Sun and great snow : 13th January 2012
Where have all the people gone!!

Perfect conditions prevail in Verbier ski area at the moment. All the main ski lifts and areas are open and it is super quiet now that we are well into January. It was not necessary to queue once today and I was able to cover La Chaux, Lac de Vaux, Chassoure to Tortin and Mont Fort sectors and from Attelas down to Le Rouge in a couple of hours. The piste conditions are superb. There are hardly any bumps or big sections of ice as the drop in skier numbers, coupled with the great weather, have meant that there is plenty of space on piste to go fast.

On the Chassoure to Tortin free-ride run the bumps have mostly gone and it is the flattest that you will ever find that area through the winter.

The risk of avalanche has dropped down to 2 out of 5 off piste but lower down faces that are orientated towards the sun should be avoided by the afternoon as the rising heat in the snowpack can make the local risk of avalanche on those slopes rise.

There are still some patches of fresh snow around at the moment but most stuff within striking distance of the lifts is tracked. However, the snow on shaded high altitude sloped is still very enjoyable. Maybe think about getting a guide or even splashing out on a heli-ski day to go get the last of that powder.

In La Chaux there is now a snow park with beginner to advanced jumps, although the really big ones have not been constructed yet. There is also a good selection of rails and an air bag jump where you can practice the more risky tricks. Also, down in La Chaux, under the Jumbo lift, there is an avalanche search practice area. It is free, fully automated and gives the option to practice alone and do multiple searches.

There is no snow on the horizon but thankfully there is loads of sunshine forecast over the coming days. The freezing level is expected to hover around 1200m-1500m but drop through the night time. With the intense sun the temperature is very comfortable up the mountain even though it is forecast to be chilly. This cold will only really be felt high up and in the shade as there is no wind forecast either.

• Latest Conditions
  sunny warm and quiet
• Depth of snow on lower slopes
  25cm
• Date of last snowfall
  05.01.2012
• Altitude of last snowfall
  +1350m
• Depth of last snowfall
  40cm
• Total number of pistes
  37
• Highest temperature
  +1
• Altitude of lower slopes
  1500m
• Depth of snow on upper slopes
  270m
• Avalanche risk
  2
• Altitude of upper slopes
  2950m
• Number of pistes open
  37
• Altitude of highest temperature
  1500m

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