Val d'Isere snow report weather forecast from Henry's Avalanche Talk

Snowpack Conditions & Vid Update

Snow report Feb 28, 2008

There are times when a guy will take anything he can get and now is one of those times for me. Any dusting of snow,… any bits of soft white patches bring joy to my heart these days. It might not be huge dumps or even small dumps yet (although I’m somewhat hopeful for Monday and Tuesday), but it’s something and that is a good thing!

I guess the chance of real snow next week helps my optimism too. And the fact that the snowpack is really stable helps a lot. But Just a reminder for when we really do get more snow: last week and the week before I mentioned a concern I have for the next significant snowfall. This concern is still valid: it is the return and continued build-up of angular crystals, ‘frisette’ and depth hoar on flat and shaded slopes above 2500 due to the cold temps two weeks ago and before (the recent warm temps have not altered their shape, form or existence). The renewed growth of angular grains and depth hoar is not a problem now; in fact it has made for some very nice skiing in some places! But, with the next significant snowfalls (total 30 to 40cm or more in one place), it will be a source of instability under the new snow on shaded slopes that were not subjected to much skier compaction. So that really means in places that were not ‘pisted off-piste’ and more on north-facing/shaded slopes (where most avalanche accidents take place) that have not been skied very much. I have been out off-piste and touring in the last few days - there is definitely a lot of unconsolidated snow around on the types of slopes I just mentioned. It’s starting to make up the whole snowpack in some places.

Tip of the week: If we do get a lot of snow at some point over the next week then watch out for the ‘powder frenzy’. That happens when we haven’t had snow for a while and when it finally comes, we go crazy. Off-piste isn’t dangerous unless you do something foolish and there’s no better scenario for foolish off-piste than when you and you’re your mates go nuts and create a powder frenzy. Take it from someone who has been foolish more than once and been lucky.

‘Ride Hard Ride Safe’!

Henry

PS For more info on snow conditions, courses and updates: see henrysavalanchetalk.com and if you sign up for our e-zine, you will get this snow report by email on Thursday with a whole lot of other useful stuff too.

Avalanche bulletin and weather forecast Savoie

This avalanche translation of the Meteo France avalanche bulletin is produced mainly through an automated translation tool.  Please use it in conjunction with the French bulletin found at the above link.

N73270211
BULLETIN FOR ESTIMATING THE RISK OF AVALANCHES
FOR SAVOIE
Valid off marked and open trails
FOR THURSDAY 28 FEBRUARY 2008
(Drafted Wednesday, February 27)

ESTIMATE OF RISK UNTIL THURSDAY EVENING:
For all the massive LIMIT RISK - Level 2

WEATHER OVERVIEW UNTIL THURSDAY EVENING:
Often veiled but with a little sun in the morning. More cloudy then.

Insulated 0 ° C between 2000 and 2400 meters.
Wind General 3000 meters: WEST NORTHWEST to 20 to 40 tempo. 50 km/h.

SNOW CONDITIONS:
They are a bit below average for the end of February but the layers of snow are still correct with 10 to 90 cm at 1500 meters and 50 to 140 cm at 2000 m.
The limit of the snow skiing is now between 1100 and 1700 meters depending on the mass and exposure.
On the surface, we will find a cycle re-freeze/thaw until around 2200 to more than 2700 meters according to the slopes with a daytime wetting largest below 2200 meters. Everywhere else, we can meet a drier snow locally cardboard or cured by the wind.

STABILITY OF SNOW COVER:
STILL A BIT OF NATURAL ACTIVITY

It rained until around 1800/2200 meters with less than 10 cm of snow above.
The winds from west to north-west elevation (transport possible fresh snow) and especially the resumption of the humidification during the day (after a correct re-freeze) continue to maintain a degree of instability superficial. More in-depth, the snowpack is still dense layers, but some are beginning to move towards a grain of iron, losing a little resistance.

It is expected that many cast of wet snow over the hours, but also a few departures larger car carrying snow up (avalanche background), particularly with exposure to South-West and is particularly below 2200/2500 meters ( "rotting effective" in recent days).
Attention, the evolution of skiing in the snow may become heavy promote drainage.

More than 2200/2500 meters high, a few recent little thick slabs or older and buried lagging locally in the hills north to north-east. Indeed, there are few places vulnerable strata of angular grains that can make the snowpack sensitive to surcharges. Mistrust is called for, especially near the peak or in the corridors steep.

TREND LATER RISK:
Stationary or rising slightly Friday.

Weather updates France this newsletter everyday at 16h.

Harder and harder to find good snow, but still SOME around if you look for it!

We still find the odd bit of good snow by looking hard and today I guess I found 100 + powder turns before getting in to some great couloir skiing.
Here's a video of Colin Logan in the couloir des Pisteurs. (It's steeper than it looks!)

The snow is pretty much only good on Northern aspects and even there low down there could be some crust due to the heat over the last couple of days.
There are quite a lot of avalanche activity on slopes that have warmed up, not only on southern expositions.

So, we are due some snow over the last couple of days and to be honest, even 5 cm would be great to smooth things out but 30 would be better!!!
Stay tuned,
Have fun and be safe
Andreas

Avalanche bulletin and weather forecast Savoie

This avalanche translation of the Meteo France avalanche bulletin is produced mainly through an automated translation tool.  Please use it in conjunction with the French bulletin found at the above link.

N73260211
BULLETIN FOR ESTIMATING THE RISK OF AVALANCHES
FOR SAVOIE
Valid off marked and open trails
FOR WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2008
(Drafted Tuesday, February 26)

ESTIMATE OF RISK UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING:
For all the massive LIMIT RISK - Level 2

WEATHER OVERVIEW UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING:
Low rainfall night (less than 10 cm of snow at 2000 meters) and then improved with light during the day.

Isothermal 0 ° C down to 2100 meters.
Wind General 3000 meters: WEST NORTHWEST then 30 to 50 km / h.

SNOW CONDITIONS:
They are a bit below average for the end of February but the layers of snow are still correct with 10 to 90 cm at 1500 meters and 50 to 140 cm at 2000 m.
The limit of the snow skiing is now between 1100 and 1700 meters depending on the mass and exposure.
On the surface, we will often find a heavy wet snow or below 1500/1800 meters, but a thin layer of snow above. It will conceal the many crusts subjected present until around 2200 to more than 3000 meters according to the slopes.
At higher altitudes, it can remain locally cardboard or cured by the wind.

STABILITY OF SNOW COVER:
A BIT OF ACTIVITY AND SOME NATURAL "SMALL SLABS"

A regel less good, small snow (rainfall below 1500/1800 meters) and the wind will maintain a certain instability superficial. By contrast, in more depth, the snowpack generally retains a good strength with dense layers often interspersed crusting.

Thus one can expect some new cast of wet snow, especially below 2000 meters. One or two avalanches the largest (any snow in place) are also possible in particular by exposure to western South-east (humidification "effective" in recent days).

More than 2000 meters high, the small layer of fresh snow may very locally led to the formation of slabs immune to the winds of Northwest.
Indeed, it was beyond 2500 meters as "old slabs" roaming the slopes north to north-east. Indeed, there are few places vulnerable strata of angular grains that can make the snowpack sensitive to surcharges. Mistrust is called for, especially near the peak or in the corridors steep.

TREND LATER RISK:
Stationary or down slightly.

Weather updates France this newsletter everyday at 16h.

Avalanche Forecast For Weds 27 Feb

VALANCHE BULLETIN
FOR rangeS SAVOIE
VALID OUTSIDE OF MARKED AND OPEN SKI RUNS
ON TUESDAY 26 FEBRUARY 2008
(drafted Monday, February 25)

ESTIMATE OF RISK FOR TUESDAY:
For all ranges of SAVOIE, LOW RISK - Level 1
evolves day MODERATE RISK - Level 2

WEATHER OUTLOOK:
sometimes misty skies becoming cloudy late in the day. Minimum temperatures are unchanged, but the maximum decrease slightly.

Isotherm 0 ° C in 2500 and then decline to 2200 metres. Wind General
3000 meters: west to southwest 15 to 20 km / h.

SNOW CONDITIONS:
They are a bit below average for the end of February but the layers of snow are still correct with 10 to 90 cm at 1500 m and 50 cm to 140 in 2000 meters.
The limit of the snow skiing is now between 1100 and 1700 meters and ranges according to the direction.
On the surface, a cycle refreeze/dégel spring is in place until about 2200 meters north slope and beyond 3000 metres in sunny slope. However, we can still find high elevations of dry snow and low consolidated from 10 to 20 cm but it is often hardened or cured by the wind.

STABILITY OF THE SNOWPACK:
AVALANCHEUSE ACTIVITY IN SLIGHT DECREASE
< BR> Despite the high clouds, the night refreeze is correct, but during the day, the atmosphere is scarcely less sweet. But it is still warm enough to weaken the snowpack by moistening superficial. More in-depth, the snowpack remains generally strong with dense layers and often crusts.

During the day on Tuesday, we can again expect small slides of wet snow . The risk of an avalanche of larger volume is smaller. But passage of one or more skiers in the snow may become heavy promote its flow into the steep slopes.-2500 metres, including exposure in the north to northeast. In those few sunny slopes, snow cover may still be locally sensitive to overload because it contains layers of angular grains. Mistrust is called for nearby ridges or in the steep couloirs .

TREND OF RISK FOR WEDNESDAY: In
slight increase with low rainfall in the night of Tuesday to Wednesday.
< BR> Météo France updates this newsletter every day to 16h.

1992-2008 All text and images copyright: pistehors.com;

Avalanche bulletin and weather forecast Savoie

This avalanche translation of the Meteo France avalanche bulletin is produced mainly through an automated translation tool.  Please use it in conjunction with the French bulletin found at the above link.

N73190211
BULLETIN FOR ESTIMATING THE RISK OF AVALANCHES
FOR SAVOIE
Valid off marked and open trails
FOR WEDNESDAY 20 FEBRUARY 2008
(Drafted Tuesday, February 19)

ESTIMATE OF RISK UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING:
For all masses: LOW RISK - Level 1.

WEATHER OVERVIEW UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING:
The night sky is first reached and then shrouded by clouds for very high. The sun is more or less shrouded by high clouds in the morning, then more hidden in the afternoon by crossing dense cloud hanging over the massive blast. The wind in the high mountains turns gradually South to the west and then northwest remaining moderate. It generates a bit of the Foehn/Lombarda on the border.
Isothermal 0 ° C in 2300 and then declining to 1800 meters.
Wind General 3000 meters: South night 10/40 kph, south-south-west and then west-south-west during the day 10/30 km / h.

SNOW CONDITIONS:
The thickness of snow on the ground are now mostly below the average mid-February or even local ones even higher. There are 40 to 115 cm at 1500 m and 50 cm to 160 m in 2000, but less in south slopes. The lower limit of snow skiing ranges between 1000 and 1700 m according to the massive exposure to the sun.
The snow surface is more or less crusty subjected by the morning below 1700/1900 m in northern slopes undergoing somewhat the effect of solar radiation, and higher elsewhere, until very high altitude in South steep slopes; then it softens and becomes damp during the day. Elsewhere, it is colder and more lightweight and consolidated 10 to 30 cm, when it is not cardboard, or more or less hardened by the wind mostly in the high mountains.

STABILITY OF SNOW COVER:
VERY FEW LOCALIZED SLABS
A little Foehn/Lombarda wind on the border carries a bit of snow, and may form locally very few small brittle surface slabs that a skier can stall.

Otherwise, the snowpack is generally cold, composed of strata more or less dense grain most often angular or subjected crusts, and sometimes showing an unstable profile.

In the slopes undergoing somewhat the effect of solar radiation, particularly exposed Northwest to the north-east, one can not exclude the possibility of a rupture of a slab more or less thick as a result of such overload passage skiers, especially above 2500 m, near the peaks and passes and steep corridors.

In the sunny slopes, particularly exposed south-east to south-west, a bottom slab may still stall spontaneously in steep grassy or rocky slabs, particularly in areas cracks. And such an overload the passage of skiers can encourage this break.

TREND LATER RISK:
Stationary for Thursday.

Weather updates France this newsletter everyday at 16h.

An awesome day in another resort

Headed over to Courcheval yesterday, met up with some BASI snowboard trainers from RTM (ski & snowboard school). After spending the morning on piste with some of their groups we left the pupils behind in the afternoon and headed to the top of the Courcheval bowl. After getting the main cable car to the summit we took a rather scary route along the ridge of the mountain we then hiked towards the main peak up and across 3 couloirs one of which included a 7ft drop we had to make with out our boards on. I was glad I wasn,t the first one to have to jump! After about 30mins of hiking we reached the entrance to a wide north facing couloir were the snow was superb. We were very surprised to find such good snow so long after a snow fall on a Hazard rating of 1. We got some wicked turns and the whole experience was well worth the effort.

Check out more stories at performancesnowboarding.co.uk

Avalanche bulletin and weather forecast Savoie

This avalanche translation of the Meteo France avalanche bulletin is produced mainly through an automated translation tool.  Please use it in conjunction with the French bulletin found at the above link.

N73130211
BULLETIN FOR ESTIMATING THE RISK OF AVALANCHES
FOR MASSIVE SAVOIE
Valid off marked and open trails
ON THURSDAY 14 FEBRUARY 2008
(Drafted Wednesday, February 13)

ESTIMATE OF RISK FOR THURSDAY:
For Haute Tarentaise, and Maurienne Haute Maurienne: LIMIT RISK - Level 2

For Bauges, Beaufortain and Vanoise: LOW RISK - Level 1

WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS:
The sky was clear, the night is good regel. The day was sunny Thursday, the maximum temperatures are barely rising.

Isothermal 0 ° C to 2100 meters.
Wind General 3000 meters: The dominant 20 km / h.

SNOW CONDITIONS:
They are good. The thickness of snow is low below 1500 meters and near-normal to above and a little above average in Haute Maurienne. It reaches 30 to 100 cm at 1500 m, and 70 to 150 cm at 2000 m. The lower limit of skiable snow falls between 1100 and 1600 m.

Snow has a crusty surface until about 2000 m and a little higher in sunny slope. In the shaded slopes above 2000 m, it is still loose on 10 to 30 cm but it is often compacted by the wind in the high mountains.

STABILITY OF SNOW COVER:
SOME SLABS IN MOUNTAINEERING MAINLY TO THE FRONTIER

The latest snowfall goes back to Monday, Feb. 4. Since then, the snowpack stability has been much improved. Some old slabs can persist locally very high mountain and the wind blowing from east since 3 days was able to form new especially in some areas more vulnerable de Maurienne, Haute Maurienne or Haute Tarentaise. The deep snowpack, however, are generally quite strong and the risk of triggering overload is very localized.
It should therefore be wary of mostly sunny little steep slopes below peaks and passes particularly in the slopes between the North-West and North-East especially in the mass where the wind was able to carry snow recently.

Despite a slight radoucissement the ambiance and the presence of the sun, the risk of natural starting remains low. At most, can we expect a few drips of wet snow at low altitudes even spontaneous departure of a small plate over 2000 meters mainly sunny.

TREND OF RISK FOR FRIDAY:
Stationary or down slightly.

Weather updates France this newsletter everyday at 16 hours.

Jamie Flipping Out!

I didn't make it off piste toay, but I did have some fun in the park! Jamie

Some interesting hiking

James and I went on a photo shoot for the Guardian today. Conditions were excellent warm and sunny. However the photographer was quite demanding and wanted us to ski untracked snow, in the sun, were it was easy for him to shoot. We hiked some very steep, rocky and slippy slopes but the rewards were worth it not only did we get some terrific lines but with any luck we may even get our photos in the paper!

Check out more photos of us at performancesnowboarding.co.uk