Snow of the week

French ski resorts opened last week to excellent conditions, with some very good early snow and more on the way to add to the powder base. Eight lifts were open in Courchevel at the beginning of the week, and the pistes were almost empty with good snow coverings of 29cm on the lower slopes and 90cm on the upper slopes. Mottaret (10/90 cm) in the adjacent valley was also enjoying good conditions, and more snow fell in Tignes (32/135 cm) and Val d'Isère (20/140cm).

Italian resorts also opened to a good start to the season, with nine lifts open at La Thuile (0/110cm) and excellent snow conditions in Sauze d'Oulx (40/110cm). Across the border in Switzerland, snow conditions were mixed, with good conditions in high-altitude resorts and hard packed snow in lower resorts. Zermatt (35/155cm) had some of the best conditions in the country.

The picture isn't quite so rosy in Austria, where many resorts are in need of more snow, though some of the higher altitude resorts have good conditions.

Over the other side of the Atlantic, the eastern seaboard has some of the best skiing and snowboarding conditions in the US, with powder conditions at Smugglers' Notch (30/105) and Sunday River (65/200). Eastern Canada has also benefited from some new snow in Mont Tremblant and Mont Sainte Anne, though conditions are not so good in the west.

Deal of the week

Head across the pond to ski in Vermont with Virgin Holidays (0871 222 0305) which has seven nights' bed and breakfast with flights to Boston and car hire from £429 for adults and £219 for children for departures 1 January-13 February.