English Weather, News, and Events - March 30, 2025

Today is looking like it will be a fantastic spring ski day, wth sunshine all morning and only a few high clouds making an appearance, but clearing around midday.
Moderate winds are expected today, blowing  up to 15 kmh from the North West this morning, with gusts at altitude at around 50 kmh and increasing as the day goes on, to around 80kmh this evening.
Temperatures are set to reach a maximum of a spring like 6 degrees in town, and -7 degree on the peaks. The freezing point sits at a high 2300m today so the slush will make a return.
Temperatures at 9 o clock were sitting at -6 degrees on Bellevarde, -5 on the Pisaillas glacier and 3 degrees in town. 

Ski Report:

A wonderful spring ski day is on the cards for you today if you are heading out on to the hill.


In Le Fornet sector, everything will be open today except the piste tunnel which remains closed. Pistes pre-chemin, signal, table d'orientation, pyramides and foret have not been piste bashed.



On the Pissaillas Glacier, everything will be open today and piste Aguille pers and combe du geant has not been bashed.



Up in Solaise everything will open today except the 3000 drag lift which is still closed due to lack of snow.
Pistes Cugnai, the S, Marmottons, have not been bashed. Also keep your eyes peeled for updtes regarding the up and over chair as the wind may cause it to close later.



As for Bellevarde, everything will open including both liasons with Tignes, chairs Tommeuse and Borsat.


There is a chance that piste L and Santons may close later as in this warmer spring weather the avalanche risk is a lot higher. If you are planning on heading down santons keep your eyes peeled for the sign at the top of bellevarde with the updates. You can take epaule du charvet if you are a good skiier, then cut across to the bottom of santons.


The walking and cross country trails are all open today.
The ski touring trails Brinzei in La daille and Ecuriel up solaise are also open.


The avalanche risk is 1/5 today but it is important to always take this seriously and take all safety precastiond if you are planning an off piste adventure.


Dont forget all your avalanche kit, and most importantly make sure you know how to use it properly. Dont be an all the gear and no idea kind of person.
This includes a transiever, shovel and probe.
You could also hire a guide if you are not sure what you are doing! 

This morning, the road surfaces were clear and I think my period of telling you not to fall over on the ice has come to an end as I dont think I could find ice on the pavements if I tried.

Here is the Avaline news for this Sunday, March 30. Today, we take you inside the canine rescue team of Val d'Isère to discover the work of an avalanche dog handler.
Of the 170 avalanche rescue dog teams nationwide, Savoie has around sixty. In Val d'Isère, ski patrollers can also count on their own canine team, consisting of five handler-dog pairs: Sandra and Pitchou, Christophe and Sirus, Martin and Queen, and Magali and Nox. Magali Bonnevie has been a ski patroller and rescuer for 21 years, inspired since childhood by her family, particularly her uncle. After more than ten years of waiting, she was finally able to train as a dog handler in 2017 when a position opened up, coinciding with the birth of Nox, her Border Collie.
In December 2018, Magali and Nox obtained their avalanche dog handler certification. Part of the training is done by the handler alone, while the other part is guided by professional trainers. Nox began his training at just two months old, starting with play, basic obedience, and education, as Magali explains:
"For him, it’s a game. People think that these dogs know they are rescuing someone, but no—they’re just looking for their toy. From a young age, we train them with a special toy, which is simply a small tug with two handles. At first, the toy is left with a volunteer who hides while the dog watches. Gradually, the hiding spots become more challenging, until eventually, the volunteer is completely buried without the dog seeing where they went. The dog then learns that to find its toy, it must detect the scent of a human."
The training lasts one to two years and concludes with a two-week course organized by ANENA (National Association for Snow and Avalanche Studies) in Les Deux Alpes. The key objective is to teach dogs to detect the specific human scent beneath the snowpack, which is much more subtle than surface scents.
"It’s the human scent we focus on, but specifically the one coming from under the snow, which is much harder to detect. That’s why, for safety, skiers should minimize the amount of equipment left on an avalanche site—keep skis and backpacks off the snow—because these can interfere with the dog’s ability to locate victims."
There are also strict guidelines to follow during a canine rescue operation, such as avoiding calling out to the dog, urinating, smoking, or sitting down in the search area. All certified avalanche rescue teams undergo continuous training to maintain their effectiveness. This week, the sixty Savoie teams gathered in La Plagne for a departmental refresher course to renew their operational certification in victim searches.
Avalanche rescue dogs are mostly stationed at emergency posts and are deployed only in case of avalanches, snow slides, or when there is uncertainty about potential victims.
The most commonly used avalanche dog breeds include Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, Border Collies, and mixed breeds. In France, most avalanche dogs are male, whereas in Italy, female dogs are more commonly used in rescue teams.
Key traits sought in an avalanche dog are docility and appropriate size. “They need to be playful and sociable, but not too big. Contrary to popular belief, Saint Bernards are not suitable—they’re too heavy. We often have to carry the dogs on our shoulders to prevent them from tiring before a rescue. Nox weighs around 20 kg, which is ideal. But they can’t be too small either, as they need to navigate avalanche debris and dig when necessary to signal a find.”
During an avalanche rescue, these dog-handler teams prove their worth by significantly reducing search times, where every minute counts. “They impress us every time. Their efficiency depends on the avalanche’s size and the type of snow, as different snow conditions affect how scents travel. For example, during a training exercise in Manchet, we deliberately didn’t use the dogs in the second phase to focus on probe search techniques. But honestly, if we had used them, they would have found the target much faster. Sometimes they’ll suddenly make a sharp 90-degree turn after picking up a scent. Our job is to guide them correctly, position them based on the wind, and keep track of which areas they’ve already searched.”
Outside the winter season, training sessions are held every Saturday in Savoie during autumn. These take place on dry ground, without snow, to maintain and enhance the dogs’ skills. Being an avalanche dog handler is a full-time personal commitment—when they’re not working, these dogs become their handlers’ best friends.