Yes, it’s all gone quiet. Too quiet…
It’s been a little topsy-turvy in Verbier the past couple of weeks. The euphoria of the heavy snow back on the 24th and 25th of October was followed by whispers from TeleVerbier that we’d open on the 30th of October.
But the sun came out and it all went up in smoke. So back to the normal opening date of the first weekend in November? Not quite.
The official line was it would all be fine for the scheduled opening and the Wednesday before opening powers-that-be confidently announced announced that we would open on time.
However, in the T-Bar last night there were a few guys who work on the snow cannons claiming that the Foehn wind blowing in that night meant snow couldn’t be manufactured and the existing snow was receding. Fast.
So on the Thursday the lift company changed their line and explained that due to the massive change in the weather Verbier’s opening weekend has been cancelled. Which means disappointment two weeks on the bounce.
But it doesn’t end there. Never does….
After the snow / sun / Foehn came snow again this weekend and on Sunday we were getting excited. Again. But the sun came out and the snow line shot up to Ruinettes again.
Then it snowed. And got cold. And right now it’s not impossible (but by no means certain) that Saturday the 13th will be lucky for some.
But don’t hold your breath…
Is that it?
Well, not according to Felix. Because everybody’s favourite Canadian has – at some length – explained to me that due to the amount of fresh water entering the seas from melting snow caps, the Gulf Stream and the ocean conveyor belt will run slower, bringing less warm weather up to us and creating the coldest winter “for like thousands of years”.
Well, Felix knows his stuff and who am I to argue with him. After all, I was the one banging on about opening resort in October and look where that got me…
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Atlantic_oscillation plus La Nina this year. Don’t listen to Felix…
Rob, I trust every single word he says. I’m also prepared to believe in any Wikipedia page that uses the word “oscillation” in the title. Meanwhile the forecast says a foot of snow at mid station this week… So cross something.