Where to head for the remainder of the ski season

Just a few weeks of the ski season remain and if you’re planning to squeeze in some time on the slopes you’ll have to choose your resort quite carefully. Although this has been a great winter for snowfall in the Alps, spring-like conditions mean it will quickly turn to slush in many places. That said, there are several resorts that remain snow-sure at least until the middle of April – you just need to know where to find them.

Aim high

If you’re planning to ski in the Alps, ideally you should be looking at high resorts, preferably above 2000 metres, with a glacier. Those that are most likely to be snow-sure late in the season include Courchevel 1850, Tignes, Val d’Isere and Val Thorens in France, Cervinia in Italy, Zermatt and Saas Fee in Switzterland or Ischgl, Obergurgl and Lech-Zurs in Austria.

Inghams (www.inghams.co.uk) has 7-nights half-board at the 4-star Hotel Festkogel in Obergurgl from £640pp, including flights departing on April 12, or seven nights half-board at the 4-star Hotel Albona in Ischgl from £758pp including flights departing on April 5.

Crystal Ski (www.crystalski.co.uk) has 7-nights half-board in the Club Hotel La Collina from £499 pp in Saas Fee including flights and transfers, departing on April 12. Kids travel, stay and ski for free.

Go west

Cross the Atlantic to the Rockies and you’ll find some of the best conditions anywhere in the world. Vail, one of the highest resorts in the US, should have good snow right till the last day of the season. Package prices are steep compared to the Alps, but with the excellent sterling/dollar exchange rate, your holiday cash will go further. Ski Dream (www.skidream.com) has 7-nights self-catering at the Evergreen Lodge from £775pp, including flights.

Banff in the Canadian Rockies is another good bet for spring skiing, because it is generally very cold so the snow stays around for longer, and there’s also lots to do away from the slopes, including canyon walks, snow-shoeing and wildlife viewing. Thomson Ski (www.thomsonski.co.uk) has 7-nights self-catering in the Bow View Lodge Hotel from £565pp, including flights, departing on April 12.

Head north

For an all-round winter wonderland experience, try Scandinavia. Resorts in the Arctic, such as Ruka in Finnish Lapland, offer pretty much guaranteed snow until early May, though most tour operators only sell them until mid-April. Although downhill skiing is pretty limited, resorts also offer cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, ice fishing and a whole range of other activities. Thomson Ski has 7-nights self-catering in the Ruka Cottages, with private saunas, from £369pp, including flights, departing on April 13.

…or book at the last minute

Savvy skiers only book a few days before they go, having first checked which resorts have the best conditions. You can find out what the slopes are like on websites like www.welove2ski.com and www.snow-forecast.com. Once you know where’s good, check out late deals on websites like lastminute.com, igluski.com and ifyouski.com. For families, www.esprit-ski.co.uk has some pretty spectacular late deals.

You could be even more canny and book a budget flight now to one of the gateways to the Alps, such as Geneva, Grenoble or Lyons, and leave your choice of resort until the last minute when you’ve checked the conditions. Try easyjet (www.easyjet.com), flybe (www.flybe.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com). For accommodation, try www.holiday-rentals.co.uk, www.chaletsdirect.com and www.alpine-encounters.com.