Skip to main content
SeeValdIsere

Val d'Isere Snow Report: 29th November 2015

The opening weekend for Val d'Isere's ski lifts

featured in Snow report Author Wayne Watson, Val d'Isere Reporter Updated

I arrived back in Val d’Isere Thursday afternoon, the 26th and was pleasantly surprised by the blanket of snow covering the village. It’s definitely the best early-season snow that we’ve had for a few years and it makes for a very promising start to the season.

Ten days ago there was very little snow to speak of with unseasonably warm temperatures, which prohibited the use of the extensive snow cannons that cover the resort from top-to-bottom. Fortunately it has snowed approximately one metre and with the temperatures dropping significantly the snow cannons have been working feverishly to lay down a sufficient base for the new season.

The resort opened today along with the liaison to Tignes, and after last year’s very limited start this is seriously good news for all the early season skiers and snowboarders who ritually come out to celebrate the opening of the new season. The pistes were in great shape with excellent coverage and apart from the Manchet/Arcelle sector and the Aiguille Percee sector in Tignes, most of the major runs were open.

My colleagues and I skied off-piste all morning and we had a fantastic ski with lovely powder and just enough coverage to pick-and-chose our lines. Caution is needed off-piste as the gullies are severe and there are holes and dips everywhere (terrain traps) so good visibility is recommended.

Tonight’s forecast is for -9C in the village with clear skies.

Sunday Low of-7C  H -1c with snow and northerly wind of 5 kph gusting to 60 kph

Monday L-5C  H +3C Sunny with SE wind of 5kph gusting to 60 kph

Tuesday L-6 C H +4C Sunny with N wind of 5kph gusting to 50 kph

Wednesday L -6C  H +8C Partially cloudy with SE wind of 5 kph

The warming trend will not be good news for the operation of the snow cannons but it will help enormously to stabilise the snow-pack off-piste. 

Follow more from Wayne in his blog

Location

Map of the surrounding area