Les Diablerets, canton Vaud
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Blazing blue skies beckon, and they promise to hold for the weekend. Ski resorts are offering plenty of activities in the run-up to the school ski holidays that are staggered by canton in Switzerland, starting in two weeks.
A word of caution: accidents up
The number of accidents on slopes in France and Switzerland has been unusually high in the past two weeks, in part due to hard snow because of limited snowfalls and thaws followed by freezing.
Col des Mosses, canton Vaud
Some schools have cancelled ski days, not for lack of snow, but as a precaution because of the potential danger, especially for older students who ski on their own.
Use extra caution and be prepared for icy patches.
Avalanches: MySwitzerland’s avalanche warning page offers a useful map and at the moment the danger level is low to moderate throughout the country. If you’re going off-trail, the Swiss national avalanche centre offers more detail.
Weather forecast
Les Diablerets, canton Vaud
Fog on the plain and sunny and mild in the mountains for the weekend: lows of -1C starting Saturday, with highs of 10C, so if you’re planning to ski, get out early in the day before the snow turns soft.
MeteoSwiss, the national weather service, is forecasting falling temperatures, but still relatively mild with highs of 4C, starting next Tuesday 8 February.
Ski resorts: snow reports and what’s on
Jura report, by Shirley Curran
All week we have been skiing on the excellent pistes that have been maintained with artificial snow at Crozet and Lelex in the Jura mountains. There is good skiing right down to 900 metres over at Lelex. The surfaces are hard but the blue, green and red pistes are in fine condition and the sun shines all day up above the layer of stratus that shrouds Geneva.
You can see for yourself at www.monts-jura.com
Swiss Alps
Les Diablerets, canton Vaud
The new snow report won’t make skiers happy: less than 1cm of fresh snow in the past week, for the entire country. Ski conditions are nevertheless good, with enough snow to keep the runs covered and weather cold enough until now to keep it in decent shape.
Alternative weekend winter events
White Turf horse racing on ice
One of the most thrilling winter sports events in Switzerland is the White Turf races in St Moritz, so if you’re heading that way, don’t miss this, Sunday 6 February.
Horses thunder around the frozen lake in the centre of town in this annual race that has been taking place since 1907. For an idea of what to expect, check out last year’s beautiful photos.
Carnival!
The Carneval season has begun, but keep in mind that dates vary from canton to canton and from one town to the next. A good source for information and dates is the Swiss tourism office site, MySwitzerland.
This weekend there are celebrations in Estavayer-le-lac in canton Fribourg, Saturday and a marching band (fanfare) festival in Saas Grund in canton Valais to kick off Carnival, Friday night and Saturday: a good opportunity to discover the excellent skiing in and around Saas Fee.
Reminder to fans of our winter sports reports, that you can find the collection here or by searching, top right for ” weekend winter”
Weather and resort openings, snow sports competiton, Chateaux d’Oex Balloon Festival, cross country skiing
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The weekend is off to a gloriously sunny start, with colder temperatures that will keep the snow in good shape, but winds in some areas that are delaying the opening of ski lifts.
Weather forecast
Chateau d'Oex Hot Air Balloon Festival 2010, photo ©2010 Josh Fassbind
Highs will hover around 0C in western Switzerland with lows of -2, so there will be only small shifts in the temperature.
Occasional snowflakes, but not more, in sight until the middle of next week. The cold bise wind will continue blowing on the plains, including the Lake Geneva area, until Tuesday or Wednesday, so be sure to wrap up with scarves, caps and gloves when you head outdoors.
Canton Valais can expect steady sunshine for the next five days while Jura skies will be partly cloudy, alternating with sunshine and blue skies until early next week. Source: MeteoSwiss, national weather service
Ski resorts
Jura report from Shirley Curran
The news Friday morning is that the ski areas are not opening because of high winds. Keep checking Monts-Jura.com!
From Crozet/Lélex, late Thursday 20 January: Snow has been falling today and, even better, the lower temperatures have allowed our resorts to run the snow-making machinery so that there is a light cover of new snow on the runs that are open. Of course, after all that hot January weather, the number of runs is restricted but there is something open for every level of skier. The slopes were empty today even though we could ski on well-covered runs right down to 900m at Lélex.
Swiss Alps
Les Mosses, end of the afternoon 15 January: snow is packed, but the trails are covered
Snow is surprisingly good after the near-thaw of January as long as you go above 1,800 metres, but even cross country trails at 1,400, such as those at Les Mosses, have decent conditions.
Verbier – Reminder if you’re heading for Verbier to look for the latest news and entertainment ideas from the new radio station, Mountain Radio Verbier at 96.9 FM and online. The station was started in December by former WRS broadcaster Conor Lennon.
Chateaux d’Oex - the big Alpine event this weekend is the International Hot Air Balloon Festival in Chateaux d’Oex, near Gstaad. It’s one of Switzerland’s most colourful winter events and for those who fear their toes will freeze while they stand around watching balloons, there is plenty of hot mulled wine and entertainment, some of which is indoors.
The snow on nearby peaks is thin, but skiing and watching the balloons is possible.
Sun and some snow over Lake Geneva
Lake Geneva Region, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Four towns in the Lake Geneva region: Geneva, Nyon, Payerne and Pully-Lausanne registered today 8 January, some of the warmest temperatures on record for the month. Overall Geneva recorded the highest temperature in the region.
In the Changins-Nyon area temperatures rose to 15˚C breaking the previous record set on 10 January 2007.
In Geneva it was a rather balmy day with temperatures reaching 15.6˚C that is the third highest temperature for the month since 1901. The all-time high for Geneva was set in 1920 when the mercury topped out at 17.3˚C.
Payerne saw the second highest temperature on record since 1978 reaching 14.9˚C.
In Pully-Lausanne the temperature reached 14.2˚C, the third highest for that area; the second highest temperature for Pully-Lausanne was 14.9˚C registered in 2003.
The German-speaking area of Switzerland also benefited from mild weather with some regions well above 17 degrees:
- Zürich-Kloten 14.3°C
- Vaduz 17.5°C
- Basle 16.7°C
- Altdorf 16.5°C
However, in the usually warmer canton Ticino temperatures didn’t get past the 5˚C.
Say goodbye to the sun and the mild temperatures, MeteoSuisse forecasts rain and colder weather in the region on Sunday 9 January with some snow over the St. Bernard Pass and Samedan.
NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory captures a partial eclipse of the sun by the moon, 7 October 2010 (photo: Nasa)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Reminder: a partial solar eclipse will occur Tuesday morning 4 January, reaching its peak at 09:09 in Geneva, minutes later the further east you are in the country. The weather forecast from the Swiss national weather service is for mostly sunny skies Tuesday, but with some fog on the plain that could affect viewing. The view should be better in the mountains, as long as the rising sun is not obscured by high peaks in your area.
Related story in swissinfo
Tips from Nasa in the US on photographing and filming a solar eclipse
Christmas holiday traffic is upon us! Weather forecast, resort updates, traffic planning alerts
Skier Lara Gut signs with new sports agency
Photos by Keepps on flickr, Nyon 17 December 2010 set
Nyon, early Friday morning 17 December (photo, Keepps on flickr)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – School ends for the Christmas break in neighbouring France Friday 17 December and in some German states, while Vaud and Geneva finish at the end of the school day Thursday 23 December (complete list of Swiss school vacation dates) – note corrected dates. The mountains have snow; the snow cover is not deep, but more is promised. Expect traffic on the roads! The women’s World Cup ski season will see some chilly racing this weekend in neighbouring France’s Val d’Isère resort, with temperatures at -10C Friday morning and -14 at nearby Tignes. The snow is in good condition, with 103cm at the top and 40 at 1,850 metres.
Swiss skier Lara Gut announced Friday noon that she has signed a contract with a new Swiss agency, Pool Position, to help develop her reputation nationally and internationally. “This close collaboration, coordinated by my private team, will ensure how my reputation is built, both as an athlete and a private individual.”
Pool Position is a recently developped partnership, based in Zurich, between Ringier, Switzerland’s largest media company, and the German firm Kick-Media AG. The company advises clients in several fields: film, TV, theatre, fashion, music, sports and show business.
Gut was suspended for two races at the end of December for repeatedly ignoring warnings about wearing team clothing and for publicly criticizing the Swiss women’s team coach. She performed well during pre-race runs Thursday, coming in 8th overall and first for the Swiss. She is making her comeback this season after a hip injury followed by surgery last season. Val d’Isère is where Gut charmed the sports world in February, winning two World Cup silver medals at only age 17.
Weather forecast
Snow that began falling 16 December is expected to end by noon Friday in most areas, continuing a bit longer in the Jura and Swiss Alps. Saturday: changeable weather, but cold, ranging from -8C to a high of -1C on the plain and -16C to -7C in mountain resorts. Sunday: warmer, highs around 0C, with snow starting again, but the snowline gradually rising to 500-800 metres. GenevaLunch weather page
Winter resort news
Brought to you earlier than expected! Lifts opening, safety, weather, cars, new radio
La Loge, Jura, November 2010 (photo, Pauline, JC Cusin)
Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Our first real winter sports bulletin at GenevaLunch was scheduled for Friday 3 December, but the skies opened, the snow fell, the lift operators cheered, and we’ve decided to offer this to you earlier than planned. Visit us regularly on Fridays from now until April for our weekly weather and news linked to the Alpine world and winter sports.
Ski resorts open
A good starting place for information about Swiss ski resorts, if you’re unfamiliar with them, is the Swiss Tourism Office web site, which has a wealth of information. Note that historically their information about snow conditions is not up to date for all resorts, but maybe 2010-11 will see a change.
Jura
A number of ski resorts have already opened but be sure to check before you head there. The Jura, which has had snow steadily for over a week, already has a good base.
La Loge, Jura, November 2010 (photo, Pauline, JC Cusin)
The Monts Jura area issued this notice before Tuesday night’s fresh 20-plus cm of fresh snow: “Because of the recent snowfalls, the Monts Jura website is announcing the early opening of some of its installations. This weekend, there will be installations operating with reduced personnel at the Col de la Faucille and Crozet/Lélex and pistes open at La Vattay. Depending on snow conditions, these are the ones that will be running:
La Faucille: Télécombi and the Myrtilles skilift
Lélex: Catheline télécabine, the Loges six-place high-speed chairlift (if there is adequate snow at the summit), the Monthoisey skilift, Crozet Fierney télécabine, Télécorde, the Bergers chairlift
Vattay: Verte de la Vattay, Bleue de la Puthod, Petite Grand and Grande Grand, Noire de Divonne and Verte du Plateau.
Valais, Vaud
Lake Geneva area and plains expected to get 10cm fresh snow Wednesday
Cosmos prediction, snow during 24 hours starting Wednesday 1 December, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The cold air dominating regional weather Tuesday 30 November is setting the stage for what is heavy snow by Lake Geneva region standards, with the forecast calling for 10-20 cm of fresh snow Wednesday.
Lausanne and Bernese Alps, seen from Lavigny, canton Vaud, 29 November 2010
MeteoSwiss‘s warning bulletin says snow will start Tuesday during the night and will fall throughout the day Wednesday.
Highs of -1C are expected in most of western Switzerland.
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Snowman Monday in Etoy, canton Vaud, Switzerland: he'll soon get a new white cape, warmer and thicker
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La Faucille, Jura (photo, ©2010: Shirley Curran)
Geneva / Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Snow began to make a serious appearance in the Swiss Alps and the Jura mountains over the weekend, leaving the first layers that are needed for a good skiing base. Jura skiers were already out Saturday and Sunday 20-21 November, at La Faucille. Cross-country skiers from the Lausanne area began training, while in Saas-Fee early season skiers have been having fun for a couple weeks.
GenevaLunch Friday 3 December begins its popular Friday winter weather and snow sports reports. Here’s a warm-up:
Geneva has a skiing first!
The Monts Jura will be hosting a women’s event, the FIS Coupe d’Europe de Ski Alpin Dames. This major event in the skiing calendar is coming to Geneva for the first time. The success of the Monts Jura resort in hosting the French championship competitions in 2009 and 2010 encouraged the European cup organizers to plan one stage of their competition there. The Swiss Ski Federation will be organizing Friday’s Super-Géant race and the French Ski Federation the Super-Combiné on Saturday in Crozet-Lélex, less than half an hour from the centre of Geneva.
Exceptionally, on Friday 11 February, skiers will be able to buy their day pass for 1€ at the Crozet lift. Pedestrians will be able to watch 140 world class skiers, travelling via Lélex on the Friday and the Saturday, also for 1€. Details on the Monts Jura web site.
Winter tires and chains reminder
Vercorin, canton Valais, Switzerland 21 November 2010, snowy peaks above village
Winter tires are not obligatory in Switzerland, but if you are in an accident and your summer tires or winter tires with worn treads are considered a factor, your insurance company and the judge might see fit to give you the bill.
France does not require them either, although some mountain districts do. Austria and Italy are the same. Winter tires are obligatory in Germany.
Make an appointment now, if you don’t yet have winter tires or want someone to change them for you, as garages get very busy with this work by the end of November.
Weather forecast for holiday weekend: little rain, relatively cool
Dawn 28 July, Swiss Alps
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) - The best place to watch firework 1 August 2010 might be Lake Geneva, about the only place in the region not suffering from dryness and fireworks bans.
Canton Vaud announced Wednesday 28 July that fireworks are banned, effective immediately, although communes will be allowed to go ahead with their national day explosive festivities, under the close supervision of fire departments.
Fireworks on the lake are allowed, the canton notes.
Weekend weather for the holiday: western Switzerland should have temperatures of 12-25C through Sunday, with only small amounts of rain on Thursday and Sunday, otherwise dry and sunny to slightly overcast. For current and local weather, be sure to check GenevaLunch’s weather page, provided by the Swiss national weather bureau, MeteoSwiss.
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The only cloud in the sky at dawn Wednesday - not much rain there!
The sun rose and the moon set at nearly the same time in the Alps 28 July
Be sure to check the weather on GenevaLunch before you leave home this weekend.
Jet d'eau in Geneva, viewed from Genthod, rain falling
Bol d'Or 2009, waiting in Montreux, for boats to arrive
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – There is no shortage of events for sports fans this weekend, on TV but also live and in the region. The World Cup is on, of course: be sure to read our Geneva Living blog for big screen locations throughout the Lake Geneva region.
Bol d’Or: sails go up for 10:00 race start!
The big local event is the beautiful Bol d’Or sailing competition, with hundreds of boats in different classes doing the Geneva-Lausanne-Geneva loop. The races start at 10:00 Saturday morning, so check the wind or better, yet, check the race’s virtual tracking page to see where the boats are at a given moment, if you want to find a good spot for watching them. The Bol d’Or has a new video (12 minutes) with the history of the race, which began in 1939.
The weather forecast for Geneva: cloudy changing to partly cloud, high of 25C Saturday, slightly warmer Sunday, when the race normally finishes. Reminder: GenevaLunch now has a weather page with five day forecasts.
Tour de Suisse underway in Lugano
The Tour de Suisse cyclists warm up for the mountains by doing a 7.6km loop around the Lugano area Saturday, before starting the first big run Sunday, 167.5km from Ascona in canton Ticino, over the Simplon pass to Sierre, canton Valais. The race is normally covered by TSR but this year it is on at the same time as the World Cup, so if you aren’t on the route, watching it live, you’ll have to content yourself with roundups on TV and TSR coverage online. You can pick up the live ticker on the Tour de Suisse web site.
Wild winds on Lake Geneva Thursday afternoon created beautiful streaks of colour (photo: obwoodman on flickr, reproduced with permission)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The weather will get a bit warmer every day and there are so many things to do you’ll have a tough time deciding. Welcome to early summer, that season when the pools are open but the kids are still in school, the big music festivals haven’t yet kicked off, World Cup fever is still limited to speculation, and our friends haven’t dispersed to far corners of the world for vacation.
GenevaLunch tips to get the most out of the weekend
- be sure to check the weather forecast on our weather page, for Geneva and Zurich (maps for all of Switzerland)
- our events calendar is bursting at the seams, so look there to see what’s going on in the Lake Geneva region now, and to plan ahead, for example for a summer’s worth of fun in Lausanne
- head for a great cafe and do one of our new crosswords by local crossword designer Chalicea, whose other work is published internationally (you can do them online or print out and do them by hand)
- enjoy our blogs, which give you another view of life in the region, and note that we’re opening up our food blog, now called Savouring Switzerland, to a group of writers.
Vines blossoming in Aubonne 20 May
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The weather is finally starting to warm up, and if you’re not yet checking our new five-day forecasts from the national weather service, you can find them on our new weather page. This is the big Open Days for wines in Vaud: don’t miss our guide and suggestions for wineries to visit.
And if wine is not what you’re after, there is plenty more to do, so check our very popular events listings, the editors’ picks! Enjoy the sun.
View from the train, Bern to Lausanne, April 2010
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The long Ascension weekend, 13-16 May, where many people take Thursday and Friday off work, starts this evening. Expect heavy traffic and damp weather at the outset, but the rest of the week should show some improvement in western and southern Switzerland, but do carry your umbrellas.
Traffic forecast from the Swiss federal highway department, Ascension weekend
Expect more wind and plenty of rain in Lake Geneva region
Wisteria in Bernex, still on the vines, but not for long with Tuesday's wind
Wind, egg out of nest, fly into egg to eat supper: nature at work on a windy Geneva day
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The wind blew and blew in the Lake Geneva region Tuesday 4 May, with the national weather service predicting slightly less wind Wednesday on the plains and near the lake.
Rain is forecast to continue for the rest of the week, but alternating with sunny spells starting Thursday. Temperatures in the range of 6-12C, up to 15C in canton Valais, with the snow line remaining at 2,000 metres.
The Tribune de Geneve reports that the high winds are taking their toll on birds’ nest in Geneva, including a pair of swans nesting near the Hotel Wilson, whose seven eggs spilled out when waves hit the nest.
Geneva’s bird centre has been busy accepting calls for help with stranded or injured birds, according to the Tribune. The phone number: +41 79 624 33 07.
View from the train, Bern to Lausanne, April 2010
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Temperatures in the Lake Geneva region for the 1 May weekend will range from 12-23C, but skies will offer a mix of sun and rain. The pollen count remains high throughout the region, so pack tissues if you’re heading out.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – For those of you still on vacation after the long Easter weekend, this is the day to go outside and soak up some sunshine, before this brief fling with spring disappears. Temperatures in the Lake Geneva region will be 17-19C Tuesday, but will fall to 15 Wednesday and 11-13C by Thursday. The bise, a cold north wind, is expected to start later in the week, mainly on the plain.
Ski touring groups in the mountains are warned to expect snow down to 1,600m starting Wednesday. A group of ski tourers were rescued by a helicopter over the weekend after they were caught by snow as they were en route from Chamonix, France, to Fouly in canton Valais, Switzerland. They dug an igloo for the night and were nearly snowed in but were able to call for help. Poor visibility hampered their rescue but a brief clearing allowed the helicopter to lift them out.
Details, MeteoSuisse (Fre)
Weather forecast, Jura and Alps reports, Easter weekend traffic information
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Snowline in Valais, near Leukebad
Fresh snow above Aminona, Valais 31 March 2010
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The long Easter weekend is starting and school holidays in Switzerland are well underway: expect traffic jams on the road but a good mix of vacation options once you’re off the road.
Weather forecast
Highs ranging from 9-11C in the Lake Geneva region this weekend, with some rain Saturday, sunshine alternating with overcast skies Sunday. The weather should become more springlike by Tuesday, with temperatures reaching 16C and sunshine. (MeteoSwiss)
Road traffic forecast
Car-gazing, sailing on Lake Geneva or skiing this weekend: you choose
We’ll start with some photos, to help the choice
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Iced-up boat in Versoix near Geneva, 10 March 2010 (photo Peter Brodbeck)
Geneva Motor Show 2010 (image: Mr Kio)
Jura near Geneva, 10 March 2010 (photo: Shirley Curran)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The sun is shining, slopes are gleaming, the ice around the edge of Lake Geneva is melting and the wind has finally died down after a week’s drubbing. Skiing beckons, all the more so with Swiss skier Carlo Janka putting in a spectacular performance in Germany Friday morning, winning the World Cup’s Crystal Globe for the most points all season.
Weather forecast
Pull out your skis, but keep the warm clothes, including that rarity in the Swiss Alps, thermal underwear, handy. Friday and Saturday mostly sunny with highs of 5C on the plain and 7C in canton Valais, -8C at 2,000 metres. Sunday sunny to partly cloudy, temperatures the same.
Good news once you’re off the slopes: it should warm up to 10C Tuesday and 15C Wednesday. Welcome March spring weather!
Alpine resorts
It’s the winding down season, but the slopes are in good shape with recent snow and cold weather keeping it powdery.
Events in Alpine resorts this weekend: Read more…
Snowbikes, World Cup races, good snow in the Jura
Crans-Montana, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The season is winding down, but there is still plenty of good snow around. And with the Geneva Motor Show pulling in thousands of visitors, the slopes might be less crowded. The big news this weekend is World Cup Skiing, with the women competing in Crans-Montana.
Weather forecast and snow conditions
Bundle up and don’t fall into the trap of thinking that longer days means warmer weather: not in March in the Alps!
Traffic and weather forecasts, history of skiing show, horses on ice, motorcycle fair and other good train deals, horses on snow, giant greeting card
Plenty of snow in the Jura! February 2010 (photo: Shirley Curran)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – This weekend it is Geneva residents who head for the ski slopes en masse, with school holidays the week of 22 February. Expect crowds in all Swiss and nearby French resorts.
History of skiing and extraordinary collection of old skis – don’t miss it!
Conthey history of ski exhibit, Coop centre
Ski collection of Laurent Donze, more than 2,000 skis showing centuries of history
The newly redone large Coop in Conthey, two minutes off the autoroute in the heart of a large shopping complex, is home to an extraordinary collection of skis until 28 February. This is a must-see exhibit which recounts the history of skiing from ancient times, put together by Laurent Donzé, who has been president of the Swiss Cross Country Ski Federation. He told GenevaLunch he began collecting skis more than 30 years ago and he now has over 2,000 skis in his collection.
If you think downhill skiing began with the arrival in Switzerland of the British, you might find history shows it is a bit more complicated than that. The exhibit is well documented and illustrated, but the skis themselves offer a reminder of how the need for skis and their designs have changed.
Weather forecast
Rain mixed with snow Friday afternoon on the plain. Snow down to 700 metres in Alpine and Jura areas. Saturday: gradually clearing on the plain, with highs of 4-5C,. Snow Saturday in the Alps, with highs of 9C in the Alps due to warming foehn winds. Winds moderate on western edge of the Alps.
Traffic forecast
Geneva begins its vacation, but so do 10 other cantons Friday 19 February, so TCS warns that traffic will build during the afternoon. The area around Lausanne and heading towards Valais, around the Glion tunnel, are expected to be the worst-hit areas. List of expected heavy traffic areas and time, TCS. For current traffic advisories: TCS in French and the federal truck site in English. Reminder for drivers leaving Geneva: expect delays around Nyon and Gland due to roadworks that continue until 25 February.
Alpine resorts
Update 13 February: this is beautiful Swiss snow on Saturday!
Video (and skier): Anton Muller, at Bec Rond, Entremont, canton Valais, Switzerland (his photos and film clips on flickr)
Carnivals, cold, the down side of off-piste, Verbier and Jura reports
Verbier's February snow! (photo: Jessica Evans)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Glorious snow, biting cold in some places some of the time: call it winter in Switzerland! This weekend promises to be one of the best, with good crowds on the slopes, carnival starting in many areas, conditions great for skiing, sledding, ice-skating and more.
Weather forecast
Vaud ski vacation week starts, heavy snow expected, Jura primed for the crowds
Hot news from cool resorts: Crans-Montana, Verbier, Villar
Crozets, France 20 January 2010 (photo: Shirley Curran)
Update 17:25 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The snow is pouring down, even at the lakefront, and the mountains are promised buckets of it for the weekend, so pull out warm clothes that will keep you dry, whether you are going to the corner store or heading for the hills.
This is the start of the Vaud school vacation week, and nine other cantons plus some German regions start their holidays, so expect crowds on the road Friday night and Saturday morning.
The first carnivals are beginning in some German-speaking areas: this is celebrated over a period of weeks, with dates staggered from one area to another in Switzerland. Also note that Ticino received heavy snow on Friday and although the weather is expected to quickly warm up, some roads will be difficult.
Peak traffic hours are expected to be from 16:00-20:00 Friday and 08:00-15:00 Saturday, heading in the direction of Bern and Valais, according to the Swiss federal Highway Office. Good sources of information about the current traffic situation are Touring Club Suisse (TCS) and the federal road alerts for truck drivers. TSR, French language TV, also has a good map with accident and heavy traffic alerts. TCS also had a predicted traffic map showing heavy traffic areas for the weekend.
If you’re planning future road trips, you might want to check the new TCS web page that lists all the public holidays in Swiss cantons.
TCS offers an excellent course in winter driving, especially focusing on how to behave in snowy and icy conditions. Details
Weather forecast
Top of Saleve peaking out above Geneva's fog, 23 January 2010 (Photo: Obwoodman on flickr)
Highs of 4C Friday and Saturday falling to 3C Sunday, with snow falling to 500-1,000 metres Friday, 600-800m Saturday, with heavy clouds over much of the plains.
Weather risks to civil aviation in WMO meeting
Geneva, Switzerland and Hong Kong, China (GenevaLunch) – The Geneva-based WMO (World Meteorological Organization) is bringing together about 150 national weather services experts for a week of meetings in Hong Kong, China, to review how to help the airline industry. Modern air travel is in need of more timely and more accurate weather data to improve safety, according to the WMO. The meeting, which starts 3 February, includes aeronautical meteorologists and aviation industry representatives.
Three-quarters of air traffic delays and almost half of the accidents to aircraft are weather-related. The probable increase of extreme weather events will increase the risk to aviation, argues the WMO.
Dusk at 1,100 metres in Valais, Switzerland Friday: snow falling, icy roads, few cars
Snow falling steadily, but snowplows quickly clear even secondary Swiss mountain roads.
Snowfall, dusk, Swiss Alps 20 January
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Update 19:20 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Weather forecasters in the Lake Geneva region had it right: snow began to fall Friday afternoon on the plain in the Lake Geneva region and more heavily in the mountains.
Given the cold weather and cold ground, the snow is likely to accumulate faster than usual, they said, suggesting traffic problems around rush hour Friday.
They had that right as well, with icy roads throughout the region by 16:00.
Cars were slipping on the snow-covered icy roads even at low altitudes and the only happy cars above 800 metres were those with chains or four-wheel drive vehicles.
Salt supplies are running low in most cantons, so plows will be out, but some back roads may not be de-iced as quickly as usual.
The snowfall is good news for resort areas, though, with good accumulations by late afternoon Friday, even along the Rhone, at the base of roads leading up to Vaud, Bern and Valais resorts.
The state of the AI en route to the mountains, glorious Jura snow
Weekend walk and circus special in Nyon, Swiss skiers and boarders
Jura (Crozet) Wednesday 20 January (image: S Curran)
Crozet with blue skies - Geneva in the fog below
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - It’s January, so expect a mix of Spring moments and sudden snow showers on the lakefront but pure winter goodness in the mountains this weekend.
Wednesday it snowed in Nyon and along the lakefront, throughout the week the Jura has thrived, as large amounts of the white stuff came down, and the Alps have had sunshine again after gloomy spells.
The road out of town
If you’re heading out of the Geneva area to the Swiss Alps be aware that this is the first weekend when the new A1 autoroute signaling system is open, adding a third lane in each direction between Morges and Lausanne. The system is very easy to follow and there have been no accidents since it was put in place Monday, but you do need to drive attentively, with other drivers sometimes surprised to find the system there. It operates only in the afternoons, until Monday 25 January when it goes into use full-time.
Weather forecast
Cars on trains, north-south Kandersteg-Loetschental link
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Snow began falling steadily down to 500 metres in the central Alpine areas in Switzerland, Monday evening 28 December, adding to travelers’ slowdowns that started over the weekend. Saturday was the annual heavy car traffic day in Swiss resort areas, with day skiers joining people who were starting or ending weekly rentals during the highest period of the year, Christmas to New Year’s.
Lines of cars several kilometres long formed Saturday late in the afternoon, coming down from Swiss ski resorts in canton Bern, mixing with north-south European traffic. The north-south piggyback (cars on trains) shortcut between Kandersteg and Goppenstein, a 15-minute tunnel trip through the Alps, has been moving several trains an hour filled with cars, since Christmas. The wait on Saturday was about 20 minutes, with the system working efficiently.
Sites with current traffic data: TCS automobile club, maps (Fre), TSR/swisstxt map and Swiss federal site for truck drivers
Link: Goppenstein train for cars and MeteoSwiss weather forecast for Switzerland
Britain continues to suffer travel woes linked to cold, snowy, icy weather, with flights cancelled on the busiest travel day of the year, 23 December, trains suspended and icy road warnings out for much of the country, reports The Times, UK. The national weather service is forecasting improvements starting Christmas Day, 25 December. Meanwhile, Liverpool airport was forced to close, a Ryanair plane skidded off a runway but caused no injuries, and a record 116,000 motorists were helped by the Automobile Association.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Ascension, Thursday 21 May, is officially a holiday in Switzerland and France. Friday is also taken off work and school by those who “make the bridge,” or faire le pont between the holiday and the weekend.
The weather on the long weekend will be variable tomorrow, according to Meteo Swiss, some showers possible in the evening, and highs of 25-27°C. Weather for the weekend will be much the same. Picnics may be rained on. The French weather service, Meteo France, agrees.
Traffic is another constant. TCS predictions for motorway traffic are given for the holiday and the following three days, based on experience. Traffic in all of the usual places, but times are given for jams, to help drivers avoid them. TCS gives a number for members to call, +41 22 417 2424, or +41 0900 57 1234 for everyone else, for specific traffic information (86 centimes/minute).
For France, there is realtime traffic information on the autoroute network, in English.
Enjoy your weekend and drive with care!
View at dusk from Celigny, Vaud, 12 March 2009
Lake Geneva region (GenevaLunch) – Plenty of snow awaits those who look with longing up at the Alps and Jura, now that the sun has been shining and skies are clear enough to see the white peaks in all directions.
Image: click to view larger
Weekend weather from MeteoSwiss
Partly cloudy to sunny around Lake Geneva and sunny in Valais Friday, with lows of 0C and highs of 12C near Geneva and 13C in the Alps.
