Up to 1 meter of snow, avalanches, black ice: three departments on orange alert this Sunday

Les automobilistes vont devoir faire preuve de vigilance. MAXPPP – Vincent VOEGTLIN

La Haute-Savoie, la Savoie et l’Isère vont recevoir d’importantes précipitations neigeuses ce dimanche. Mais l’épisode va s’étendre au-delà des massifs montagneux, les autorités appelant les automobilistes à la plus grande vigilance, notamment sur l’A7.

The departments of Haute-Savoie, Savoie and Isère are placed on orange alert for snow, ice and avalanches by Météo France on Sunday, threatened by a snow episode “remarkable” expected until Monday inclusive in the Northern Alps.

In the mountains, nearly a meter of snow is expected in the space of 48 hours above 1,500 meters, and between 40 and 60 cm around 1,000 meters, the forecasting organization indicated in its 4 p.m. bulletin on Saturday. These accumulations are particularly likely to disrupt access to high-altitude resorts, specifies Météo France, and gusts of wind ranging from 80 to 100 km/h on Sunday could cause accumulations of snow in places.

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Mandatory equipment in places

Motorists must exercise “great vigilance” on the roads, be equipped with winter tires and chains for access to certain mountain areas, while limiting travel to “maximum” , the Haute-Savoie prefecture reminds in a press release.

Those taking the A7 motorway from the south of France are urged to “keep informed about the weather conditions before traveling in these regions”, warns Vinci for its part Highways.

Rare avalanche activity

The risk of avalanches will be high from 6 p.m. on the Chablais, Aravis and Mont-Blanc massifs (Haute-Savoie), Haute-Tarentaise, Beaufortain, Vanoise and Maurienne (Savoie), and Belledonne, Grandes Rousses and Oisans (Isère). “large avalanches” will be triggered as snow falls during the night from Sunday to Monday, then during the day on Monday, warns Météo France. They “will be able to reach exposed mountain roads as well as high-altitude infrastructures”.

“The expected avalanche activity occurs on average every 3 to 8 years depending on the massifs concerned“, the organization emphasizes. On Monday, the snowfall will be accompanied by a “strong wind”, and “fresh snow will also settle on a snowpack that has not yet stabilized following previous snowfalls, which could encourage the start of large avalanches”, he adds.

In Occitania, wind, rain… and snow

In Occitania, this Sunday, it is mainly the wind that we will have to be wary of. Gusts of 60 to 80 km/h inland, 80 to 90 km/h on the relief and around the Mediterranean, are expected. In the afternoon, showers will also arrive in Languedoc and, in the Pyrenees, they will give good accumulations, while the rain-snow limit will lower to around 1200 m in the Pyrenees and part of the Massif Central and the Cévennes. Good news for ski enthusiasts, the good weather should then settle in for Christmas.