Peter Hardy's snow patrol: Where and when to ski over Christmas and the New Year

By PETER HARDY Having a ball: The snow is falling thick and fast in Europe and north AmericaSnow depths across both Europe and north America are above average for the first week of December and prospects look promising for the Christmas holidays. But a word of caution: a thaw is expected in some parts of the Alps this week, with rain falling below 2,500m and most resorts still yet to open. If