Snow cover is still excellent in the French Alps and Pyrénées. Skiable snow can be found down to 1000m on many slopes with a 100cm of snow at 1500 meters altitude. There has been regular snowfall in the early Spring frequently accompanied by wind and the avalanche risk is still present as recent accidents testify.
After a thaw in the first half of March there has been renewed snow fall at quite low altitudes. 50-60cm in the Chartreuse from 1000m on the 18-19th March. Snow can still be found from 800-1000m on north sector slopes and 1200-1500 on south facing slopes. At 1500m there is 150cm in the pre-alps (Chartreuse, Bauges etc), 100cm in the Haute-Tarentaise, Vanoise and Maurienne and 75 cm in Haute-Maurienne. At the same altitude there is still 50cm on south facing slopes in places like the Belledonne, Aravis, Beaufortin. At 2000m there is over 200cm of snow in the Savoie on north sector slopes.
Snow cover touched records in mid-February and is still good at the end of March. This season will be once of the best for many decades in terms of snow cover but the poor weather has frequently kept skiers at home.
Snow cover is well above average, especially after the storms of the 17-18 March which added to snow that had fallen almost every day since the beginning of the March. Satellite photographs show on the mountains as far south as the Mediterranean with snow starting at 1000m on north sector slopes, 1500 m on south faces. There is still 60 to 80cm of snow to be found on northern slopes at 1500m and this rises to 120cm at 2000m and more than 200cm in the Mercantour, Haut-Var, Pelvoux and Oisans.
The snow cover in the Mercantour and Haut-Var) is incredible at this time of year.
Above 1800 meters there is still twice the normal snow cover for the season with 150cm-200cm depth. At 2500m, around the top of most of the ski areas, there is 400cm of snow. Except for the Western Pyrenees there is still around a meter of snow at 1500m.
The start of winter lacked snow but there have been regular falls since February with excellent snow for the spring touring season. You can ski from 1400 meters on north sector slopes, 1600m on southern slopes but snow cover is frequently not continuous at this altitude. There is 200cm at 2000m on north facing slopes.
At 1100m there is 30-50cm of snow on slopes outside of the forests and more than 100cm on the summits. In the Massif Central the snow cover has been affected by the recent thaw and rain with snow cover from 1100m and 50-70cm at 1500m.
figures: Meteo France
