At mid-mountain in Méribel, 2,000 m, you can count on snow over the holidays: both Christmases without natural snow came right at the start of the record, 1986/87 and 1988/89. After that there were no misses, and in the second half of the record, 1999/2000–2013/14, there was snow at Christmas and New Year in all 15 winters (in the first half, 13 of 15). On this count Méribel beats 80% of ski resorts in France.
The weak spot: the lower runs
The trouble starts further down. The lowest run, 1,132 m, was snowy in only 12 Christmases out of the 30 winters 1984/85–2013/14, and skiing to the bottom over the holidays often depends on snowmaking. Up top, at 2,920 m, all 30 were snowy, and continuous natural snow cover in a typical winter lasts from 1 December to 8 May. Its neighbours in the Three Valleys (Les 3 Vallées) look similar: Courchevel scores 29 of 30 at 1,900 m, and Val Thorens at 2,500 m all 30. These numbers describe the climate of past winters, not a forecast (methodology). At Christmas, Méribel works if you ski from mid-mountain upwards.