Best Skiing in France in January
January is mid-winter in the northern hemisphere: cold, with good snow quality and the snowpack still building. Days are short, so ski days are shorter too.
After the New Year week ends, January is one of the quietest and best-value times of the season.
Top resorts in France for January snow
81 resorts in France are open in January with at least 30 cm of typical snow depth. Ranked 60% on snow depth, 20% on top elevation and 20% on piste kilometres.
| # | Resort | Snow depth | Top |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Les Arcs | 151 cm | 3,226 m |
| 2 | Le Grand Massif | 152 cm | 2,500 m |
| 3 | Megève | 153 cm | 2,353 m |
| 4 | Galibier-Thabor | 136 cm | 2,738 m |
| 5 | Alpe d'Huez Grand Domaine | 123 cm | 3,330 m |
| 6 | Les Grands Montets | 635 cm | 3,233 m |
| 7 | Les Contamines | 155 cm | 2,444 m |
| 8 | Valmorel | 134 cm | 2,550 m |
| 9 | Les Deux Alpes | 117 cm | 3,600 m |
| 10 | Albiez-Montrond | 138 cm | 2,012 m |
| 11 | Serre Chevalier | 110 cm | 2,800 m |
| 12 | Le Grand Domaine | 122 cm | 2,550 m |
| 13 | Val Cenis | 115 cm | 2,800 m |
| 14 | Orcières Merlette | 130 cm | 2,725 m |
| 15 | Saint François Longchamp | 122 cm | 2,516 m |
| 16 | Balme - Vallorcine | 597 cm | 2,254 m |
| 17 | Valfréjus | 132 cm | 2,724 m |
| 18 | Puy-Saint-Vincent | 120 cm | 2,750 m |
| 19 | Aussois | 132 cm | 2,680 m |
| 20 | Les Houches - Saint-Gervais | 170 cm | 1,900 m |
| 21 | Val Thorens - Orelle | 101 cm | 3,230 m |
| 22 | Forêt Blanche : Vars/Risoul | 97 cm | 2,750 m |
| 23 | Espace Haute Maurienne Vanoise | 89 cm | 2,948 m |
| 24 | Montgenèvre | 104 cm | 2,648 m |
| 25 | Aillon-Margériaz | 166 cm | 1,833 m |
| 26 | Les 7 Laux | 113 cm | 2,400 m |
| 27 | Arêches Beaufort | 109 cm | 2,319 m |
| 28 | Torgon | 92 cm | 1,979 m |
| 29 | Cauterets Cirque du Lys | 113 cm | 2,420 m |
| 30 | Chamrousse | 103 cm | 2,246 m |
Snow depth, snowfall and temperature are 2020-24 monthly averages from Open-Meteo's historical weather data at each resort's coordinates. They are modelled values for the area, not the resort's own snow reports, so treat them as a guide to typical conditions.