 Poster: A snowHead
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We're off to France in late March.
Generally we go early January so not sure of conditions in March.
Can anyone please advise the best snow sure resorts?
We're snowboarders who like to find powder wherever we can.
Thanks
Rob
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In late March you will have no probs anywhere.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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bondirob1, what Layne said - probably. As a rule of thumb if you pick a resort with plenty of pistes over 2,000m you'l be fine. Whether you get powder or not depends on snowfall at the right time wherever you are, of course...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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bondirob1, well you are beginning to get into spring skiing and it's not the best time of the season in Europe to chase powder. Most places should have got and retained good cover by then. South facing slopes should begin to be properly springlike - crusty in the morning, soft-slushy in the afternoon.
Great time of year, start a little later to let things soften up, ride till they're too soft, long sunny lunch.
And you just might get powder.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Late March you should have loads of good skiing in any of the well known resorts - fresh powder is just the luck of the draw at any time of the year!
If you're concerned look for somewhere with a glacier and plenty of runs above 2000m - Paradiski, Espace Killy, 3 Valleys, Deux alps etc etc.
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bondirob1, welcome to snowheads.  The aspect of slopes can be more important than altitude - and it's good to have a choice. But a lower resort with a good choice of aspect, especially north facing slopes for the afternoons can be a better prospect than somewhere quite high but with predominantly south-facing slopes.
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| Quote: |
| You are beginning to get into spring skiing and it's not the best time of the season in Europe to chase powder |
I've skied four or five days at Tignes/Val Thorens in late April/May Day weekend every year since 2008 - and have had skied fresh powder on more than half those trips. Depends on the weather of course but:
- The statement above is too much of a generalisation - you can't write off the whole of Europe for powder in March!
- If there is precipitation in Europe in March, it will fall as snow if you are high enough up  .
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I've skied till the end of the season in a low resort for the last ten years. However, I would say that although there is often great new snowfall in late March it doesn't hang around in good nick for as long as it does in mid January.
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You should be fine in most resorts in March but have a look at Avoriaz, Les Contamines, Val Thorens, Tignes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thank you all for your replies I've been to Tignes before and loved it but I do like to go somewhere different every year so I'll check out some of the other resorts you mentioned.
Avoriaz is somewhere I've always fancied partly because its near to Geneva but I have heard good things about it.
If I go to Tinged it will be a good excuse for a day in St Foy which I love.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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mountainaddict, uh?
Ok. Which is the best month to be chasing powder?
Would you consider "January is not the best month for sunbathing in the south of France" to be a generalisation?
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| Quote: |
Would you consider "January is not the best month for sunbathing in the south of France" to be a generalisation?
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I would think it the best month, or possibly December. The UV radiation will be at the lowest and hence the probability of getting skin cancer the lowest so surely it is the best month if you have to sunbathe.
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You know it makes sense.
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Think vitamin D deficiency.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Im crossing fingers for March also. Planning on about the 12th (after schools go back) until end of March in the PDS (Morzine, Avoriaz etc)
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Poster: A snowHead
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under a new name, the southern Alps resorts reliably get fresh snowfall and powder in April.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lizzard, yeah, so do the Northern Alps. But if you are so confident, exact dates of best snowfall please?
By what I mean is, in general, are you more or less likely to have a powder fall, particularly one that stabilises and stays light in January or late March?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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under a new name uh?
This whole thread follows an enquiry about the possibility of snowboarders finding powder in March - and not about how long the powder stays in epic condition. That's something that you have brought (somewhat extraneously) into the thread. Of course powder stays in better nick in January than in late March.
Perhaps I should have preceded my comment regarding generalisation (which I stand by, by the way) with the words 'In my experience and in my opinion...' ie:
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| 'In my experience and in my opinion the statement above is too much of a generalisation - you can't write off the whole of Europe for powder in March! |
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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mountainaddict, you misunderstand. You are more likely to get powder in the first place in January than March. And in January it's more likely to last more than a morning. But March skiing can still be really rather delightful and arguably corn can be more fun than powder. Depending.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Are you two still at it 
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