It’s been a mild and mostly sunny week here for the last quiet week on the slopes before the half term crowds arrive. Luckily with the crowds comes the colder weather and it looks like there is snow in the forecast.
Oh my goodness we have a turbulent week of weather coming up. It’s all changing right now, the sunshine has been replaced by cloudier skies and the temperature is dropping although the freezing level is still going to be an issue for the lower slopes. Light snow due tonight over 2300 metres.
We have a north/south divide in the weather and the southern Alps are going to be getting most of the snow due to a Sudstau which is currently intensifying. This will bring moisture from the Mediterranean sea which will result in heavy snowfall. Here in Avoriaz in the northern Alps we have windy and still fairly mild weather, although cooler than last week. Due to an increasing southerly fohn which we will see the effects of mainly on Friday and Saturday.
We are currently predicted to get roughly 9cm of snow between Friday and Sunday and the freezing level will dip down to 1150 metres by Sunday night. It will feel much colder than it has recently with temperatures down to around -4°C on Sunday. Another 6cm of snow is forecast on Monday and the freezing level will be at approximately 1500 metres on Monday evening
The current avalanche risk remains between 1 and 2 out of 5, however when we get new snowfall this will change and the north, north east and north west facing slopes over around 2000 metres that don’t get direct sun will become unstable. The south facing slopes will generally be more stable, partly due to the melt and freeze or a more stable base.
