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Val d'Isere Snow Report: 8th April 2013

A confusing spring...

featured in Snow report Author Justine Mulliez, Val d'Isere Reporter Updated 24 October 2014

We’ve been confused about the weather and the snow conditions before, but not like this. It has only taken us a week though to realise that our new decision to base our attires entirely on the happenings outside was a terrible idea. After getting caught in tights in -15 degree weather or in a huge puffy jacket in 10-degree weather, we just gave up altogether. Then we figured it out - it is officially spring in Espace Killy!

The last three days are perfect examples of the phenomenon known as springtime here. First, we woke up to some serious snowflake action. Pulling back the curtains early on Saturday morning, we were more than excited. With clouds hanging low on each mountain face, our eyes were fighting for their lives as snowflakes the size of chips took on our faces while heading to the bus stop. It was only during this trek that we realized just how unbearably hot it was outside. Not only were the massive flakes not sticking to the ground, but our many powder layers were far too heavy for a day like that. The ground itself was now melting! No more snow on the streets, and just some serious concrete. So we did what anyone else in our overly hot, heavy, and unseeing position would do, we went skiing for the first time in 9 years (we're boarders you see) and stuck around the Village and Rogoney lift.

The next day, we woke up in clouds, literally. With the shifts in humidity and temperatures (and a bunch more complicated terms a seasonnaire rarely comes across), a huge cloud of fog had roled into Val d’Isère, bringing with it some seriously wet and bone chilling winds from the valley. It was decided, we would rest up for the week and not go riding that day. Our lazy day was amazing, truly amazing, until we had the pleasure of waking up at 1 or 2 pm only to find an absolutely gorgeous day. The sun had pierced through the cloud, the humidity had lifted, and the winds had died down, all while we were sleeping. While it was awesome to wake up, it was a little less awesome to found out that it had been a gorgeous day from the minute our heads hit our pillow for this morning nap.

Today was another test altogether as the weather remained so consistently poor, we were surprised to be comfortable in the kits we had left our houses with. Seeing as the snow has been really soft lately due to the increasing spring temperatures and that we can’t see too much with the poor visibility, we decided to come in early, and mourn another weather shift with a Red Erik in Le Petit Danois. And while we meant to stop at one beer, when you have their all-day breakfast, you always end up having a couple more. Although, let’s face it; how can we feel guilty? When you can only hope for some sunshine or some serious snowfall, one should stay occupied with some serious drinking. The weather made us do it!

For the sake of our livers, we’re just hoping that the weather gods realize that a spring with some sunshine could do all of us, goggle tans and all, some serious good.