Snow continues to fall in abundance on the massifs this Monday. The situation is expected to last until the end of the day, or even until Tuesday morning in the Pyrenees.
The accumulations cause a risk of avalanche. The Alps, the Pyrenees and Corsica are at least on yellow alert (level 2 out of 4). In the north of the Alps, Isère, Savoie and Haute-Savoie are even on orange alert (level 3 out of 4).
In addition to “large avalanches” likely, according to Météo France, to “reach exposed mountain roads as well as high-altitude infrastructures”, the threat looms in winter sports resorts. During this school holiday period when a significant percentage of French people who leave head for the mountains, Météo France warns against skiing off-piste.
The meteorological agency warns that the situation is dangerous “apart from marked and open slopes”. Particular attention is paid to the Alps, specifically in the Northern Alps.
In this part of the mountain range, the risk of avalanches is “high” in all massifs, that is to say it is 4 on a scale of 5. This means that the conditions are “unfavorable” with “strong instability on many slopes”. “Appreciating danger requires great experience. » Only the Bauges massif is an exception. It is level 3 out of 5 with a “marked” risk. This means that conditions are “partially unfavorable”. On “many slopes”, the instability can be “marked”. “Appreciating danger requires experience. »
In the Southern Alpsthe risk is also 4 out of 5 in the northernmost massifs of the sector. This concerns Thabor, Pelvoux and Champsaur. Elsewhere, the risk is 3 out of 5. It drops to 2 out of 5, “limited”, in Mercantour. As a reminder, even if the risk drops to 1 in 5, or “low”, it is never zero. Off-piste skiing is dangerous by default; the danger level changes depending on snow conditions.
In the Pyreneesthe risk is “marked” (3 out of 5). Only Cerdanya and Canigou are exceptions with a risk of 2 out of 5. Corsethe risk is also “marked”.
Regarding the JuraTHE Vosges and the Massif centralMétéo France warns of a risk of snow slides. They are less violent than avalanches because they are smaller. But they still constitute a danger. In these three massifs, only the Cantal department is spared.
Snow precipitation will lose intensity from this Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning in the west of the Pyrenees. The risk of avalanches should not worsen on Tuesday and could even begin to decrease in certain massifs.
