January in Morzine: What's on and weather
Quiet slopes, great atmosphere and some special events
It’s a new year and the town and slopes are quieter, it’s one of the best times to visit.
After the Christmas holidays are over, January is the quietest part of the main winter season in Morzine. This means you have the slopes to yourselves, rarely have to queue for a lift and can enjoy pistes in great condition.
The quiet conditions on the mountain don’t translate to quiet nights in the town. There are fewer families and more adult visitors, meaning it can be easier to get a table at a restaurant, and the bars are buzzing with plenty of live music and party nights to keep you entertained whilst you warm your hands on a glass of vin chaud.
Read on for a look at what we like to do in resort throughout January.
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What are the weather and snow conditions like
There is regular snowfall - on average six days - and subzero temperatures keep it nice and fresh. In January the average daytime temperatures generally fall between a high of 3°C and a low of -3ºC, getting around five hours of sunshine. Definitely pack those thermals!
What's on in Morzine in January?
Morzine weekly market
On Wednesdays, a market is held in the Carrefour car park, in the centre of town. Morzine has a long tradition as a market town dating back 1,000 years and anyone wanting to try some local produce, in particular the cheeses that the French Alps specialise in, should pay it a visit.
Ice hockey
The Morzine-Avoriaz Penguins ice hockey team games take place at the Skoda Arena just below the suspension bridge in town.
Comedy comes to the mountains
Les Gets Comédie takes place in Les Gets and is the only comedy festival to feature French and English comedians. Award winning international stand up comedians take the stage to entertain you.
Skiing
With all those empty pistes, no lift queues and perfect conditions, we like to get out into the mountains on our skis and snowboards as much as possible.
If you visit the resort in January you can buy a lift pass and join one of the local ski schools' many ski or snowboard lessons taking place around the resort.
Things to do
Alternative winter sports
It doesn't just have to be piste based adventures you take part in. Ski-touring and split-boarding have become extremely popular in recent years, and there's nothing that gets the heart pumping like gaining altitude under your own steam. When it's a 'white out' you'll find us changing tack entirely, pulling on some raquettes (snowshoes) and venturing forth into the wilderness on one of the many snowshoeing routes around the valley, all the while dreaming of tomorrow's bluebird powder day.
Bars and clubs
Live music
At this time of the season we are looking forward to some live music sessions, whether from local bands or even one of the open mike nights and jam sessions that the local bars often hold. So, whether you fancy yourself an Adele, Bob Dylan or a Satriani, there's definitely somewhere you can 'entertain' the crowds.
Of course, that's if we've made it home from one of the many après-ski events taking place every evening across town.
More inspiration...
This is only a small selection of the events taking place in Morzine during the first month of the year. Take a look at our events calendar for a full rundown and to find some accommodation for your stay.
