Global Warming And Snow

Given the historic snow record of the last 2 years, skiers are only interested in the higher climes, and who can blame them?

Looking into the next 10 years, the European Economic Union has warned property developers that a resort with skiing below 1500 metres will be deemed unviable propositions for lenders.

The future effects of global warming will undoubtedly cause a slight rise in average temperatures, but the long term weather outlook is that there will be a rise in precipitation too. This is good news for resorts above 1350 metres, because between December and April this precipitation will turn to snow. Ultimately we are in for a positive outlook for the future, so long as skiers steer clear of the low and unreliable resorts.

Our advice for any pre season or Christmas skiers would be to aim for a premium French resort with at least 70 percent of its skiing above 1500 metres.

Happily the French realise the importance of early season and Christmas skiing, (especially for the British market), and so they are investing in new techniques to retain and create snow, and quell any worries about the future of European ski holidays.

All premium French resorts now have snow canons that pump water from lakes and spray it into the cold air to form crystallised snow which, once groomed, is as good as the real thing. They are also preparing the ground so that it freezes fully in November to the critical 18cm depth required to hold a base layer. Without this base layer, snow cover will remain inconsistent for the season.

They are also perfecting their grooming techniques to store low altitude snow up high, so that it will remain intact given a later season rise in temperatures.

If you want to ensure good snow cover for your ski holidays then consider resorts such as Tignes, Val d'Isere, Val Thorens, Les Arcs 2000, Chamonix and La Plagne. These are the highest resorts in France which have the most snow sure and best kept slopes that ensure excellent skiing right up until the end of April.

Resorts to avoid are the Eastern European resorts and less well-known ski areas. The rise in popularity of these resorts has stemmed from the relative in-expense of property and the low cost of living. The eagerness of the larger Tour Operators to offer cheap skiing has resulted in an over saturated market, because most skiers are fortunately savvy enough to realise the poor snow records that hold in these areas.

Sadly I hear that many Travel Agencies are selling bargain ski holidays in Eastern resorts to the unassuming novice skier, but then if you take the advice of a travel agent who has never even seen these resorts, (let alone set foot on snow), you are destined to fall foul of their ill advice.

Resist the temptation for ski deals to these low and unreliable areas, take the advice of a niche (independent) Operator, and remember that like everything is life, you certainly get what you pay for!