As our home town of Chamonix welcomed it’s first snow last weekend, locals and tourists are tracking weather fronts and pretending to be ‘Snowologist’s’, regurgitating the weather forecast at least three times every hour to anyone who’ll listen. This is what is predicted for us in Chamonix tomorrow.
To me (a non-Snowologist) the above means “tomorrow will be a miserable day, remember to wear a waterproof jacket and sensible shoes, and if I haven’t already I should panic about changing the tyres on the car from Summer to Winter tyres.
But how do we find this information? How do you ask for the most accurate snow forecast? Here’s the top 3 ways in which to find out what you should be wearing tomorrow:
- Ask a Local – A ‘Chamonix Local’ will likely look to the sky and declare the opposite advice to that given from every other forecast you’ve read, and they’ll probably be right! If you’re lucky they will then launch into a history of the Winter seasons covering the past twenty years “that was the year the snow arrived late”.
- Ask a Mountain Guide – It’s their job to know. It’s essential they have the most up to date weather information to allow them to determine the risks of going out on the Mountain with clients. Most Chamonix guides and instructors use Chamonix-meteo, but you’ll find a similar regional site in your area.
- Ask the Internet – Great websites such as Snowforecast, Skiweather and Onthesnow provide 0-3 and 4-6 day forecasts, weather maps that show current conditions, future weather and historical data. If you’re a control freak and need to know for sure, then check out the webcams, most local tourist offices have them installed throughout the area.
In conclusion, see what the day brings and remember whatever the weather forecast be prepared, it’s never a bad idea to have an extra layer, a weatherproof jacket and a beanie in your day pack. Or indeed have a bag of extra layers, a blanket and a few snacks that you leave in the car for emergencies.
On the topic of being prepared, it’s not too early to start your pre-ski fitness, we can ‘definitely forecast’ with certainty you’ll be skiing stronger and for longer after you’ve completed our SkiFit programme.
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