Calm has returned to the Alps after blizzards caused numerous road and piste closures. By yesterday bright blue sunny skies provided conditions which were described by the Ski Club of Great Britain as the best in years. Powder abounds and is expected to last with temperatures well below freezing. And the January lull in skier numbers means this is the perfect time to head for the Alps

Conditions are also excellent in the US, where Colorado had 13cm of new snow and Alaskan Alyeska had 46cm to bring this season's accumulation to over 10 metres. Canadian resorts are cold and well covered, with more snow on the way. Scottish resorts do not have much snow.

Swiss skiing is looking good with spectacular visibility in Crans Montana (160-370cm), Flims-Laax (120-350cm) and greatly improved Zermatt (125-195cm), is now accessible after last week's heavy snow.

French Tignes/Val D'Isère(135-208cm) has quality and quantity with 73 lifts accessing ideal snow. Austrian Ischgl (100-200cm) and Hintertux (65-235cm) have reopened after heavy snow, while St Anton (190-520cm) has great depth.

Resorts in the Italian Milky Way (Sauze D'Oulx, 80-100cm) are well covered on somewhat windblown off piste. Passo Tonale (40-270cm) is excellent on and off piste. A dusting of new snow is expected today in Austria but skies will clear for a sunny weekend across the Alps, and perhaps some snow showers in Swiss Davos.