British skiers face a GREEN Christmas: Thousands face disruption as Alps resorts suffer poorest start to the season for 40 years

Thousands of British families due to leave the UK for a traditional Alpine skiing break next weekend are facing the prospect of a green Christmas.

Many resorts across the Alps and Pyrenees had already pushed back their opening weekends from December 6 until December 13 after unusually warm temperatures caused early snowfall in November to melt across resorts in France, Austria and Italy.

But yesterday skiers at the French resort of Les Arcs - which makes up half of the giant Paradiski skiing domain - found green meadows or slopes dusted with just a light covering of snow where inches of snowfall would usually have fallen by now.

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Heading for the mountains: Skiers at the French resort of Les Arcs (file picture) - which makes up half of the giant Paradiski skiing domain - found green meadows or slopes dusted with just a light covering of snow

At Les Arcs, which is made up of four resort villages, only one lift was in operation. 

Skiers were being bussed in from the resorts of Arc 1600, Arc 1800 and Arc 1950 to Arc 2000, where a single 0.6-mile (1km) piste was in operation.

The resort’s daily ski report yesterday said the nearest fresh snow had fallen 77 miles (124km) away.

One Briton, who owns a ski chalet in Arc 2000, said: ‘There is green and brown land visible all the way up the mountain which would normally be covered in snow.

‘Even Mont Blanc doesn’t look itself. There’s snow on the peak but it doesn’t look anywhere near as plentiful as usual.’

The skier, who did not want to be identified, added: ‘Some of the runs here are grey, with just a dusting of powder, rather than the glistening white scene which is normal at this time of the year.’

Locals blamed a freakishly warm November which melted an early winter snow dump at the lower resorts, and a shortage of atmospheric weather depressions which had brought few new snowfalls - even after the weather in the higher resorts dropped to the sub-zero temperatures which are normal for this time of year.

In Arc 2000 - the four resorts are loosely named after the approximate altitude of each village - it is said by locals to be the worst conditions at the start of a ski season in 40 years.

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Put back: Earlier this month, travel experts urged holidaymakers not to panic over the delayed opening to resorts such as Courchevel (left) and Meribel (right, file pictures)

Ski instructor Philippe Arnauld said: ‘At the moment it is just about okay because the start of the season is never that busy, but from next weekend the resorts will be full for Christmas and New Year.