"BREAKING NEWS" announced this Friday the communication department of the Trois Vallées ski area (Savoie): due to the recent snowfall, part of the slopes will be open from 18 November. Enough to delight skiers and locals alike. Last year, the opening took place on November 26.
Also in Savoie, two ski slopes are already accessible. One in Bessans since November 1st, the other in Flaine from this weekend. In the neighbouring department of Isère, the resort of Les Deux Alpes has also decided to bring forward the season. Its slopes will be accessible from November 25th.
Snow cover in the Alps "remarkable"
»Gilles Matricon, a meteorologist quoted by the Weather Channel, described the snow cover in the Alps as "remarkable", especially above 1800m. At a height of 2500m, the layer reaches 1.30 meters while the average at this time of year is 50 cm. The rain/snow line has dropped to 1200 meters.
In the first half of November, there was also significant snowfall in the Jura and the Massif Central. If the cold air made it possible to "fix" the white, this was not the case in the Vosges where temperatures remain too high.
Are there any risks associated with this snowfall? According to the Weather Channel, the avalanche risk is high north of the Alps. "The situation is being monitored by our services," the channel said on November 11.