Flooding in Final Week of French Ski Season
Flooding in Final Week of French Ski Season
Published : 07-May-2015 08:30
It's the final week of the ski season in France with only Tignes and Val Thorens still operating their higher runs, both are set to close on Sunday (May 10th).
But warm weather in parts of the French Alps have led to a combination of rapid snowmelt and heavy rain has led to swollen rivers and in some cases flooding
At Avoriaz where the base of the Express du Stade six-seater chairlift has been totally submerged as a result of flooding resulting from an adjacent snowmaking lake bursting its banks.
Although the base of the lift is located 1,500m above sea level, it is in a natural bowl in the landscape and the floodwater was around 7m (24 feet) deep at its peak on Tuesday, touching the wheel holding the chairlift cable.
Water levels are reported to be slowly subsiding at present.
Val Thorens has a 175cm base on upper runs, Tignes 134cm. The latter reported 20cm of fresh snow last Friday May 1st.
There will be no French areas open (or at least, operating lifts) after this weekend until Tignes, Les 2 Alpes and Val d'Isere re-open for summer glacier skiing in June.
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