Head for the hills: Extreme World Championship in Verbier, balmy weather in the Alps, decent snow in Jura and an affordable new hut in Zermatt

This weekend we won't see fresh snow, but more green

Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Temperatures are warming up nicely on the plain, but it remains cold enough in the mountains for skiers to find good snow. It’s not yet clear what conditions will be like for the Easter school holidays that start in a week, but for this weekend, the skiing is good if you stay above 2,000 metres.

If you’re still on the mountainside at 17:32 Saturday 20 March you can celebrate the first day of Spring there.

Snowpacks are weakening thanks to daytime sun radiation, says the Swiss national avalanche centre in its Friday 19 March bulletin, but avalanche danger is low to moderate.

Weather forecast, snow depth

The snow is disappearing in many areas, which the MeteoSwiss snow depth maps show.

Temperatures of +4C at 2,000 metres means it will continue to go rapidly in the next few days. Temperatures from Geneva to Sion were 13-14C Friday at 11:30, with sunshine everywhere and highs expected to reach 18-19C later in the day. The forecast for the weekend: highs of 17-19C, mostly sunny, some foehn wind in Alpine valleys. MeteoSwiss

Alpine resorts report: night skiing, family races, new Alpine hut and Xtreme!

New Monte Rosa hut above Zermatt (photo, Zermatt Tourism)

The big event this weekend is in Verbier, the fourth and final leg of the Freeride World Tour, the Nissan Xtreme by Swatch Verbier. This is  where professionals put on a breathtaking display at the Bec des Rosses, 3,222 metres, after competitions in the US, France and Russia earlier in the season. The public gathers at Gentianes. For a taste of what to expect this weekend:

Crans-Montana has night skiing Friday 19 March. Leysin has an international curling tournament on this weekend. Villars-Gryon is hosting a Rivella family ski race Sunday 21 March, 10:30-14:00.

Zermatt’s extraordinary new Monte Rose hut, solar-powered and expected to be 90 percent energy  self-sufficient, is being called the most complex wooden construction in Switzerland. It’s open for business, with space available. Prices (cash) range from CHF9 for children to CHF35.50 for non-members over age 18. The hut is part of the Swiss Alpine Club system (SAC).

Crozets, Jura

Jura report by Shirley Curran

Conditions in our ski resorts in the Jura mountains are still excellent. We have a good covering of snow right down to Mijoux and Lélex. The weather has remained cold so that the quality of the snow is good – quite hard but well prepared in the morning, softening to spring snow in the afternoon. The best aspect of all is that the crowds have deserted us. Skiing in the Jura is highly to be recommended at this point in the season. Crozet is open on Wednesday and at the weekends. The other resorts are fully operational.

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