Several French ski resorts are closing their slopes as heavy snowfall and strong winds create a high avalanche risk, authorities say. The situation comes as a temporary light snowfall is expected in Belgium this weekend, a stark contrast to the conditions in the Alps and, to a lesser extent, the Pyrenees.
The Savoie region has been placed on red alert as the storm Nils continues to bring significant snowfall to France. The avalanche risk is currently rated at 5 out of 5 in multiple mountain ranges. “The last time we had a risk of 5 out of 5 here was 17 years ago,” Fabrice Boutet, a ski resort director, told RMC. “In some sectors, even at 2,300 meters, we have blocked a number of slopes that could allow people to exit and go to areas we cannot secure.”
Strong wind gusts are exacerbating the dangerous conditions, reaching up to 160-170 kilometers per hour in some areas, accompanied by heavy precipitation and substantial snowfall in the mountains, according to Pascal Mormal, a meteorologist at the IRM.
Even as the significant snowpack is positive for the start of the carnival holidays and overall snow conditions, it isn’t necessarily conducive to safe skiing. “The snowpack is unstable due to alternating warm and cold spells; below 1,200 to 1,400 meters, It’s sometimes melting snow,” Mormal warned. “Conditions will remain dangerous in the coming days.”
The hazardous situation is expected to persist for several days. Forecasts predict continued heavy snowfall next week, with sustained precipitation. “We can therefore expect a situation to be closely monitored in terms of avalanches throughout the first week of the holidays,” Mormal concluded. “In other words, snow is present in the middle and high mountains, but this abundance is not necessarily good news due to the marked risk.”
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