Super-snowy Meribel : 30th December 2011

Crikey, there’s a lot of snow in Méribel! I’ve just left London, where cherry trees were unwisely blossoming, and returned to Méribel to find it thigh-deep in snow.

Since the start of the season when, if you remember, the resort was entirely green, Méribel has seen a whopping 205cm of accumulated snow falls on the summits. (Or, if you still think in Fahrenheit, that’s nearly seven foot).

At this rate, we will soon overtake the total snow falls for the whole of last season. According to lift company Méribel Alpina, which keeps detailed records, last winter only 197cm fell at resort level from November to April. In other words, there’s been an epic start to the season and, infuriatingly, I’ve missed it all.

While I have been away, a kind friend, Simon, been filing these reports and our new apres-ski reporter Jack has been filming the video reports. Thank you to both of them. I have to admit I did find their reports of lovely powder skiing highly envy-inducing. I now know what it is like to be in the grey, wet UK and pining for the snow, clear blue skies and exhilarating cold of the mountains.

Another disadvantage of being away for this unusually-snowy December is that I returned to a completely snow-bound chalet. Rather than going out on my skis to enjoy the powder, the past two days have been spent in ‘de-neigement’ ie digging out the – literally - tons of compacted snow from terraces, paths and parking spaces around the house.

My dog, the snow-depth Labrador, was delighted to be back in the snow and helped enthusiastically with the digging. Regular readers of this report will know he often features on this page to demonstrate the depth of snow. Here you see him on a recently-cleared path in the resort, with fresh snow to the top of his head, the deepest snow he has ever seen.

Méribel is now busy with the throngs of New Year skiers. All the lifts and pistes in the ski area are now open, with just a few of the elements in the snow parks still to be completed. The half-pipes in particular take a great deal of snowfalls and then a great deal of  “shaping” before they can be used, so we will have to wait another few days before they open.

Since these photos were taken, snow has started to fall again, and another massive snowfall is expected over the next two days. If you are driving out for New Year, do remember to bring snow chains for your vehicle or you may not make it up the road to the resort. Oh, and bring your powder skis too!

• Latest Conditions
  Excellent
• Depth of snow on lower slopes
  70cm
• Altitude of last snowfall
  1450m
• Date of last snowfall
  30 Dec 11
• Depth of last snowfall
  15cm
• Total number of pistes
  86
• Highest temperature
  -2C
• Altitude of lower slopes
  1450m
• Depth of snow on upper slopes
  180cm
• Avalanche risk
  3
• Altitude of upper slopes
  2952m
• Number of pistes open
  79
• Altitude of highest temperature
  1450m

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