Chamonix Snow Report: 27th December 2008
Snowsports are about quantity as much as quality, especially when it comes to snow levels. The quantity of snow that's fallen since the start of the season is allowing us to have quality days out on the hill up here in Chamonix; and while the snow might not be great, there is still plenty of it to stop the rocks coming through.
Oddly, in some places, the snow in the valley is better than on the mountain. This is due to the dreaded warm, strong foehn wind that battered the slopes on Friday night, and helpfully redistributed the contents of my terrace into the Les Bossons river. The snow on the mountain has been blown around too, leaving the off-piste bony and schralped. Look in sheltered gullies on lee aspects and you might find where it's all ended up - and take care to be aware of small, localised windslab formation.
The cloud blanket - a phenomenon that sees Chamonix covered in cloud, but blue skies up the hill - has been in effect this week. It's hard to motivate yourself to go out when it looks foggy up there; we check out the webcams before we go to see what the conditions are really like.
We've not got any snow in the pipeline for the next week or so, so to make the most of the pistes, get up late - as the trails soften in the sun - and stay off east- and north- facing slopes. Late morning at Brevent today was exceptional.
See you out there!
Tom
Stats
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Level 2
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0
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Total Pistes: 75
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Alt. Resort: 1972
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Alt. Summit: 2700
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Alt. Last Snow: 1050
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High Temp.: 3
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Alt. High Temp.: 1050
