© Ally MacLeod
© Ally MacLeod
© Ally MacLeod
Morzine Snow Report: 24th February 2015
There’s some fresh, new snow on the ground here in the Portes Du Soleil, about 60cm to be precise!
The much-desired dump of snow that arrived at the weekend was a great start to the week, especially for skiers and snowboarders who had booked their holiday in February hoping that the time of year would bring them some fresh powder.
Holidaymakers in Morzine, Les Gets, Avoriaz and Châtel had bright sunshine and springtime skiing last week - unexpected weather for the middle of February - which was hugely enjoyable for fair weather skiers and children learning to ski and snowboard during their half-term break but perhaps a slight disappointment for those hoping to get some fresh February snow for some off-piste tree lines.
After seeing the snow melt away in Morzine town and become slushy on some of the lower slopes facing the sun all day, locals definitely had a sigh of relief and jumped up for the early lifts when the snow fell this weekend. Around 30cm fell up top in Avoriaz, while enough fell in Morzine and Les Gets to cover the trees once again and give the slopes a fresh new layer. Yesterday the forecasted snow for the day first fell as quite wet, heavy snow, drenching all the skiers and snowboarders out the mountain, but later became the drier, fluffy stuff for some real powder runs. Just under half a metre fell throughout the day and overnight, plenty to keep all varieties of skiers and snowboarders happy this week!
Wednesday looks to be the best day for visibility, so if there’s any day to get those first lifts this is the one. The Fornet bowl in Avoriaz is usually skied out the quickest, and is better on a clear day so make sure you get there first. Off-piste skiers and snowboarders planning some big excursions should do so with knowledgeable and experienced mountain guides who know the safe faces, and should make sure that their transceivers are communicating with each other correctly before setting off. The Stash snowpark with it’s unique wooden rails and wall rides is once again a haven for those who like riding park features in between the powder stashes under the trees. For the days of poor visibility, find some fresh untouched powder and tree lines over in Mt. Chery in Les Gets, or up in the Les Lindarets forest in Avoriaz.
Skiing and snowboarding off-piste is not advised if you don’t have the necessary transceiver, probe and shovel, have never been trained in avalanche safety, and especially not if you are on your own. If you are inexperienced in the backcountry, but want your share of the fresh snow there are some low risk powder runs that are accessible just immediately off the pistes in the Plaine Dranse in Châtel. As long as you remain visible from the pistes, should you get stuck or have any difficult, this area is great place to make your first powder turns without risking avalanches.
[The avalanche risk is currently at 3/5 so high]
