Morzine Snow Report: 14th March 2013

Looking out the window, it looks like it’s setting in for the day as well. Tuesday, by all accounts (I was ill so unable to hit the mountain) offered some amazing conditions. We’ve had a few dustings of snow overnight over the last few days so the skiing really has been pretty good.

Monday was an amazing morning to hit the hill. Around 20 centimeters of fresh powder were sitting on the piste in the morning on top of a perfectly groomed corduroy piste. You had to get there quickly to make the most of it though and I felt rather sorry for the skiers and snowboarders side slipping slalom courses in Morgins for their end of season assessments. It did not look pleasant, and the course looked like sheet ice by midday. That said, the power snow was epic and a lot of people, myself included, had a great day, the afternoon even cleared to blue skies!

Tuesday saw more snow overnight, and offered some truly magical conditions both on and off piste. Unfortunately this was the start of my stomach bug so I missed it. The off-piste conditions were reportedly revitalized and they had another break of sunshine in the afternoon. I wish I hadn’t missed it. Yesterday, Wednesday, was not quite so great, at least on the Swiss side. I was over that way giving a friend a lift to work in the morning, and a thick fog was sitting over the valley in Morgins. It stretched right to the top of the valley and reached over into the French side as well. A group of skiers braved the conditions above Chatel and said if they hadn’t had a guide they would have been completely lost. You couldn’t see anything there. Although earlier in the morning, the Pres La Joux end of Chatel looked clear. The conditions were definitely mixed.

This morning is forecast to be clear at the top of Avoriaz. There is still a sprinkling of snow falling lower down and in Les Gets it reportedly cleared for a moment of two, but the cloud coved consumed all again very quickly. The forecast is for light snow this afternoon, and snow showers overnight combined with temperatures dropping as far as -30 with wind chill caused by some strong winds higher up and the freezing level dropping as far as ground zero this morning and over night. It should sit at around two hundred meters this afternoon so it isn’t going to be warm.

Tomorrow (Friday) should see similar temperatures during the day, and the same wind speeds but these should drop down over night. There might be a little cloud in the morning, but is should be clear for the rest of the day, which, unfortunately will keep the temperatures cold. The cloud cover rolls back in for Saturday and although there’s still some wind about the temperatures are on the rise under a blanket of cloud. There should be some light snow overnight too. Sunday should see the wind pick up again, to around fifty kilometers per hour at the top in the afternoon, so there could be a few wind induced lift closures. There should also be light snow all day getting heavier into the evening but this is going to be very wind blown, and if you’re heading off piste after this beware of wind slabs.

Monday should see the continuing dump of snow, and the winds dropping briefly in the afternoon offering some calmer conditions before it picks up again over night, and into Tuesday with more snow on the cards. Sunday is looking like the warmest point on the temperature charts before things drop off again and start to get cooler so remember your thermals, with a possible high of -1 this week, it’s going to be cold!

Over the next few days, remember to wrap up warm, and take that sunscreen, as you never know! Try and avoid the highest points when the wind hits it’s highest speeds and make sure you don’t get caught out and stuck in any other resorts. It’s an expensive taxi ride home!

Enjoy the fresh snow; I know I’m going to!

Bon ski!