A late-season avalanche killed two skiers and their guide in the French Alps near the Italian border on Tuesday, local officials said.

The avalanche struck in the Albaron area, at an altitude of 3,000 metres, Cyril Anceau, head of a police mountain rescue unit in the nearby city of Albertville, told BFMTV.

"Unfortunately, the three victims have been found dead," Anceau said. "The death toll is definitive. The search is over."

The three were headed towards Col du Greffier, the mayor said.

Anceau said the weather was fine on Tuesday but there had been recent snowfalls in the area, which may have caused the avalanche that slammed the skiers onto a rocky ridge.

The authorities have not yet released the names or nationalities of the victims.