Europe’s Top Ski Resorts Shut as Record Snow Risks Avalanches

This content was published on April 17, 2025 - 16:35

2 minutes

(Bloomberg) — Some of Europe’s top ski resorts, including Zermatt in Switzerland and Val d’Isere in France, were forced to shut as heavy snow raised the avalanche risk across the western Alps.

At Montana, a measuring site 1,423 meters (4,667 feet) high in the Swiss canton of Valais, 58 centimeters (23 inches) of snow fell on Wednesday. That’s the largest one-day April snowfall in records going back to 1930, according to Meteo Suisse.

The road to Zermatt, the Swiss ski resort at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn, was shut due to the risk of avalanches. The railway to the village was also out of service, with a power outage hitting upper Valais. Parts of the canton face the highest avalanche risk, with the national weather forecaster also warning of floods and landslides.

Since the 1980s, climate change has seen Europe warm twice as fast as the global average, with the extra heat in the atmosphere supercharging storms. At the same time, dwindling snow fall across the Alps is forcing lower-altitude resorts to close, while others are forced to rely on artificial snow to prolong the season.

Switzerland’s 4 Vallees, including Verbier — a magnet for off-piste skiers and well-heeled party-goers — was also completely closed on Thursday.

Roads accessing the high-altitude French resorts of Val d’Isere and Tignes were shut by snow and fallen trees. Only two out of 71 lifts are open and the pistes are closed.

An orange weather alert has been issued for the department of Savoie, home to France’s top ski resorts. Rail services in the region have been disrupted and 5,400 homes are without electricity, according to Savoie prefect’s office.

The skies are forecast to clear on Friday, raising the prospect of great skiing conditions over the Easter weekend should access roads be cleared and avalanche risks diminish.

–With assistance from Nayla Razzouk.