Where to ski? Mid January vs late March

A snowHead

Hi,

This is my first post, so I wanted to say hi to everyone!

I am starting my plans for the 2011 ski season and would like some advice on when and where to ski. I am unable to go away any time in Feb or early March so I was hoping for recommendations for good resorts in mid/late January or late March. The group has mixed abilities some have only skiied for a couple of years - myself included! Others are experienced and keen to go off piste. Its a fairly young crowd so some apres ski would be good!

My initial thoughts were St Anton - did a weekend there last year and loved the apres ski, but is there anywhere particularly good/bad that I should be looking out for at those times of year?

Also anyone have any thoughts over which is best mid Jan or late March?

In case its useful - budget is circa £700 (incl flights) and the aim is to get a catered chalet.

Am already looking forward to it!

Thanks all in advance Smile

A snowHead

Mid Jan and late March will give very different skiing experiences.

Jan is likely to be cold, quite, relatively cheap, dark early. Snow could well be good.

Late March, is quite cheap assuming you avoid Easter (I have no idea when Easter is next year), could well be warm. You would need a high sonwsure resort. Probably lots of opportunity for outside lunches and apres ski.

If you value skiing most go for Jan. If you value partying most go for March.

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JoeySnowJo, Welcome to snowHead

Mid jan - colder crisper but less off piste cover for that part of the group, best to head somewhere with trees in case a storm comes in.

End of March - warmer, piste side picnics, feels more of a holiday, snow cover may not go so far down the mountain and may be slushy at the end of the day

Where - Well we have had good Jan's in Avoriaz, Flaine, Les Arcs, Espace Killy, Verbier and St Anton, and good Easters in Vaujany, Zermatt, Val Thorens, St Martin, Chamonix, Val d'Isere, Les Arcs, Les 2 Alpes, Champoluc

You can't go wrong these days with snowmaking as long as you have decent top altitude to ski at

You will be avoiding all school holidays by the sound of things, so cheaper and quieter at either time

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Hi JoeySnowJo, welcome to snowHead

The biggest difference between mid January and the end of March is the weather. While you can, of course, get warm sunny days in Jan and cold, dark days in March it is generally the other way around. Late March the snow starts getting slushy towards the end of the day and the thaw/freeze cycle means it is often icy in the early morning.

January is usually much colder and you get more snow falling so more chance of whiteouts (but also more chance of fresh powder days).

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

over the past 4 or 5 years, we've been in late january and mid-late march, even april to Banff/Lake Louise;

One thing that's for sure - you're no more guaranteed it to snow more in january than march or vice versa. what you are guaranteed is, that above a certain altitude, the snow that has accumulated will be more in March than in January.

here's a good guide for courchevel - only because that's where we are going - but you might want to check the same site for levels at places you may fancy.

http://www.igluski.com/france/courchevel-snow-history_23521

After all it is free

shoogly, below certain altitudes ....... it might all have melted by late March though wink

March is my favourite month to ski, and around the middle of the month (in my experience, anyway) you have the best chance of scoring fresh powder.

I think most resorts would be fine for those dates, I don't think many places specifically specialise in having one month as the best time to ski... Sounds like St Anton or Ischgl would suit your needs well though, although Ischgl can be expensive. Saalbach may be too south facing to be confident of good snow in late March, although it would fit the bill for everything else you seek.

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JoeySnowJo, I've been to St Anton and surrounding areas mid-late Jan and early-mid March on several occasions. You know about the apres so no need to tell you about that aspect of the holiday Very Happy

If you're sticking to the piste I would probably go with the January option, as it tends to be a lot sunnier and colder. However March will provide you with more snow and if you were venturing off psite in St Anton March would be better. Over the past few years that we've gone in March there is always at least a couple of days of snow storms - which is great for teh snow levels/conditions, but crap for visability. Jan will be cheaper and if going mid Jan will miss all the school holidays. If it were me I would go mid Jan as I prefer the clear blue skies and hard packed snow, rather than no vis and 1m of fresh (just waiting to be condemned by fellow Very Happy

's now)

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JoeySnowJo,

Done most of my skiing in January as it's cheaper. Not always heaps of snow, but with it being colder artificial snow is always there as a safety net.

More recently I have done a few March trips. In general there will be more depth of snow, possibly plenty of snow falling. It can be warm, the has advantages and disadvantages. Slushy low down, but skiing in t-shirts is cool and it does feel more like a holiday that battling against cold January winds.

Given the choice I would go in March to a resort not below 1800m in France. Not below 1200m in Austria.

snow reports

I've done a fair few seasons in St Anton and the 3 Vallees. FWIW I've skied better snow off piste in both areas in March. Both areas can see good snowfalls in April even. Later in the season the base is deeper and makes skiing off piste safer in some respects regards covering rocks, vegetation etc. Despite being high, both areas can be subject to erratic weather which hits the Alps. I've known it rain to 2800/3000m during the 'colder' months and seen massive snowstorms in late March/early April!

There are some good points above about skiing at various times of the season. It depends what you like and what you are after.

Over the past couple of seasons in Courchevel, a lot of January has been positively arctic and too cold to snow, with pretty mixed weather (sun, snow, rain) later in March. That said, I was skiing knee deep powder in Cortina the last week of March/first week of April this year!

Austria in Jan.

France or Switzerland in Mar.

You know it makes sense.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

That's not end of season though, and the winds come from a different area (Siberia I think?). Also, the rivers in the French Alps come into their kayaking prime in early summer, whereas Austria tends to be more July/August, which might suggest the thaw is actually more significant in France?

A snowHead

RobW, as you say depends very much on where you are! Have had fantastic skiing trips in Schladming and Dachstein late March, in the Arlberg and Obertauern in March and April and some great fun in Ischgl in May. In the end it's altitude and aspect rather than the flag that will count...

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Thanks everyone - I am liking the advice to go twice Very Happy

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Where to ski? Mid January vs late March

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