A lack of snow has forced Alpine ski resorts to postpone the opening of swathes of slopes.
The conditions have raised the prospect of disruption for British families who have booked skiing holidays this month, The Times reported.
French weather office Météo France predicts snowfalls in the Alps before Christmas, but forecasters cannot say in what quantity.
Experts noted that there was more snow in Scotland than on the Alps.
Many resorts had planned to open last weekend, but delayed opening for seven days in the absence of snow. Others are only partially open.
Only about a third of the slopes are open at Tignes and only 11 out of 97 at Courchevel.
The ski season begins in earnest next weekend but there are predictions of chaos if the conditions fail to change before then with holidaymakers left scrambling for lifts up the few available slopes, the newspaper reported.
“The resorts are desperately looking for snow,” said Le Dauphiné Libéré, the regional daily.
Pierre Lestas, who manages the ski lifts at La Clusaz, said: “At the moment we don’t have enough snow to open the slopes. We need a further 20cm.”
Didier Beuque, director of the slopes at Villard-de-Lans resort, said: “We have a little snow, but not enough to offer quality holidays. We are just hoping that we get some more. This situation is very worrying.”
Locals in La Rosière said they had not seen so little snow at this time of the year since 1962.
The World Cup for cross-country skiing was due to be held in La Clusaz last week, but it was cancelled for lack of snow. The event is now being held in Davos, in Switzerland, instead.
Météo France said that 2014 would be among the three hottest years recorded in France since 1900.