Storms batter Verbier bringing in 50cm of snow : 5th January 2012
So much snow this season I am starting to sound like a broken record

A big storm pushed into Verbier on Thursday bringing strong winds and fresh snow. The high winds, up to 100 km/h at times, closed the links to the 4 Vallees and the higher lifts of Mont Fort and Mont Gele. The threat of avalanche has jumped back up to 4 out of 5 as the wind formed slab on almost all faces and I would expect this risk to stay for Friday at the least and probably into the weekend. This risk also closed all the off piste free-ride runs and it is very important to obey closed signs and wait for the new snow to settle.

There has been no opportunity to bash the pistes properly so expect lower slopes to be bumpy and icy and many off piste sections to still have bumps hidden under the new snow.

The wind spent most of Thursday evening and into the night battering the resort too and driving conditions became very hazardous and will stay like that into the weekend, as it will take time for the snow ploughs to get to grips with all the snow.

It is difficult to tell how much snow has fallen, as the wind has transported much of it, but the forecast was for around 50cm and, in some areas, that will be much more as the strong winds will have transported it onto many slopes, forming slab and increasing the risk of avalanche.

Temperatures and the freezing level have all dropped and they are expected to stay very low over the coming days.

Initially the forecast for the weekend was predicting sun but it now looks as if the weather could be mixed at best and the sunshine is now due in for after the weekend, which is actually good news as it will give the snow pack more time to settle.

At the moment there is around 3.5m of snow on upper slopes. This time last year there was just over 1m. So far this has been a great season for snowfalls but a terrible season for regular drivers who do not have a covered parking spot, like me.

• Latest Conditions
  Stormy, snowing and very cold
• Depth of snow on lower slopes
  35cm
• Altitude of last snowfall
  +550m
• Date of last snowfall
  05.01.2012
• Depth of last snowfall
  50cm
• Total number of pistes
  37
• Highest temperature
  +1
• Altitude of lower slopes
  1500m
• Depth of snow on upper slopes
  320cm
• Avalanche risk
  4
• Altitude of upper slopes
  2950m
• Number of pistes open
  28
• Altitude of highest temperature
  1500m

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