Thanks to the geographical layout of the pistes and the high altitude, snow cover is always reliable, and it’s backed up by La Snow Factory, the largest artificial snowmaking facility in Europe.
A vast ski area with great snow conditions
Val d’Isère offers a vast ski area with great snow and optimal weather conditions for skiing. Temperatures are regularly subzero during the day and/or at night during the entire winter season, as well as in April. This maintains snow cover, even without new snowfalls. The snow is always there! In 2016, this Savoy ski resort had an average snow base of 91cm with fresh snowfall on 53 days. This white gold continues to honour Val d’Isère with its presence, even at the end of spring when is still snows often, mainly above 2000 meters.
Ski all season with the snow guarantee
The snow guarantee allows you to ski almost all year round with a break in May and June and from the mid-July to November. Val d’Isère offers a wide choice of special offers featuring spring and summer skiing. You can ski during the summer in the mornings from June to mid-July on the Pissaillas glacier. A shuttle bus offers transport from the village to the foot of the glacier with all-inclusive ski pass and discount for kids. Don’t miss the opportunity of enjoying summer skiing above 3000 meters.
Snow cover is guaranteed
Cédric Bonnevie is in charge of preparing the pistes and he’s rightfully proud of his grooming operation. It continues around the clock from the end of November until the beginning of May.
‘Different unique factors all come together to give us excellent conditions. When you think of which resort has guaranteed snow, you think of Val d’Isère. For a number of reasons, it’s a reputation that is wholly justified:
“Altitude, certainly, plays the leading role. The higher you go, the more likely it is that any precipitation will fall as snow rather than rain – and there’ll be more of it. With Val d’Isère’s ski area situated between 1800m and over 3000m, we can expect to experience the necessary low temperatures needed for high quality snowfalls.
“The geographical diversity of our pistes – they’re notably north-facing – allows us not only to best retain the snow, but also to ensure this high quality.
“Finally – and importantly – we don’t just get our snowfall from the Atlantic. Our proximity to the Italian frontier allows us to benefit from some exceptionally heavy and highly localised snowfalls. This phenomenon, known as the “retour d’est” occurs whenever precipitation comes up into Italy from the Mediterranean. It dumps copious quantities of snow on the French side of Alpine chain. Invariably, Val d’Isère is the only French resort that benefits from this effect.“
Pierre Mattis, is the Mr Snowmaker of Val d’Isère Téléphériques, the resort’s lift company. He has a deep knowledge of the intricate network of underground pipes that serve the 900 cannons covering some 40% of the ski area. If you’d like to interview Pierre, get in touch with us. Snow cover in Val d’Isère is guaranteed throughout the winter. We offer the most reliable natural snow of any resort in the Alps, backed up by manmade, supplied by the Snow Factory, the largest snowmaking facility in Europe.
Snow cover is still great in the spring
Throughout April, spring skiing here is at its very best. Right up until May Day, you can spend the morning on the mountain in superb conditions before enjoying a relaxed lunch on a sunny terrace and then indulging in a bit of serious après-ski.
