Is Mother Nature drunk?

<Snow-covered tulips in Saint-Jean-deSixt, France>What a funny old season it’s been. January, usually a dry month, buried rocks and trees with metres of snow that just kept on falling. February brought both antarctic cold and French Riviera warmth, causing the rocks and trees to prematurely resurface. March brought out the tulips in my garden, and now April has snowed all over them — consistently. The sun has disappeared.

With the ski resort of La Clusaz due to close fully at the end of April, the locals are getting impatient. Town is quiet, business is slow, and they finally have time to wind down and enjoy some hours on the mountain. Normally, the season ends with at least a few warm, sunny days for us all to enjoy, but not this year. The constant fog and flat light of the past week looks set to continue, much to the dismay of those of us trying to squeeze in as many days skiing as possible.

Yesterday, for example, I was with a friend at the top of La Balme. The fog was thick and we decided to wait to see if it would clear. Ten minutes passed and there was no change, apart from the arrival of another friend with some of his friends grumbling. They were the only ones at the top with us for the whole time we chatted. One of the guys said he wanted to wait with us rather than face the fog. Imagine closing your eyes and trying to walk in a bumpy field without falling over, then add in so many cold, wet snowflakes hitting you in the face that they cause a constant sting, and that’s what the mountain has been like lately. Don’t get me wrong: we were there because the draw of the fresh powder outweighed the stinging faces and uncertainty during foggy moments. The rocks and trees are once again covered. The mountain — when visible through all the fog — looks like early winter, with the promise of great snow coverage for weeks.

<Weather outlook for La Clusaz, France>So, for the first time that I remember, there is too much snow falling in the French Alps! And when May begins, I’m pretty sure a whole lot of us will be looking at the glowing white snow on the closed ski runs and cursing Mother Nature just a little bit for taunting us so. Either that, or we’ll be trying to justify paying ridiculous prices to go to resorts that a high enough to stay open all year round. Zermatt, anyone?

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About

I'm a technical author, journalist and writer from Australia who has been living in Europe since 2000 and exploring the world from there. My passions are writing, snow sports and travel.

5 Comments on “Is Mother Nature drunk?

  1. YES – Mother Nature is so very drunk. After having such a magnificent March I was thoroughly unprepared for this icky April. Every time the sun pops out for more than a few minutes I run to the balcony to bask in it. Ready for real summer!

  2. Yeah, I think I’m ready for summer now. It’s still snowing here which is great for some last-minute skiing/snowboarding, but I’d like to start my vegie patch without it being snowed under!

  3. I’m gutted aout the snow. My season finished early so now I’m sitting at hom, listening to the rain outside and listening to friends in resort tell me its the best snow of the season. It’s funny how the ‘best snow of the season’ always happens when I’m not on the pistes…

  4. Oh no! I know how frustrating it is when there’s snow out there that you can’t get to, but there’s always next year. 🙂

  5. Well, we haven’t had any more snow down in Provence, but I think the weather here is terrible compared to last year. Rainy and windy for weeks now. It’s warm during the day, but cold at night. I am not quite ready for summer, but I would like a nice spring to come around!
    Ashley