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Not every year is the
same so it is essential to look at historical
snow records over the past few years to get a true
picture on snow reliability. What seems clear over
the past 5 years or so is that early December (before
15/12) is not as good as it used to be but at the
same time April has been getting better and
better.
Nearly all our resorts
have a snow range above 1500m (around 5,000ft).
Altitude is however not the only important factor.
Some areas like the Grand Massif or Mont-Blanc Val
d’Arly benefit from a microclimate because of
their close proximity to Europe’s highest peak,
Mont-Blanc. These areas have a much more reliable
snow record than other resorts at the same altitude
or even than some higher-up. Other important factors
for good snow are North-facing slopes as whatever
cover their get will simply last longer. What lies
below the snow cover is also of importance: a few
centimetres will be enough to ski on pasture whereas
more will be required to cover a rocky surface.
Finally resorts that have snow cannons to cover the
lower slopes (generally the nursery slopes) offer a
good guarantee. These will normally run at night from
early December to top-up on natural snow cover. Above
all what is important is to check the hard facts as
in the end the snow history over a period of time is
the only reliable indicator.
For ski weather and snow conditions forecasts click
on the image below:
View
here for a futuristic Metro France weather
report
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