Warm and sunny in Alpe d'Huez

We have barely seen a cloud in the sky for over a week now and the settled weather looks like continuing for the next seven days. We may get a bit of precipitation in the week commencing on Monday, April 1st but, until then, it will be sun, sun and more sun. Much as the summerlike temperatures were lovely, they thankfully dropped off a bit on Monday when afternoon resort highs were a more normal springlike 7ºC. These temperatures look like being the norm for the next seven to 10 days at least. This settled weather is due in the main to a large static area of high pressure that is centered to the west of France, with barometric pressure currently standing at around 1030Mb.

It goes without saying that, at this time of the year, the best of the conditions are to be found on the higher slopes. The lower slopes feature true spring conditions at the moment – firmer in the mornings and growing softer as the day goes on in the wonderful sunshine. It is a lunch-in-a-deckchair time of year – the south-facing terraces of mountain restaurants like Le Spot, La Folie Douce, Chantebise 2100 and La Bergerie are truly spectacular at the moment.

Even after the summer-like temperatures of late, on-piste snow cover still stands at the following:

• Alpe d’Huez (1850m): 135cm
• Pic Blanc (3300m): 200cm
• Auris Station (1650m): 25m
• Auris Signal (2176m): 150cm
• Villard Reculas (1500m): 55cm
• Vaujany (1250m): 90cm
• Oz Station (1350m): 100cm
• Montfrais (1650m): 120cm
• Dome-des-Rousses (2800m): 200cm

Even over the busy weekend, we had the luxury of 96 pistes being open, which were being served by 63 lifts. Lift queues were fairly short and the arrival of Monday has seen them reduce even further – bar the odd bit of congestion at the Marmottes 1 lift, they are generally nice and short. Of the 96 pistes, 30 are green, 30 blue, 23 red and 13 are black.

The famous Sarenne black run is in great condition for its entire 16km length although it does get a bit softer as the day goes on; thankfully, since it is quite shaded in the bottom of the gorge, this is helping to protect the snow condition. Several of the steeper black runs like Balcons, Balme and Combe Charbonniere have the caveat of “bon skieurs uniquement” – good skiers only.

You can still ski all the way to down to 1500 metres in Maronne, Huez and Vaujany which is quite a luxury as the end of March approaches. However, the pistes are getting a bit narrower at the very lowest of elevations.

Although a bit tracked-out, off-piste depths still stand at:

• 3000m: north - 260cm, south - 180cm
• 2500m: north - 230cm, south - 140cm
• 2000m: north - 110cm, south - 70cm
• 1500m: north - 80cm, south - 10cm

The settled weather has seen the avalanche risk stabilise and it now stands at 2/5 across the whole of the ski area.

All 39km of Nordic cross-country skiing ski trails remain open as do the 28km of walking trails. These have been busy in the glorious sunny afternoons when many locals and tourists get out for an afternoont stroll after an early finish on the slopes.

The clocks go forward in France this weekend, as they do in the UK. Today's sunrise was 06:30 and, with sunset at 18:53, we had well over 12 hours of daylight.

As widely reported in the UK news feeds, the “gilet jaune” protests continue in France and are now entering their 20th week. They still show no signs of letting up here although they are, thankfully, peaceful. The protests are becoming part of weekly life on the outskirts of Grenoble and in Vizille (on the way up to resort) and they are continuing to cause a few delays, especially on Saturday mornings (transfer day) – nothing to worry about, but just be aware of the delays they may pose to your drive or airport transfer.