Sainte Foy off piste ski snow report weather forecasts avalanche awareness

Snow Report April 18

Last week I said that our experience off-piste has been, “great despite totally unpredictable weather and days that you would think aren’t going to be good.. but then they turn out to be great!” This trend of passing storms then sun, then passing storms then sun…. has continued over the last week and will continue this coming week too – but with warmer temperatures forecasted at least over the weekend. The weather pattern that has brought us ‘winter in spring’ since the first week of March has provided us with some of the most phenomenal skiing I’ve ever experienced here in the French Alps. For me, reporting from the higher Alpine resorts where the skiing is mostly above 2000 metres, the best skiing has been almost exclusively ‘winter snow skiing’ (on snow that has not been through melting & freezing cycles). Last week was again characterized mainly by winter conditions - although when the sun comes out, you feel it’s spring (well it is mid-April after all!). As a result of the strong solar radiation that is often been present even when cloudy, we have been going ‘high and north’ to take advantage of the cooler, shaded areas where the snow gets the least amount of incoming solar radiation/heat. See photos of touring and skiing this past week on www.henrysavalanchetalk.com > Free Stuff > Photo Albums > Skiing with HAT (www.hat.skioffpiste.co.uk/photos/hatskiing/index.html ). The trick still seems to be getting out early (despite wind, bad visibility etc.), going as high as possible (above 2500 metres) and looking for slopes that are sheltered from the wind [winds seem to have been coming out of the Southwest to East in much of the Northern French Alps and this is supposed to continue well into the week of April 21]. Below 2500 metres there has been quite q bit of melting and freezing (spring snow) which is pretty nice if it is smooth but awful where there are old frozen tracks, frozen avalanche debris or if the melt-freeze crust is not thick enough to hold your weight (breakable curst is not nice)!

Snowpack Quality & Stability

It looks like the successive storms and clearing will continue with a significant increases in temperatures, especially from 18-20 April, which means we have to watch out for big wet snow avalanches on slopes that are going to get the sun, are at lower altitudes and therefore are going to subject to rapid warming (I’ve already heard of a number of avalanches coming down onto pistes that were closed due to avalanche danger). For Sunday to Wednesday, the rain snow limit is forecast to stay around 2000 metres which is not all that high for this time of year, and that means more great skiing!

Otherwise, the light/moderate snowfalls and wind have continued to form surface slabs, mostly above 2500/2700 m. The wind, the sun, warming and precipitation will encourage some instability and avalanche activity on sufficiently steep slopes, a little at all altitudes. Below 2500/2700 a relatively small surface slab may turn into a larger wet snow avalanches; above that, they could lead to bigger slab avalanches too in the form of dry/cold snow slabs. The risk of these types of slabs is most prevalent on Northeast to Northwest facing slopes (the ones that we are skiing on most). So I will be especially careful if we get 20 cm or more in one storm - or in a short amount of time like 48 hours, especially if there is a good amount of wind, which can lead to twice the amount of snow that came out of the sky on these sheltered slopes (again these are the slopes that will have the best skiing). I’ll be limiting the risk mainly be avoiding steep slopes that have cliffs and/or narrow valley bottoms below them. A person was killed on the 15th due to a relatively small avalanche that took him over some cliffs: see www.pistehors.com

Tip of the week:
I’ve been long-winded enough this week; so I’ll leave it to you to…. ‘Ride Hard ! Ride Safe’

Henry & Andreas (HAT & Alpine Experience)

SPECIAL THIS WEEK:
Andreas’s special skiing summary from the Espace Killy (Val d’Isère & Tignes): “We keep getting some fresh snow to work with every other day and just the right amount to cover old tracks and give a new nice base but not so much so that it gets dramatically unstable so that we can’t move around safely. So this has meant great skiing lately with of course respect for new snow and also a lot of attention to timings and following temperatures etc! Our worst days now are when we get days with a few clouds and bad visibility but not any new snow, which means that we can neither ski powder comfortably, nor do we get a good spring snow transformation. So, we are touring a bit at the moment and we had a great mini tour with a night in the Col des Fourshut last weekend, 13-14 April, and despite Henry’s snoring which kept us all awake, we had a great time!!! So let’s hope the conditions stays good until the end and personally with the great base we have now, we should have lots more good skiing until the end of the season.”

PS We’re STILL doing lots of transceiver training at the moment in Val d’Isère: 35 euros for saisonaires for a full afternoon of coaching, timed searches, basic rescue procedures & a waterproof reference card (wow!). Call Jamie on 06 23 05 75 09

Snow Report April 11

The skiing off-piste has been great lately despite totally unpredictable weather and days that you would think aren’t going to be good.. but then turn out to be great! Getting out early (despite wind, bad visibility etc.), going as high as possible and looking for slopes that are sheltered from the wind seems to be the trick [winds have been coming out of the Southwest to South most of the time up until the 11th – that will change on Saturday 12th as the winds turn to the North and Northwest for most of the time until Wednesday 16 April]. The little snowfalls of 5-10 cm that have been falling with each passing storm has helped to provide fresh tracks and lots of fun on a lot of days recently. Adding to the these little snowfalls is the wind, which has helped to make accumulations in sheltered areas build up to quite a bit more than what fell out of the sky - but not so much as to make it very unstable (so far anyway). It looks like this weather trend will continue for at least a week. So get out there and find the good snow!

Snowpack Quality & Stability

The light snowfalls and wind have been forming some surface slabs, mostly above 2500/2700 m. The wind, the sun, warming and precipitation will encourage some instability and avalanche activity on sufficiently steep slopes, a little at all altitudes. Below 2500/2700 a relatively small surface slab may turn into a larger wet snow avalanches; above, they could lead to bigger slab avalanche too as dry/cold snow slabs. The risk of these types of slabs will increase with each snowfall and I will be especially careful if we get 20 cm or more in one storm (or in a short amount of time like 48 hours) with wind, which can lead to twice the amount of snow that came out of the sky on sheltered slopes - the slopes that will have the best skiing..

Each day the Météo France avalanche forecast says that one skier is enough to trigger one of these surface slabs and that could even lead to a second slab releasing deeper into the snowpack below the first one. This scenario is what happened to my friend and colleague TJ last year – the conditions were not much different than now. TJ was lucky to get away with only severe knee injuries and is just getting back on skis now after several knee operations. So, even though things seem safe/stable in most places, there are areas of real instability out there. if you keep that in mind, you’re doing well.

Tip of the week:
I’m sticking to the higher and north’ish’ slopes for the best snow until we get some hot sunny days with good cold nights that will transform the snow on other slopes to nice smooth spring snow. I keep saying that I’ll do our annual spring snow write-up soon, but I’m going to have to put that off again until next week.. or until we actually start getting some good spring out there, but it looks like cold temperatures and more ‘mini snow storms’ through Wednesday 16 April. So I’m happy to stick with winter for now!

‘Ride Hard Ride Safe’!

Henry

PS We’re still doing lots of transceiver training at the moment in Val d’Isère: 35 euros for saisonaires for a full afternoon of coaching, timed searches, basic rescue procedures & a waterproof reference card (wow!). Call Jamie on 06 23 05 75 09

Snowpack Update

What an amazing couple of weeks. Rarely have I seen so much snow and such a stable snowpack at the same time.

The snows that are coming now (end of week of March 24) are supposed to be fairly light, in terms of accumulations and in consistency, throughout the Northern French Alps and surrounding areas.

Current Stability

There have been quite a few accidental slab releases over the last few days (Météo France has reported several each day) most without consequence probably because the slabs have not been all that big and/or the people were able to ride out or weren’t taken too far. I have seen and heard of a few slabs triggered at distances of 10 metres or so on slopes facing North East to East – which makes sense since the winds have been mostly coming out of the West & North West and this will continue through the weekend. The winds aren’t supposed to be as strong for this weekend and that is a relief!

Tip of the week:

Watch out for slab instability (& releases) as a direct result of very recent wind loading on slopes and in general areas that were/are protected from wind in recent storms (these are very often East’ish’ slopes, but not always!!). Some of the very recent slab releases have had fractures at the top (or crown walls) of up to 70 cm. So, despite the exceptional stability of all this new snow, I’m still being very careful as I enter into steep areas of nice smooth fresh white snow.

‘Ride Hard ! Ride Safe'

Henry

PS We’re doing lots of transceiver training at the moment in Val d’Isère: 35 euros for saisonaires for a full afternoon of coaching, timed searches, basic rescue procedures & a waterproof reference card. Call Jamie on 06 23 05 75 09

Slabs Triggered from a distance

there were quite a few slabs triggered from a 10 metre distance observed by colleagues and me today. Also, natural, artificial & other accidental in Savoie & Haute Savoie mainly small for the moment. This slope under the Mt Blanc chair in Val d'Isère is facing North East. The wind has been mostly coming out of the North West (although is supposed to change to South briefly tomorrow then back to North West through West for Thursday on through the weekend). This slab, a direct result of very recent wind loading, exemplifies what is in store for the next few days (and so does the distance triggering). Only I think the instability will grow with the continued wind loading and new snow accumulations. The avalanche activity has been relatively calm over the last 10 days or so, but I think the instability could pick up with all this new snow and wind over the next few days. The slab in this photo and the way it was triggered is telling us something.

Snow Report

We’ve had some GREAT snow in the last few days even if it has only been a very little bit. Last week I expressed myself in the following manner, “There are times when a guy will take anything he can get ….” What a difference a few cm’s make! Especially in the gullies and lee slopes where the wind has blown the snow, where accumulations have built up to a whopping 15 cm! The colder temps have helped too - making the snow feather light. We didn’t get all the snow that we were hoping for, but we can’t complain at all.

Snow Stability

The outlook for this coming week is for a bit more snow on Sunday-Wednesday.
For the snow stability: of course it has been very stable up until now. But predicting snow stability is all about looking at what we have now and at what could happen in the future. When we do get a good amount of snow we have to think about the layers of angular crystals, ‘frisette’, and depth hoar on flat and shaded slopes above 2200. These layers are not a problem now; but, with the next significant snowfalls (total 30 to 40cm or more in one place), they will be a source of instability under the new snow on shaded slopes that were not subjected to much skier compaction over the last few weeks. So that really means in places that were not ‘pisted off-piste’ and more on north-facing/shaded slopes that have not been skied very much - this weak cohesionless snow makes up the whole snowpack in some of these shaded north facing slopes.

Tip of the week: “The most important thing to remember while riding in fresh snow is to have a smile on your face!” (a quote from my friend Andreas from HAT & Alpine Experience). Let’s hope there will be something more to smile about soon.

‘Ride Hard Ride Safe’!

Henry

PS We’re doing lots of transceiver training at the moment in Val d’Isère: 35 euros for saisonaires for a full afternoon of coaching, timed searches, basic rescue procedures & a waterproof reference card. Call Jamie on 06 23 05 75 09

Feb 28 Snow 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.

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