© Avoriaz 1800 TO
Snow Report 9th March 2023
Looks like winter has returned and with it much needed snow! The forecasts have been tricky to predict lately but the forecasted snow for Tuesday and Wednesday arrived! On the lower slopes, sadly that snow turned to rain, but there is plenty more snow on the way. Until Tuesday we had a fair amount of sun but it has been cold and windy. In fact we have had the driest February since 2012 and the driest season overall since 1963/64. However, the skies have turned grey, clouded over, and snow is back in the forecast. The pistes up to now have been maintained in really good condition. They have been icy in the early mornings and softening up and a bit slushy from around 2pm to the last lifts. The connecting routes have been suffering from repeated use with brown patches around. However, the pisteurs have been doing an excellent job each evening of grooming and maintaining our resort so that we have continuously enjoyed some great ski conditions.
From today onwards you can enjoy new fresh snow in Avoriaz with plenty more forecast for Friday and continuing through Saturday. By the end of this week we should have had over half a metre of new snow. The freezing level will be down at around 1100 - 1200m by Friday evening, which is great for the predicted 20cm of snow on Friday. Sunday there is a respite from the snowfall and we may be lucky to see the sunshine to enjoy the new fresh snow! More snow is due on Monday evening, currently around 12cms forecast, but it’s going to be a little warmer up to max 6°C during the day and down to -1°C overnight with the freezing level at around 1600m, so on the lower slopes this could fall as rain.
The fresh pack of snow higher up will be tricky and could be dangerous as this is combined with strong winds. So avoid steep terrain and check the local avalanche reports thoroughly before heading out. Be aware, that in the off-piste areas the new snow in some places will provide only thin cover and could be hiding rocks, especially at lower altitudes.
Hard to predict further but looking ahead the forecast is currently showing signs of temperatures lower on Tuesday with the freezing level around 1350 and a little more snowfall.
Photo above from the webcam at Arare at lunchtime today
Fun video below from Amandine on Youtube showing snow conditions in Avoriaz this week
Watch this
Top Tips if you are coming skiing this week
- Conditions are going to be a little challenging, so low light lenses can make all the difference. If you’ve got them, wear them!
- You’ll need good layers of different thicknesses, it’s going to be colder than normal for March skiing and bring a waterproof outer layer for the next few days!
- When it’s actually snowing, head to the runs that go through the trees (or buildings!) they often give you some shelter and better visibility.
- Keep up to date on lifts opening/closing as times can change when the weather closes in and a few of the lower slopes currently have several lifts and pistes closed.
- Check the avalanche risk due to new snowfall and absolutely don't head off-piste if you don't have the correct information, equipment and guidance.
Rock The Pistes starts on Sunday for a week of great live concerts all around The Portes du Soleil
Updates
If you head to the bottom of this page, you can see live forecasts, lift status, links to webcams, real time photos from Avoriaz. We will be updating this snow report page every Thursday, so check back in with us to see how the pistes are doing and what you can expect from the snow forecast each week.
We need you!
If you're in Avoriaz this week, we want to see your images, especially videos, of what you've been up to. So when you post to Facebook or Instagram, please tag us @SeeAvoriaz #SeeAvoriaz. Every week, we'll be posting our favourite videos and images here and sharing on our social media, along with our weekly resort snow report.
Have a great week, we'll see you out there!
