The Easter holidays are once again dressed in white in this seemingly endless winter season. After last year’s disastrous winter with very little snow and skiing confined to high-altitude resorts, this will be an outstanding Easter weekend.
Fortunately, Easter 2013 awaits us with splendid slopes and deep, fresh snow not only in natural snow strongholds like Livigno and Sella Nevea, but also in areas less famous for abundant snow.
General Winter seems reluctant to leave the Italian mountains: across the Alps and Apennines, snowfalls have continued for months to refresh the slopes all the way down to hilly elevations where snow usually gives way to flowers by late February. With 50 cm at San Martino di Castrozza or 100 cm in Sestriere, skiers and snowboarders will be able to have fun on the snow once again. While valley accumulations are impressive, at high altitude snow depth is measured in meters: Limone Piemonte boasts nearly 3 meters at altitude, while the Adamello Glacier has a full 4 meters—an excellent outlook for the ski season to continue well into April.
Easter Snow Forecast, more snow in the northeastern Alps
While the snow report offers encouraging news, the weather forecast is somewhat bittersweet due to rain and new snowfalls that could dampen the Easter holidays. Starting in the early hours of Thursday, March 28, snow will begin falling on the northwestern mountains, while over the following days (including Easter Sunday) the entire Alpine arc will be hit by a weather system bringing intermittent snow to many ski resorts above 1,000-1,200 meters.
The snow line will fluctuate, meaning that at times and in certain resorts snow could appear as low as 600 meters (especially in the northwest), whereas in other ski areas snow will only whiten the peaks above 1,500-1,600 meters.
Sunshine will only prevail over the clouds starting on Monday, though further snowfalls cannot be ruled out, particularly along the border areas.
Where to ski in the Alps and Apennines
No ski resorts or stations are closed for lack of snow ahead of the Easter holidays. Even ski areas at 1,000 meters above sea level will be able to guarantee good snow cover at least until April 1, with nearly all lifts open.
Across the Alpine arc, skiing will be available from Cervinia all the way to Tarvisio, offering an endless choice of ski resorts to enjoy the final snow of the season.
In the Apennines as well, winter has been kind, and slopes will be open across all ski areas in Emilia, Tuscany, and Abruzzo. Snow is plentiful there too, even if occasional rain has threatened the Easter weekend.
It is worth remembering that despite the great snow conditions, for several resorts these Easter holidays will mark the grand finale of the season: lift closures will begin on April 2 for some ski destinations, while others may extend their season—something we will cover in detail area by area soon.
Have fun and Happy Easter 2013!
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