This is proving to be one of the best Alpine seasons for many years, with most resorts receiving up to 20cm of fresh snow on Tuesday. It has been bitterly cold, with common temperatures of –10C, sliding down to –22C on the glacier in Austrian Kaprun.

Here in French Flaine (150-390cm) there are fantastic conditions; snow on snow, powder everywhere, snow depths some ten times' greater than last year at this time. The only drawback is the somewhat flat light in the valley cloud that builds in the afternoons. Avoriaz (260-300cm) was described by the Ski Club of Great Britain as "every skier's dream".

Conditions are variable in Switzerland, but useful amounts of new snow also fell there on Tuesday. Saas Fee had (81/351cm), Zermatt had (110/170cm, -15C) and Zinal (70/190cm) enjoyed pleasant skiing under clear skies. The best in Italy this week are Cortina (15-60cm) with 20cm of new snow and Cervinia (115-300cm) with bright blue skies on the Plateau Rosa. Austrian Lech/Zuers (180-395cm) and Obergurgl (80-120cm) all had some 5cm of new snow, with pockets of powder to be found.

The Scottish Nevis Range (20/50cm) and The Lecht (15-30cm) now have good skiing after new snow and cold weather.

Cloud cover may bring some snow flurries to Austria for a few days while skies are expected to clear in France for the weekend. It will remain very cold at –20C in most of the Alps.