Meribel opening delayed by one week

This is the snow report from www.merinet.com

Meribel Snow Report: 2nd December 2014

If you have been watching the webcams over the past few weeks you won't be surprised by today's news that the start of the season has been postponed by a week.

The mountainsides have remained stubbornly green throughout November, and the snow which has fallen in the resort has melted quickly. Currently the summits are temptingly white but the resort is snow-free.

The Méribel valley ski area is now expected to open on December 13 by which time we expect to have more snow. The long-range forecast is for lower temperatures from the end of this week which will allow the snow cannons to work. In addition, snow is forecast to fall from Monday onwards, so we should see a much whiter ski area shortly.

Should you be downcast at this news? Not at all…. The pattern of the past few winters has been a late start, followed by abundant snow for the rest of the season. Let's hope this pattern continues and we'll soon be enjoying fabulous powdery conditions similar to the past two seasons.

What if you have already booked a holiday in Méribel starting this weekend? You could drive around to Val Thorens, which already has 22 pistes and 12 lifts open. Courchevel may open a few lifts next week. Or if you prefer to stay in Méribel, the Olympic Centre is open, so you can enjoy the spa, gym, pool and ice rink. Most of the resort bars and restaurants will be open from this weekend and there will be plenty of opening parties to enjoy. Méribel offers plenty of other activities too: pampering, shopping, cinema, walking trails, exhibitions, tourist flights etc.

Oh dear, that's not so good for anyone who was planning on ski-ing in Meribel this coming weekend. If you haven't got a car with you it's not so easy to 'drive around to Val Thorens ...'