This could upset the holidays for French people who went skiing… Météo France is placing Savoie and Haute-Savoie on orange vigilance this Tuesday for the risks of avalanches.
For the same reason, the departments of Isère, Hautes-Alpes, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne and Ariège are placed on yellow vigilance.
🔶 2 deposits in #vigilanceOrange
Stay informed on https://t.co/rJ24zzmmy4 pic.twitter.com/zPd4Ux6PbN
- VigiMeteoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) December 28, 2021
As for orange vigilance, "the avalanche activity expected over the next 24 hours is observed on average 2 to 3 times per winter in the Savoie and Haute-Savoie massifs", writes Météo France in its bulletin.
Currently, "an active disturbance brings snow to the departments concerned from 1 800-2000 m (from 20 to 30 cm additional at 3 pm Tuesday since the beginning of the day)", continues the meteorological institute.
Read also "Abnormally" mild temperatures forecast this week
"The snowfall will continue and intensify throughout the night from Tuesday to Wednesday (about 20 cm again around 2000 meters, with a rain-snow limit fluctuating between 1300 and 1500 m, to decrease by again at the end of the night at around 1000 m) ”, continues Météo France.
After a short lull at the end of the night, "the precipitation will intensify again from Wednesday morning, accompanied by a very clear warmth, with rain up to 2700 m".
Avalanches expected
The situation could therefore be favorable to avalanches.
"Numerous wet snow avalanches will be triggered on Wednesday with the return of the rain, which could take the entire snowpack in place," explains Météo France.
He added: “These avalanches could reach exposed road sectors as well as mountain infrastructures.
"Higher in altitude," we must expect many starts in dry snow which may end their route by carrying wet snow at the lowest altitudes ".
The avalanche risk is high on all the Haute-Savoie massifs;
marked evolving strongly on the Beaufortain, Haute-Tarentaise, Vanoise, Haute-Maurienne and Maurienne massifs;
marked on the Bauges massif.
