Meribel Snow Report
Latest Snow Conditions

Meribel Snow Report: 17th April 2013

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Latest conditions

Number of pistes open	67
Date of last snowfall	24/02/2013
Depth of snow on upper slopes	206cm
Depth of snow on lower slopes	128cm
Highest temperature	-9 °C
WEATHER FORECAST Wednesday 27th Nice sunny weather with some high clouds. It will be cloudy in the valleys. Maximal Temperatures : +6°C at 1000m -1°C at 2000m -8°C at 3000m Isotherm 0°C: around 1500m. Isotherm -10°C : between 3000 and 3300m. Wind at 2500 m: East 15 to 25 km/h. Wind at 4000 m: East 30 then 50 to 70 km/h this afternoon cm

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Spring snow conditions now predominate both off and on piste, so we tend to ski in the mornings on lovely softening snow, take a long picnic lunch in the sun and then ski home or bubble back down to avoid the afternoon slushpuppy conditions.

The temperature has shot up so avalanches are a major risk off-piste. Hugh quantities of snow fell this winter and the snow pack remained remarkably stable. Now all this snow is starting to slide in big, wet avalanches. The lift company is being hyper careful, blasting heavily loaded areas at the end of the afternoon and closing pistes which cross potentially dangerous areas. One look at the photos above will remind you why you should never go down a piste closed for local avalanche danger….

2013 will be fondly remembered as a brilliant season when the snow just kept on coming. Surprisingly, it is not the snowiest season on record. The owner of Rhododendrons Restaurant has kept a tally of the accumulated snowfalls on his terrace for the past 29 seasons. (You can see the chart on the wall in the bar.) According to his figures, this winter has seen 544cm fall so far. Last winter, another bumper season, saw 482cm. Surprisingly, four winters saw even more snow – over six metres fell in 1987, 1988, 1994 and 1995. What matters, of course, is the quality not quantity and the snow conditions been excellent throughout this winter.

Usually we are quite ready for the end of the season to arrive – five months is a long time to live in permafrost – but this year I’m sad it’s coming to an end. With so much snow still lying on the slopes, it will be hard to leave Méribel. I leave you with a poem, written by my friend Suse (with apologies to John Masefield) which sums up perfectly a skier’s yearning for snow and skiing and winter.

Ski-Fever

I must go down to the Alps again, to the smooth pistes and blue sky,

And all I ask are some Stocklis and some strength to steer them by,

And the moguls and the wind's song and the white lifts shaking,

And a grey mist on the mountain face, and a bright day breaking.

I must go down to the Alps again, for the call of the one-mile slide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a sunny day with the white clouds flying,

And a raclette with some friends and wine, with someone else buying!

I must go down to the Alps again, to the happy carefree life,

To a warm smile and a tight turn from my speedy ski wife

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick's over.

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