 ski resort in Alpes-Maritimes, close to the Italian border.
Around 10cm of snow fell at the resort yesterday (November 12), rising to 16cm at the highest altitudes.
The resort has a series of live webcams, showing the beautiful scenery, and if you are lucky when tuning in, snowfall.
Other resorts in the department, including Valberg, also received a dusting of snow.
In the nearby Hautes-Alpes, resorts including Montgenèvre saw even heavier snowfall, with snow also falling in the nearby Vaucluse department.
In central France, the snowfall was not as strong, however some light dustings fell, as reported by local media outlet France Bleu.
Ski stations soon to open
The scenes bode well for those looking to set off for a wintry holiday at a ski station in the coming weeks.
Further snowfall is predicted in the coming days, meaning by the time major ski stations open, slopes will be ripe for skiers.
The first major station set to open is Chamonix next Saturday (November 23), alongside Val Thorens and Tignes.
The following Saturday (November 30) will see others including Val d’Isère, Alpe d’Huez, and the aforementioned Montgenèvre open. Isola 2000 will open alongside a slew of others on December 7.
You can find a larger list in our article below, and an exhaustive list, including smaller family-run stations can be found here.
Note that these dates are still subject to change depending on snowfall. Those who have already planned holidays should be informed of any changes directly by the ski station operator.
Read more: 2024-25 dates for ski slopes to open in French Alps and Pyrenees
Travellers from the UK can take a train from London (transferring at Lille) to some of the more popular Alpine stations this year.
Read more: Eurostar relaunches London to Alps winter ski trains
