La Plagne in December
Is La Plagne good in December: If you’re looking to take an early-season ski trip, there can be few better choices than La Plagne ski resort. La Plagne Paradiski features high, snow-sure pistes spread over the world’s third-biggest ski area (when taken with Les Arcs). Nonetheless, you should bear in mind conditions can vary from year to year in all ski resorts – a trend that has become increasingly more prevalent in recent years.
Below is our guide to the most typical conditions in La Plagne in December, including video reports from previous seasons to give you a better idea of what to expect As with all snow trips, the best advice is to check the La Plagne piste and conditions updates for the most recent information. If you’re booking a last-minute trip, you’ll also find weather forecast links in the guide below.
Note: La Plagne 360 guides are human-written, not generated by ChatGPT or similar AI software.
La Plagne weather – a basic guide
The Jet Stream is hugely influential in La Plagne’s weather and, in a typical year with a typical Jet Stream, this meteorological phenomenon brings the majority of the resort’s snow. Read more about the Jet Stream effect on La Plagne’s weather. Sure, snow can come from other directions and sources (for example, from a Retour d’Est) but a strong, healthy Jet Stream will always result in a good winter. The maths of this is very simple – moisture-laden winds barrel into the continent off the Atlantic. As this moisture hits the mountains, it is forced upwards, condensing into clouds and resulting in precipitation (a process that’s also known as orographic lift). This explains why the windward sides of mountains usually get the most snow. In an average season, La Plagne receives 508cm of snow spread over 45 snowfall days culminating in an average snow depth of 215cm.
December in La Plagne – typical snow conditions
Is La Plagne snow-sure in December? November into December usually sees important base-building snowfalls for Alpine areas. These early falls are vitally important to help set up resorts for the coming months. Looking at averages taken over the last ten years, December has been the second-snowiest month in La Plagne with a mean total of 115cm of snow, typically falling over nine days culminating in an average base of 57cm.
What is the effect of La Plagne snow cannon and resort height on snow in December? La Plagne has a reported 600 snow cannons which pump out snow day and night in the season build-up to ensure good cover – especially around the higher resorts. However, in the early season, you should aim to find accommodation around the 2000m mark for optimal conditions as the lower areas can be a little less predictable. Indeed, in previous years, the valley villages opened one week later anyway. Aim for the high alpine stations like Plagne Villages, Plagne Soleil, Plagne 1800, Plagne Centre, Aime 2000, Plagne Bellecôte and Belle Plagne. It’s also worth remembering 70% of La Plagne’s pistes lie above 2000m so, in terms of being snow-sure, few resorts come close. Read this guide for people new to La Plagne for more information on the best, most snow-sure and most convenient villages.
What are the typical snow conditions in La Plagne in December – useful links
OnTheSnow historical snowfall for La Plagne
Snow Forecast historical snowfall for La Plagne
Ski Weather EU historical snowfall for La Plagne
The weather forecast for La Plagne
La Plagne live piste and lift conditions
December in La Plagne – typical weather
How is the weather in La Plagne in December? As mentioned above, December is the second-snowiest month in La Plagne so you should expect at least some snowfall. Of course, inclement weather also brings fresh snow and powder turns – but anyway, these early falls are super important for the resort to build a reliable base to last through the rest of the winter. That said, there are almost always some sunny days through December so you should get a healthy mix of both.
What is the typical weather in La Plagne in December – useful links
The weather forecast for La Plagne
La Plagne live piste and lift conditions
December in La Plagne – how busy?
Is La Plagne busy in December? There’s something quite special about the first few days in La Plagne, seeing the resort get ready to welcome the crowds and watching the stations slowly come alive after their down-season slumber. The first and final weeks of the season are by far the quietest times in La Plagne – so much so, you’ll often find yourself riding deserted pistes with zero queues. Of course, this changes considerably as the Christmas holidays start. The resort stations transform over Christmas and New Year (the Saturday transfer days before each can be an eye-opener). As you might expect, the holiday periods are easily the busiest in this, already the world’s most popular ski area and also the most visited. If you can choose when you holiday and would prefer to ride quieter runs with lower queues, there are convincing arguments to avoid La Plagne over the festive period.
How busy is La Plagne in December – useful links
Guide to avoiding school holidays in La Plagne
Making the most of a busy La Plagne
Where are the quietest areas in La Plagne
Where are the busiest areas in La Plagne
La Plagne live roads and conditions
December in La Plagne – typical temperatures
How cold is La Plagne in December? While December is far from the coldest month in La Plagne, you should still prepare for frequent sub-zero temperatures. According to data gathered over the last 15 years, the average temps at the higher resort stations vary between minimum av -5.8′ and maximum av -4.0′ – although fluctuations can happen either way and spikes are common (up to almost 10′ and as low as -20′). Factor in the ever-present chance of snow showers and it’s clear to see you’ll want to bring adequate outerwear and night clothing. See our ski / snowboard holiday packing guide for more information and a downloadable checklist of what to bring.
What are the typical temperatures in La Plagne in December – useful links
The weather forecast for La Plagne
La Plagne live piste and lift conditions
December in La Plagne – holiday prices
Is a La Plagne ski holiday expensive in December? If you’re looking to get an early snow fix, you can find some incredible deals in the week before Christmas – particularly on flights and accommodation. Also, the La Plagne lift company often offers lift pass deals in the pre-Christmas week meaning your holiday could get even cheaper. This changes somewhat when the festive period hits and prices inevitably rise as the kids break up from school. However, while you may think a busy resort automatically transfers into exorbitant holiday prices, Christmas and New Year are still markedly cheaper than the peak February mid-terms.
What are typical La Plagne ski holiday prices in December – useful links
La Plagne ski holiday accommodation
La Plagne all-inclusive holidays
La Plagne ski holiday transfers
December in La Plagne transfers and roads – how busy?
Are La Plagne roads busy in December? At the very start of the season, the roads are quiet and the only traffic you’re likely to encounter will be from seasonnaires arriving to get settled in the resort or trucks delivery trucks supplying the local shops and restaurants. Clearly, the traffic ramps up significantly as the Christmas period gets underway. The Saturday transfer day before Christmas and New Year will usually see issues on the roads – particularly if these days coincide with bad weather. Normally you’ll see congestion forming on the roads as early as Albertville and this will increase as you draw onto the narrower mountain roads around Moûtiers. You may also run into problems on the hill road from Aime – especially if drivers forget snow chains on snowy days. One semi-solution to avoiding the worst travel woes is to take the train (see guide below for instructions from Geneva and Chambéry) – although you should remember you’ll still need to make the final leg to the resort by bus or taxi. Nonetheless, taking the train will see you glide past drivers stuck in queues on the often-rammed roads. Click here for La Plagne by train schedules and online booking.
What are typical La Plagne December roads and transfers conditions – useful links
La Plagne live roads and conditions
La Plagne typical transfer times
What is La Plagne snow like in December?
Season 2019/2020
The start of the 2019/20 season saw great early snow through November – so much so that La Plagne broke with tradition and had an early weekend opening one week before the scheduled start of the season. In recent years, early snow through November and December has often been followed by a relative calm through the middle half of the month.
Video of La Plagne weather in December
Season 2019/2020
The video above gives a good idea of how the weather can vary dramatically across La Plagne in December. Despite forecasts to the contrary suggesting a snowy day, the weather broke giving great early-season turns on fresh snow.
A guide to the pre-opening week in La Plagne
Season 2018/2019
A video showing La Plagne the week before the official opening. At this point in the year, the resort is very quiet but slowly begins to awaken after the down-season autumnal break. This edit also shows the extensive snow-making across the resort in the build-up to opening day as all the gradual increase in natural base. Filmed across Belle Plagne at 2050m.
Are La Plagne pistes quiet in early December?
Season 2018/2019
A video showing the first day of the season in La Plagne and how quiet the pistes tend to be in the first week(s). This edit also shows the typical early-season cover – normally a mix of the natural base that’s already accumulated and the extensive man-made snow that is so prevalent in the pre-season. Filmed mostly on the Plagne Bellecôte pistes.
Sunny and snowy days in December, La Plagne
Season 2018/2019
Video showing the fresh powder turns that can be so frequently bagged early season in a very quiet La Plagne on the run-up to the Christmas holidays. Footage filmed mostly around Bellecôte showing the typical mix of sunny and snowy days you can expect in December.
Very quiet pistes in the pre-Christmas week in La Plagne
Season 2018/2019
The run-up to the festive period in La Plagne usually sees deserted pistes and a mix of snowy / sunny days. This video filmed mostly around the Bellecôte sector including Roche de Mio shows the extent of cover and type of snow that is common around the higher La Plagne resorts in mid-December before the festive crowds arrive.
December La Plagne snow conditions
Season 2017/2018
The epic 2017 / 18 saw incredible early-season conditions across la Plagne with frequent heavy dumps of snow – a trend that would continue as the winter progressed. Filmed mostly in Plagne Soleil and runs around Roche de Mio and Champagny.
La Plagne December ski holidays – the takeout
Taking a trip to any ski resort in the very early season can be a bit of a lottery but with La Plagne’s height, snowfall record and extensive snow-making facilities, the risks are minimised considerably. To be on the safe side, you should aim to stay in the higher resorts rather than in the lower villages – and this has become increasingly important in recent years with the worrying trend for higher temperatures in the valley stations. However, if you stick high around the 2000m mark, you should have absolutely no issues. As ever, check the conditions first for complete peace of mind.
La Plagne month-by-month snow and conditions
To get a better idea of what to expect from your La Plagne ski holiday, check our other snow and conditions guides that detail typical snow and conditions month by month: La Plagne in January, La Plagne in February, La Plagne in March and La Plagne in April. There’s also an abbreviated, shorter version at when is the best time to ski in La Plagne.
La Plagne suitability by skill level
If you’re wondering if La Plagne is the right resort for your level of skiing or snowboarding, take a look at these guides that outline the advantages and disadvantages of a La Plagne holiday, split by skill level.
Is La Plagne good for beginners?
Is La Plagne good for intermediates?
Is La Plagne good for experts?
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