Lots of sunshine & the pistes are in great condition
Snow conditions are great on the run up to Easter
It's been lovely and sunny here in Alpe d’Huez for the past few days, although some cloud did come up the valley from Bourg d’Oisans this afternoon too cloud things over a bit, and the temperatures have remained on the cold side, which is ensuring that the pistes here are in fantastic condition as we approach Easter.
High pressure continues to dominate the whole of the Alps, as it has done for the past week or so. This has ensured a period of very settled weather here in Alpe d’Huez and this high pressure looks to stay in control for the next week or so, ensuring a lovely settled period of weather as we approach the long Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
Pressure is currently at 1024mb and although the current area of high pressure is moving away to the East, it looks set to be replaced by another area of high pressure that is approaching from the Atlantic, bringing with it pressures of around 1018mb – so again the weather looks fair for the next 7 to 10 days at least.
The chilly North/North Easterly breeze that has been hanging around for the past 5 or 6 days continues to do and at times is gusting at around 30kph up on the higher slopes, which is making it feel a bit chillier than the temperatures may indicate, however the next area of high pressure that is approaching appears to have wider isobars and so this breeze should drop off by the weekend, when the temperatures are set to rise.
There is a chance of some light snow today (Wednesday) with around 12 to 14cm being forecast for the higher slopes of the Grande Domaine ski area.
Snow cover on the slopes around resort (1,850 metres) currently stands at 158cm whilst up on the higher slopes of the PicBlanc (3,300 metres) cover still remains impressive at some 310cm.
Although Spring is definitely on its way here, temperatures are still on the fresh side with morning temperatures of around -5degC rising up to 0degC in the afternoons. However temperatures are set to rise to a more Spring like +7degC by the weekend. Basically each day this week is forecast to be a degree or so warmer than the day before, and with wall-to-wall sunshine in the forecast after a cloudy (and maybe snowy) Wednesday, it will definitely be time to get the sunscreen and sunglasses out….
With the fantastic snow that we have here in resort pretty much everything is fully open at the moment in the Grande Domaine ski area – there are 68 lifts (out of 74) in operation and these are serving 124 pistes (out of 134) – of these pistes 42 are green, 37 blue, 33 red and 12 black. The cold conditions of late have ensured that the pistes are in great condition at the moment.
The Tunnel black run at the top of the PicBlanc was closed Tuesday afternoon, but that's pretty much the norm as the season goes on here. The Sarenne is in great condition too.
There are currently 44km (out of 50km) of Nordic trails open and also 30km (out of 41km) of walking trails ready to be explored in the upcoming sunshine and milder temperatures. Avalanche risk is steady at 2 (moderate) as it has been for the 6 or 7 days now.
Although it clouded over a bit this afternoon it really is lunch in as deck chair weather now and the restaurant at the mid-station of the DMC (2,100 metres) has a cracking sun trap of a terrace in the afternoons.
Sunrise this morning was 6.47am and sunset at 6.43pm – so the days really are stretching out now, which is great.
Lift queues are pretty short across the whole of the ski area at the moment, and the only lift that ever has a queue is Marmottes1, but being a high-speed 6 man chair lift, this moves very quickly.
