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Val d'Isere Snow Report: 6th December 2011

Winter is here!

featured in Snow report Author Debbie Priestley, Val d'Isere Reporter Updated

Well, winter seems to have finally kicked off here in Espace Killy. Over the last two days the snow gods smiled upon us and, as you can see from the pictures, magic happened.

The snow has been falling constantly and Tignes and Val d'Isere now actually look like ski villages, once again. Over-night we had maybe 30 centimeters of snow in the village and more at the top. It was like waking up in a real winter wonderland. This did mean that even mere pistes were closed as the ‘pisteurs’ dealt with the snow. In Val d’Isere, only the Solaise area was open for skiing today, but the snow was out of this world. Over in Tignes and the situation was similar. No new pistes were open, but in the next couple of days we should see a lot of the Espace Killy opening up.

The snow kept falling all day, there was the occasional break but, in the main, it was magical. At the top of the mountain, there was around 80 centimetres of fresh snow. It’s what we’ve been waiting for. Europe might actually have a good winter now!

The weather forecast is for between 10 and 40 centimetres of snow tomorrow at the top, and only a little less at resort height. In fact snow is forecast all this week to some degree, with sun only returning slightly towards next weekend. The temperatures are due to be pretty low, so pack your thermals, and it is quite wet in resort. I’ve taken to wandering around in salopettes and an old pair of snowboard boots because my trainers and walking boots were getting soaked though.

As I’ve said, the mountain should now start to open up, but be aware of the past conditions and how they are affecting the stability of the new snow. The pistes should be amazing, but there could be a rather nasty layer under the fresh stuff. You can check out the off piste snow conditions on Henry’s Avalanche Talk blog if you’re planning to oustide of the pisted area. A good thing to do is go to one of their talks, whether you’re new to off piste skiing or simply want to refresh your memory. The talks are also advertised on their website.

With continued snow forecast and cooler temperatures, we can safely say winter is here now. Let’s hope it’s here to stay! Next week is the first big arrival week for holidays, and the snow couldn’t have been timed better.

See you on the slopes!