Val Thorens Snow Report: 29th January 2015

Someone described it last night like Christmas Eve for adults! We waited literally down to the minute, the forecasts these days are so accurate and the countdown was on. With mixed reports between 11pm and 12pm, at 11.23pm it arrived! Geeky or what! Snow is the business out here and with only five months of the year for us to enjoy it then it’s arrival this season has been eagerly anticipated.

Prior to all the snow excitement, the conditions in the Three Valleys this week have pretty nippy, definitely advisable to stay wrapped up toasty. Try to keep skin covered where possible when temperatures are low. It is always useful to invest in a balaclava or neck warmer even if you rarely use it, as when you need it you will be thankful.

The early part of the week saw a cloudy day at around 1400m but after taking a few lifts you could get up above the clouds once again higher up for clearer visibility and a great ski day.

Yesterday the weather was forecast to be clear and there were lots of first lifters. However by early afternoon the snow clouds were eager to get up the valley and the blue sky disappeared, resulting in people opting for vin chaud and hot chocolate stops to navigate the rest of the way down the mountain.

The slopes themselves have been fairly icy this week as a result of the low temperatures and unfortunately the snowfall from last weekend did not have a huge impact. Over the past couple of years quite a few linking tracks in the Three Valleys have cropped up, so that you can avoid steeper sections of the piste if conditions are not quite as they should be. Try to look out for them if you are not so confident on more tricky runs. For example in St Martin, if you head on the track towards Meribel you can actually loop back round on to the red Pramint run missing out the top steeper half. You can then continue onto the blue run Grand Lac by following the linking track. Lower down there are also several more ‘exit’ cat tracks on the left to help you down if you have tired ski legs.

The snow now falling is expected to be constant until early next week and it seems we will finally see a new resort emerging! The downside perhaps for holiday makers is that if the snow does fall in the volume predicted (around 1.5m!) then we could see lift closures. The avalanche risk following snowfall just from last night is already at 4/5. Always check the boards situated in the base of each resort showing which areas are open/closed and also the avalanche risk and any other useful information for the ski day. The Three Valleys is a huge ski area, 600km of piste, so on days where there may be closures it is advisable to stay in your valley as it is an expensive taxi ride to get back home!

The resort is definitely getting busier this week and will be set to continue as we enter February with school holidays starting in Europe. Temperatures are remaining low with a minimum of -8 in Val Thorens and getting down to a very chilly -14. The snowfall is expected to be constant during the weekend so if you are travelling to resort please ensure you are fully equipped and take note of any notices posted on the boards in Moutiers prior to heading up the mountain.

From Monday onwards it is then set to clear with snow forecast just overnight until Wednesday. It seems our wait may just have been worth it!

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Read more 3 Valleys Snow Reports from Meribel & Courchevel.