Early spring is an unsettling time for many lower resorts but often marvellous for higher ones. The US is still doing very well, as is Italy for so late in the season.
Andorra: Arcalis (50cm lower slopes and 140cm upper) was best higher up though, like Arinsal (60/100cm), Pal (55/95cm), Pas de la Casa (65/85cm), and Soldeu (50/110cm) where pistes were generally good, runs were still open midweek.
Austria: At Saalbach-Hinterglemm (25/80cm) conditions were 'not brilliant'. St Anton (40/350cm) had excellent pistes and varied off-piste. Kitzbühel (10/108cm) had 'fair' pistes, 'slushy' lower runs and spring conditions off piste. Gargellen (65/145cm) had 'excellent' pistes but rather crusty off-piste. Obergurgl (40/195 cm) was fine higher up; off-piste varied.
Canada: Whistler (115/185cm) was still good on piste and had spring snow off-piste. Lake Louise (80/123cm) had 'excellent' pistes but 'varied' off-piste.
France: Val d'Isère (40/260cm) was 'fair' piste and off-piste but worsening. Depths best south in Isola (175/385cm) with good pistes and 'packed' off-piste. In the Three Valleys, Val Thorens (90/200cm) has much better skiing than lower Méribel (35/115cm) and Courchevel (15/115cm). Les Arcs (75/150cm), La Plagne (125/320cm), Chamonix (10/190cm) and Avoriaz (90/175cm) had good pistes; off-piste varied in cloudy weather. La Rosière (90/210cm) was better higher up.
Italy: Often-sunny pistes are holding out well. Modest Passo Tonale (190/200cm) still has good pistes, but fair lower runs. Madesimo (110/ 520cm) reports excellent pistes, varied off-piste. Cortina (20/225cm), with runs closed, is not bad higher up. Cervinia (150/260cm) had excellent pistes. La Thuile (120/310cm) had packed conditions throughout. Livigno (135/330cm) had rather 'heavy' runs. Sauze d'Oulx (100/200cm) still had good piste skiing.
Norway: Comes good about now with good piste skiing in Geilo (105/130cm), Hemesdal (120/190cm) and Voss (90/100cm).
Switzerland: Resorts under 1,800m have not done well this winter. Davos (60/90cm) was doing better lower down than rainy Klosters (15/90cm). They share the same higher skiing where pistes are still good. St Moritz (150/330cm) was good with powder off- piste. Verbier (30/125cm) was struggling lower down as was Zermatt (15/220cm). The latter, like nearby Saas Fee (75/230cm), had hard pistes. Wengen (5/70cm) was disappointing, with pistes softening.
USA: Is the place to be for late skiing. These report depths are only from resorts with 'excellent' skiing on all pistes down to base, among which are Breckenridge (140/190cm) in Colorado; Heavenly (105/200cm) and Mammoth (300/330cm) in California; Snowbird (215/245cm) in Utah; Taos (245/ 268cm) in New Mexico and Killington (88/225cm) in Vermont. Others with 'excellent' higher pistes but only 'good' resort runs include Aspen (121/165cm) and Winter Park (175/196cm) in Colorado and Jackson Hole (152/163cm) in Wyoming.
On the slopes: Cameron Diaz, was spotted in Val d'Isère's four-star hotel, Le Blizzard.
Best skiing: La Rosière, France linked with La Thuile in Italy, seven nights chaletboard in Chalet Mamiray, flying from Gatwick on Saturday 31 March, £295pp sharing. Ski Olympic (01709 579 999).
• The AITO directory of ski firms, whose reps help with this report, is available free by calling 020 8607 9080.
