Off Piste Snow Report – N French Alps – 23rd January 2023

Here’s the Meteo France image of off-piste snow depths for the Haute Tarentaise area of Savoie on 21st Jan.  It shows a vast improvement from the  depths at the beginning of January – a similar situation to all over the N French Alps – even if it is still a little deficient below 1500 m.

Regular top-ups of fresh snow and bitterly cold temperatures over the last week have made for some wonderful skiing with ‘champagne powder’ conditions.  It’s astonishing how quickly any easily accessed off-piste snow gets tracked out though.

Needless to say, there’s been some ‘powder frenzy’ activity going on, as soon as visibility improved, along with bad ‘slope etiquette’ with skiers cutting up others below them in their haste to get to the best line. 

There’s also been quite a bit of skier-triggered avalanche activity reported in the last week, most of it when the avalanche level was set at a ‘considerable’ 3 out of 5. See our definitions of the different avalanche danger ratings here.

Enjoying the powder snow last week – Wayne Watson photo

Current danger rating in the Tarentaise

Avalanche Bulletin 

Meteo France is currently setting the avalanche risk at a ‘considerable’ 3 out of 5 above 2400 m on all slope directions , and 2 out of 5 below that altitude. We had a couple of days last week when the risk went up to a 4, but on 5 of the last 7 days it has been set at 3.

There’s a tendency to think that an avalanche danger level of 3 is a fairly ‘safe’ sort of level in which to ski off-piste. However, as we mentioned in last week’s snow report, statistically, the highest percentage of  avalanche deaths in France occur in an avalanche danger rating of 3 out of 5. However,  level 3 is still a ‘considerable’ risk.

In a ‘considerable’ avalanche danger rating of 3, the snowpack is moderately to weakly bonded on some steep slopes. Triggering an avalanche is possible, sometimes just due to the weight of one skier. If you look around at recent avalanche activity you may be able to see the types of slopes that are particularly at risk. For clues, look at slope orientation, altitude and steepness. Remember : 9 out of 10 avalanche victims set off the avalanche themselves, or someone in their group does.

Weather forecast 23rd to 30th January

MONDAY, JANUARY 23

Italian border has snowfall, grey in the plain, otherwise more or less veiled cloud.

Grey in plains and low valleys and more generally under about 1700 m (rare flakes) but we hope for the formation of thinning. On the other hand, the sun predominates in mountains and inland valleys. Cloud is expected quite quickly near Italy on border ridges and some snowfall. ( 5 to 10cm, locally 20 cm in Haute Maurienne). The east wind is rather weak in plains and low altitudes, but some gusts are possible in Upper Tarantose near Italy. At altitude, the northeast wind is getting stronger The maximum temperatures rise around 2 degrees in the plains and inland valleys, -4 to 2000m, -10 to 3000m.
isothermic 0 degree: in the plain, temporarily 400/500m in the afternoon.
isothermic -10 degrees: 2600 m up to 3100 m during the day.
wind at 2500 m: NORTHEAST 20 km/h strengthening 50 km/h
wind at 3500 m: NORTHEAST 40 km/h strengthening 80 km/h

TUESDAY, JANUARY 24

Italian border has snowfall, grey in the plain, otherwise more or less veiled cloud.

On the plain and low valleys, grey start but dissipation is envisaged. In the mountains, the weather is rather nice with a sometimes veiled sun, except near Italy where the relief is clogged with weakening snowfall (5/10 cm) and less dense clouds during the day. The east wind is still sensitive at altitude is weakening. Temperatures change in the plain from -3 to 5 degrees, in low valleys from -5 to 5, around 2000m from -9 to -3 to 3000m from -16 to -9. Isothermal 0 degree around 800m.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25

Italian border has snowfall, grey in the plain, otherwise more or less veiled cloud.

The Italian border is still in the clouds with light snowfall. Otherwise, the sky is more or less veiled on the massifs and inland valleys, while greyness still drags in the morning in the plain before a probable dissipation. Weak wind from North to East and overall seasonal temperatures. Temperatures change in the plain from -3 to 5 degrees, in low valleys from -5 to 7, around 2000m from -7 to -1 to 3000m from -13 to -6.
Isothermal 0 degree around 1100m.

THURSDAY: Covered in the plain, beautiful in the mountains.
The clouds dominate in the plains and Pre-Alps under about 1500m while it is rather nice above. The north wind is sensitive. Temperatures change in the plain from 0 to 3 degrees.

FRIDAY: Sun predominant in the mountains.
Probably thick pre-alpine greyness but a wide sun on the massifs and inland valleys. Persistent but weaker north wind. Temperatures rise by 1 degree in the plain.

SATURDAY: Beautiful in the mountains.
The good weather persists in the mountains, but a sea of clouds should persist on the Pre-Alps side and maintain the greyness in the plain. The north wind is sensitive and temperatures change in the plain from -3 to 4 degrees.

SUNDAY: Beautiful in the mountains
The good weather persists in the mountains, but a sea of clouds should persist on the Pre-Alps side and maintain the greyness in the plain at least in the morning. The north wind is sensitive and temperatures change in the plain from -3 to 6 degrees.

Tip of the Week

Don’t be complacent when the avalanche rating is 3 out of 5. Even if this level is somewhat overused in France, it is still a ‘considerable’ danger.

So even though the danger rating of 3 is probably somewhat overused in France, it is still a ‘considerable’ level, not to be sniffed at. The problem is that we can usually get away with skiing dangerous slopes without even realising it. See my post entitled Nothing happens most of the time. Because we don’t usually receive any feedback, we may even subconsciously congratulate ourselves for making a good decision of slope to ski when in fact we were in danger and simply got away with it…

Then one time, just maybe, we do set an avalanche off, victims are taken (and we should have known better).

“Safety is freedom”