The condition of the glaciers was featured in the Dauphiné today, they are saying the mountains here (Haute Savoie) at the moment are “drier than any other time in living memory”, which has left the glaciers looking in a very sorry state. There is a bit of precipition on the horizon but not much.

Here is a link to the Dauphine Libere’s slideshow of the glaciers

http://www.ledauphine.com/diaporama-alerte-au-mont-blanc-la-fonte-des-glaciers-@/index.jspz?diapo=218

it has been a long, hot, dry summer in the Alps. We have water restrictions in the Chartreuse.

Took the kids out to look at the snow, this picture was taken in a shady spot at 1500m, not much yet I’m afraid.

Compared to a similar spot but two weeks earlier in 2008.

We only found “fake” snow today. The guns were working hard

Junior was very excited

There were even some ski tracks!

The elders say this is definitely the sign for loads of snow coming up! Let’s cross fingers…

Looks like their was a “retour de l’Est”, The Queyras got a bit more snow over the weekend.

There is about 20cm of snow from 2000 meters in the Northern Alps and the ground is white from 1500 meters. Snow levels increase to around 50cm at 2500 meters.

Snow from 2000-2500 meters is humid and there is some risk of snow slides. Higher up the new snow is on a crusty base and there is some risk of avalanche where there are accumulations close to ridgelines.

So not really enough snow to ski tour yet unless you can get some altitude… watch this space.

A quick update to the conditions. I was up at les 7 laux for the opening today.

There was about 20cm fresh overnight which, with some compaction left around 30cm on the ground at 1550 meters. There was snow from 1350 meters in the Belledonne and around 1200 meters on the Chartreuse. There is around 50cm at 2000 meters. It is still possible to touch rocks so don’t take out your new skis!

Snow is expected to 900 -> 700 meters in the Alps and Massif Central tomorrow. I’ll try and get some avalanche information together for Monday pm. Getting warm towards the end of the week with the zero isotherm around 2000 meters on Friday so make hay while the sun doesn’t shine.

Managed a trip out today. Fairly cloudy again so we didn’t go far. Good snow though. 40cm at 1800m. The Joux Plan road is being kept clear which makes access very convenient.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TarJPqUnzrw

and a map for those interested at

http://www.endoftheride.com/

After powder but whiteout days last week-end, an excellent 11 Nov in Sancy with good snow conditions, excellent weather - and quite a number of ski and board tourers on the spot!

Video shot by Onthewave on the slopes of Fontaine Salée

Sancy from Lac de Guéry

Going up Sancy, Puy Gros in the background

On Puy Redon summit, Val d’Enfer behind

Couloir Y at Redon, more like a gully at the start of the season

Collective report with more picts and videos (and in French...) on Skipass: http://bit.ly/1QQknt

It seems we’ll have to wait for the next snowfall for now…

Wow, looks like somewhere in the USA

The Lac de Guéry used to have a drag lift, is it still there? That could be a good place to do some training laps before work if the Sancy is too far.

The ‘Y’ looks pretty narrow this early in the season.

Very warm here to today. Seems to be a foehn episode with 70km/h winds gusting from the south-east. A lot of the snow has gone lower down. 9.5C at 1800 meters so teh zero iso must be well above 3000m… which indeed is what the Bellecote (3000m) is showing.

http://www.meteo.fr/temps/france/nivose/pics/BELLES.html

The Lac de Guéry lift is - finally - dismantled after having rusted on site for years. Chambon des Neiges is also neat. Back to skins and snowshoes!

Anyway it’s more like back to mountain bike now, with warm temperatures and rain that let us think 11 Nov has been a dream!

Wishing snow down to valley floor to everybody soon…

It has been an exceptionally hot mid November as Europe, from Spain to Germany, has been under the influence of a south-westerly airstream blowing straight off the Sahara. Spain has seen temperatures in the 30s. In France on the 15-16th it was very warm, even at night. The low at biarritz was 19.6°C. On the 16th the temperature in the Pyrenees, where there was a foehn (chinook) wind was 19°C at 1000m and 17°C at 1700m. Temperatures reached 26°C near to St Lary and St Etienne close to Lyon broke records with a sizzling 22.5°C.

It did finally snow from about 1800 meters overnight… about 2cm only though and not much more further up for the moment. The zero isotherm has finally descended to around 2000 meters having been over 3500 meters over the last few days.

We are looking at some light snow from around the 29th/Nov -> 1st/Dec but not enough to be skiable.

The Jura has a dusting of snow from 1500 meter now. The zero isotherm is around the 1800-2000 m. line with snow at that level forecast for today and Sunday. Airstream to shift around to the S/W in the middle of next week bringing rain at altitude. l’Alpe d’Huez has pistes skiable to resort level (1850m) and should manage to open on the 5th but skiing below that level will be problematic. There has been around 10cm of fresh snow at 2200m in the last 3 days.