73 cm forecast at Val Thorens, 75 at Orelle in a week

Les Trois Vallées is the snowiest area of the week in the Northern Alps. On Tuesday 20 October the model puts 18 cm of fresh snow at the summit of Val Thorens (3,200 m) and 20 cm at Orelle (3,230 m, on the Maurienne side). Over seven days the total rises to 73 cm at Val Thorens and 75 cm at Orelle (model forecast read on Monday 19 October at 6:52, not a measurement).

Tuesday: rain in the villages, snow above 2,900 m

In the villages it will be rain: about 25 mm is expected at Val Thorens (2,300 m) on Tuesday, at 4 to 7 °C. The rain-snow limit is between 2,900 and 3,100 m at Val Thorens and between 2,550 and 2,750 m at Orelle, with the 0 °C isotherm around 3,310 m and 2,940 m. It then turns colder: on Wednesday 21 it is -8 to -2 °C at the top of Orelle, with 5 to 7 cm more at the summit.

Forecast snow over seven days at the top of the ski areas:

• Orelle75 cmat 3,230 m · Maurienne, of which 20 cm on Tuesday
• Val Thorens73 cmat 3,200 m · Tarentaise, of which 18 cm on Tuesday
• L'Alpe d'Huez69 cmat 3,330 m · Oisans, of which 13 cm on Tuesday
• Tignes61 cmat 3,456 m · Tarentaise, of which 10 cm on Tuesday
• Les Arcs54 cmat 3,226 m · Tarentaise

More modest elsewhere

Val d'Isère gets about 7 cm on Tuesday at 3,197 m, and Méribel 2 cm on Tuesday then 6 cm on Wednesday at 2,952 m. In the Mont-Blanc and Aravis areas, falls stay lighter early in the week. The seven-day totals include snow forecast later in the week and are less certain than Tuesday's figures.

When do the resorts open?

This snow falls at high altitude, on closed ski areas. Opening dates announced by the resorts: Val Thorens, Orelle and Tignes on 21 November 2026, Val d'Isère on 28 November, Méribel on 5 December. An announced date is not a guarantee and depends on snow cover.

Following the snow

• Resort pages with forecasts by altitude: Val Thorens, Orelle, Tignes, Val d'Isère
• Snow forecast by massif and opening dates
• Webcams: look at the summits, though a camera does not show whether a road or piste is open
• Savoie roads for the official state of the mountain passes (cols)