Val d'Isere Snow Report: 16th March 2015

Some forecasts are still calling for massive dumps to arrive early this week, but the 1-2metres of snow they predicted last week looks unlikely at this point.

Monday morning started out as a whiteout over on the Tignes side of Espace Killy, with high winds and poor visibility. About 5-8cms of fresh snow had fallen overnight so there was some fun powdery sections to be found on the sides of the pistes. Because of the cold temperatures in the last couple days, the soft and loose snow was quickly pushed to the side of the runs or made into moguls. With the help of the wind pushing the snow, many large sections of hard icy snow quickly became visible on the busier runs.

Knowing there was a bit of new snow, my Canadian friends and I decided to head over to Le Fornet in Val D'Isère to find some trees, shelter from the wind and better visibility. In Canada, we are used to skiing/riding in trees, as the majority of our resorts are at a lower elevation. After making our way across the Espace Killy through extremely high winds and freezing temperatures, we finally made it to the far side of the resort. The conditions on the runs were similar as we make our journey across - fresh wind blown snow on top of an icy hard pack.

Once we arrived in the trees, the conditions did not disappoint. Although the wind was still howling, the snow was coming down in buckets. The secret is out - all the snow has been falling in Fornet! Or at least the wind is pushing it there. Either way, we found loads of untouched, knee to waist-deep powder just waiting for us. We couldn't believe our luck! The snow was quite heavy and thick, so naturally we all took a few tumbles and nose dives. All that windy weather was definitely worth it for a few afternoon laps in fresh powder.

When we made it back to the Tignes side of the resort, the sun had come out and there wasn't s snowflake to be seen! Although the two resorts are linked, remember that the conditions in Val D'Isère and Tignes can often be totally different. Lesson of the day? Sometimes the grass IS greener on the other side and it's always worth exploring!

Now looking forward for the rest of the week, it's difficult to say how much snow Val d'Isere will actually get. The more accurate weather websites are calling for up to 10cms of fresh snow on Monday and another 10cms on Tuesday. After the snowfall early in the week, we can expect the springtime conditions to return to Tignes with temperature highs ranging from 1-5 degrees Celsius well into the weekend. Once again, we can get back to working on our goggle tans as we will see sunshine and clear skies until after Sunday.

Due to the high winds over the last couple days, be aware that there are some seriously wind blown areas across the resort. You will come across some icy patches that are directly in the wind, but also areas where all the snow has collected in more protected areas that will feel like fresh powder. At the end of the day, always be cautious on runs like Trolles, Double M and La Face as they are the busiest and become the most icy.

Spring conditions will definitely be back laster this week. Last week lots of people could be seen enjoying the sun on the slopes and setting up to picnic just off the side of the run. When the sun comes back, I recommend packing a lunch and sitting down with your friends at a nice viewpoint for a bite to eat away from the crowds. Maybe even climb up into the Eye of the Needle for a nice photo op?

The avalanche danger has been down at level 1 and 2 this week, but the risk of naturally occurring avalanches is still quite high. Please be advised that even when the danger level is low, you can still trigger an avalanche. Be aware of sunny east, west and south facing slopes due to the heavy, humid snow.

Enjoy the slopes and remember it's never too late to pray for snow!