Skip to main content
SeeChamonix

Chamonix Snow Report: 4th April 2012

Clouds in Chamonix, strange white fluffy things in the sky

featured in Snow report Author Helen McGrory, Chamonix Reporter Updated

Been a bit pushed for time this week so I’ve just scooted up Brevent a couple of times so far for a bit of fresh air. But what contrasting days! Monday was Groundhog Day again – blue skies, sunshine, warm temperatures, spring snow – I make it sound like it’s such a chore to have day after day of beautiful weather..... But on Tuesday I was a little disorientated upon opening my curtains to find that the entire sky was a mass of greyish/whitish fluffiness. Clouds??? To be honest, it’s been so long since I’ve seen one I wasn’t immediately sure what was wrong with the sky!

But yes, clouds it was yesterday and again today actually, although the sight of an overcast sky does not illicit the same response in Chamonix that it may bring on where you live. Having not had any fresh snow for a couple of weeks now and nothing really significant for much longer than that – the sight of the gathering clouds was the cause for great rejoicing. This morning on the lift status round up there’s only been 2-3cms of fresh snow on the upper levels of Brevent/Flegere, about 5cms at Grands Montets and 10cms on the Midi but the forecast is talking about further possible snow above mid-station as the rain-snow limit is due to remain around 1800m-2000m for the next 48 hours or so. It might not be much, but fresh snow is fresh snow and it’s always welcome in this valley.

Conditions on Brevent yesterday were still alright – nothing amazing; the light was pretty flat although the cloud base remained high and the snow was very sugary in texture. It kind of felt like artificial snow actually with large sugary crystals. And it was fairly lumpy in places making it hard work on the old legs in the somewhat diminished visibility (well, when you’ve been used to skiing in nothing but perfect blue sky conditions it seemed rather diminished). There were patches of sunlight breaking through from time to time, although I wasn’t sure if it looked like it might have been much brighter on the other side of the valley. I’m sure people skiing in Grands Montets were probably thinking the same thing as the clouds drifted up and down the valley throughout the day.

We’re likely to see a bit of an influx of visitors this weekend for Easter but after that I imagine that the town will be really quite quiet. If you’re here with the kids this weekend though and want to enter into the Easter spirit with them, then Le Petit VIP is organising an Easter Egg hunt on Sunday morning at Le Robinson restaurant in Bois Bouchet (on the Promenade des Cremeries beyond the tennis courts if you head along the river to Les Praz). As well as the Easter egg hunt they’ve organised a bouncy castle, face painting, arts & crafts and food but you do need to book a place by tomorrow (Thursday) if you’d like your child to join in. €10 per child but that includes all the entertainment and a little basket of eggs to take home.

Something else that the kids (and big kids!) will no doubt enjoy is the brand new toboggan run at Les Planards Activity Park. Previously just open in the summer, this 1300m run has been completely revamped this year and is now open in winter too. The Alpine Coaster is on rails and each toboggan sits 2 people. You get towed to the top and then descend at your own speed as the rail twists and turns back down the hillside with sections of rollers and banked turns. There are 2 tracks parallel to each other so obviously a bit of healthy competition is inevitable! Open every day from 13.30 – 18.00 (even if the weather is bad!) it costs €5.50 a ride (€1.50 for the passenger) and if you get completely hooked then they also have several multi-pass options as well.

Stats

Avalanche Risk
  • Level 2

Snow Report
  • Alt. Resort: 1900m

  • Alt. Summit: 3330m

  • Alt. Last Snow: 2300m

  • High Temp.: 2 degrees

  • Alt. High Temp.: 1900m

  • Latest Conditions: Unsettled and getting colder - showers and sunny spellsSKY CONDITION : often mostly cloudy - at times, cloudy with sunny spells, in the morning - becoming overcast later. Period of sunshine close to 30%. PRECIPITATION : showers resuming in the afternoon - moderate at times - rain-snow limit dropping towards 1100 m - expected snowfall towards 1800 m : 10-20 cm. WIND - ground level : variable light. WIND - mid mountain : SW -> NNW light to moderate. WIND - high mountain : WSW light -> NNW light to moderate. TEMPERATURE : low +4

Location

Map of the surrounding area