Maison Jaune Blog

With 10-15 centimetres of fresh snow arriving overnight and this morning at chalet level, the Winter weather is back and the skiing continues here in Chamonix…

The snow is quite heavy as you’d expect with the spring conditions, but it means the pistes of Les Houches receive a well-deserved top-up!  Apparently there is still over 170 cm of snow at 2000m, and over three metres at the top of Grands Montets!!

There is lovely weather forecast for the next couple of days, so the conditions are perfect for some late-season skiing here in Chamonix.

It snowed pretty consistently all day yesterday in Chamonix and through part of the night – so we woke up to approximately 30cm of fresh powder at chalet level and clear skies and brilliant sunshine – though by 11am, there were a few high clouds making it slightly overcast…

Fresh snow on our "benchmark"

View looking towards the Aiguilette des Houches

It started snowing at chalet level last night at about 3am…

So, this morning, we woke up to find a good 10-15 cms of snow…
The forecast is for more snow in the coming days!!

Could Les Houches open early?  We hope so.
Last year it opened on the 6th December.

Snow has arrived at the level of the chalet in Chamonix

We received another 30cm top-up of fresh powder a couple of days ago, and finally the weather has broken, and it is a lovely day today.

Clear skies, a little mist hanging in the Chamonix valley…

It's a beautiful day - the Fiz showing through the clouds

Best of all…  the pistes are empty and the snow is amazing!!

Empty pistes

1m deep snow on our BBQ

Having received approximately two foot of fresh powder here in Chamonix valley in the last couple of days, yesterday we chose to stick around Les Houches and make the most of it.  When it is still snowing, and the visibility is poor,  Les Houches really comes into its own with its tree-lined runs.

We made fresh tracks all over.  Discovering new off-piste routes down the back near the La Cha piste, then skiing down through the trees near Bellevue…   One truly lovely aspect of Les Houches is that the ski area is not steep enough to avalanche – even off-piste.  So, it is a fantastic place to learn how to ski powder snow and off-piste.

Firstly, it has been snowing all day here in Chamonix valley.   Pretty much non stop. 

The few skiers that are out are enjoying off-piste conditions on the local blue run! 

Forget snow melts and Foehn winds.  There is more snow here now than we’ve seen in years!  Amazing. 
The snow plough cleared the chalet driveway this morning at 7:30 – and there is now almost 20 centimetres of fresh snow on it!!

Photo taken 15:20 this afternoon

We were a bit concerned that the local garden centre would sell out of Christmas trees in the next couple of days when most chalet owners get theirs.  So, Helen and I set out down the hill through Les Houches to fetch this year’s Christmas tree.    The roads are amazingly slippy – even with snow tyres. 

In the village, the snow ploughs are busy clearing the roads and pavements.  People are out shovelling their driveways.  It was surprisingly busy.

Having chosen a lovely 2 metre tree, we brought it home.  I love the smell of a fresh Christmas tree – that delicious pine smell lingering…  We got some Holly branches for decorations too. 

Christmas is coming!!

Last Saturday, most of the ski lifts in Chamonix valley and Les Houches closed for the day due to the exceptionally strong Foehn wind.

The Foehn is a wind local to Chamonix valley caused by warm air being pushed up through Italy, over the top of the Mont Blanc massif where it gets pushed down through Chamonix valley.   It can even carry Saharan sand, and leave the normally white glaciers with a distinct red tinge.  Unfortunately, because it is a warm wind, it melts the snow.

It can be a very violent wind. It blew the sledges all over the garden.  It blew some of the decorations off the house.  It blows all the shutters if they are not locked shut.  Annoyingly, it blows the icicle lights up onto the roof where they get stuck (very frustrating!).

and it leaves a big mess.  Everywhere.  On the piste, on the driveway, pieces of twigs and branches everywhere.  It was such a disappointment to have debris all over.  Worse, all the lovely powder melts and transforms into gloopy heavy snow and ice.  It was a bit disappointing to have a strong Foehn before Christmas, especially when we had such an amazing start to the season.

It happens unfortunately, and we can’t do anything about the weather.  Hopefully though, with such a strong Foehn so early in the season, it will mean less debris the next time there is a strong Foehn wind!

Thankfully though, we woke up this morning to find it snowing again…. A good 10-15 centimetres overnight… and it is forecast to snow on and off for the next few days….. which means the pistes will recover their lovely clean Daz white look again.  Excellent news.

Photo from 9:30 this morning...

Yet more snow last night….
… a bit more today…
…. and more expected tomorrow…

Good news!

It has been snowing since last night… and keeps on going….

View towards the Chemin des Aillouds

When it snows, you have two choices: shovel or make snow angels

Maison Jaune garden fence at 10:10 am

Maison Jaune garden fence at 13:37pm

Maison Jaune standard 'bench'mark for measuring snow depth.

Our very own winter wonderland