The high pressure has really settled in the last few days, with consistent sunshine and, luckily, cooler temperatures. The wind we had above 2000 metres has packed the snow really tightly into a solid base, and the valley bottom has stayed cold and snow laden. It started to warm up a bit further up the valley today, but due to a temperature inversion it is colder in town still. Bring on the next storm...
Chamonix 14 December 2007
After the big snow fall of the beginning of the week, the good weather is back to Chamonix, but the temperatures are very low. The snow starts to stabilise and doesn't melt at all. These are the perfect conditions to built a good snow base layer that will stay through all winter and spring.
Chamonix 10 December 2007
Still dumping in the Chamonix valley...
This monday, there looks to be around 10-15cms settled in Chamonix town, and over a foot further up the valley. The mountains will be in good shape now! Lots of wind up high, so big windslab danger...
Chamonix 3 December 2007
Early this morning it started snowing. Hard and fast. By 13:00hrs there was 40 cm of heavy, thick, wet snow. You don't want to ski off-piste on this stuff, it's like wading. But it is the best snow for the base. It's like concrete, packs down hard, has no weak layers and if the temperature rises, it doesn't thin out much. Right now, this is ideal and more of the same is only good news. The pistes will be in great condition after this dump. More soon.
Chamonix 21 November 2007
11:30am Foehn in Chamonix Town (1032m). Up in Argentiere the foehn was being pushed back by a NNW wind. At 08:00am it was raining at 1360m, by 09:00am it was snowing. By 11am all precipitation had stopped.
Chamonix 20 November 2007
Chamonix is experiencing a strong Foehn. The temperatures in Chamonix town (1035m) reached a high of 3°C today. At 1360m it never went above zero. The light snow has packed down well. We are due some more snow. Ideally, we will not have a hard freeze just prior to the next snowfall, so the new snow binds well with the first layer of the base.
It's early days, but right now, the preparation for the winter could not be any better.
Chamonix 19 November 2007
The temperature in Chamonix is 3°C. The snow is melting and we need this to happen. The snow that fell last week was very light. This does not make a good base. The warmer temperature will pack down the snow, making a solid base. The snow depth will reduce, so those statistics will not look so impressive, but that does not matter at this stage. A firm base, with low air content, is much more valuable.
Chamonix 17 November 2007
Dru from Flegere
The 2007-8 Chamonix ski season starts today, Saturday the 17th November!! The Flegere Telepherique is operating today and tomorrow. Exactly what is open up there, we are not sure, but Steve will be making his first report this evening..... so all will be revealed.
We have beautiful blue skies for the second day running, but it is cold out there.....!
Chamonix 15 November 2007
The snow stopped falling by 10pm on the 14th Nov. At 1360m there is 50cm of light powder. Today the skies are clearing. Flegere will be open this weekend! This snowfall has deposited almost a meter of fine light powder at 2000m. We need the temperatures to rise and pack down the powder into the beginnings solid base. Temperatures are not forecast to go over 3°C for the next ten days but wind speeds are very low, so we won't loose what we've got. Bring on the fœhn! (Did I really write that?!)
Chamonix 14 November 2007
Late on the Tuesday 13th November, snow started falling heavily, right down to 500m. By day break on the 14th, 40cm had fallen at 1360m.
Snow has continued to fall steadily throughout the morning. More snow forecast through to tomorrow afternoon. (15th Nov)
Chamonix 11 November 2007
The winter season got under-way with light snow falls on the 9, 10 & 11 November. Snow canon have been operating since the beginning of the month.
Dru from Flegere
