Snow and Ice hits France

Neige : sept départements du Sud-Est placés en vigilance orange jusqu’à dimanche. Seven departments in the South East placed on orange alert for snow.

Il s’agit du Cantal, de l’Isère, de la Loire, de la Haute-Loire, de la Lozère, de la Savoie et de la Haute-Savoie.

They concern Cantal, de l’Isère, de la Loire, de la Haute-Loire, de la Lozère, de la Savoie et de la Haute-Savoie.

Une déneigeuse à Saint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie), le 19 septembre 2018.
Une déneigeuse à Saint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie), le 19 septembre 2018. (PASCAL DELOCHE / PHOTONONSTOP / AFP)

Soyez prudents si vous vous trouvez près du Massif central ou des Alpes. Sept départements des régions Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes et Occitanie ont été placés en vigilance orange “neige-verglas”, samedi 2 février, par Météo France. Il s’agit du Cantal, de l’Isère, de la Loire, de la Haute-Loire, de la Lozère, de la Savoie et de la Haute-Savoie. La fin de la vigilance est prévue dimanche à midi. Take care if you are looking to get close to the Massif Central or the Alps..

Seven departments in the regions Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes et Occitanie (Languedoc/Roussillon) were put on Orange alert for “Snow and Ice” today Saturday 2 February. ( Cantal, de l’Isère, de la Loire, de la Haute-Loire, de la Lozère, de la Savoie et de la Haute-Savoie.) The alert is expected to extend until Sunday mid-day.

Météo France évoque un “épisode neigeux à basse altitude pouvant engendrer des cumuls significatifs sur le réseau routier primaire et les agglomérations du Puy-en-Velay et de Saint-Etienne”. “Les cumuls de neige sur l’épisode atteignent 5 à 10, localement 20 cm, à partir de 400-500 m, précise l’organisme de prévisions. Au-dessus de 800-1 000 m, les accumulations pourraient atteindre 20 à 40 cm sur le sud du Massif central.”

Météo France mention a “snow event at lower altitudes leading to significant accumulations on major roads and built up areas in Puy-en-Velay et de Saint-Etienne” (Auvergne, regions 42 and 43). There will be 5 to 10 cms of Snow falls and locally reaching 20 cms from 400 to 500 metres altitude suggested the weather forcast. Above 800 to 1,000 metres 20 to 40 cms can be expected in the south of the Massif Central. 

Alpes-Maritimes : la neige rend l’accès difficile à Isola 2000.

Dans les Alpes-Maritimes, l’accès à la station d’Isola 2000 est très difficile, samedi 2 février, à cause des chutes de neige.

“La neige tombe en ce moment à Isola (Alpes-Maritimes)”, rapporte le journaliste de France 3 Jean-Bernard Vitiello, en duplex sur place, samedi 2 février. “Ce n’était pas difficile jusqu’à Isola Village, mais dès qu’on a commencé à monter dans les lacets vers Isola, c’est devenu plus difficile. On a rencontré des automobilistes en dérapage, obligés de mettre les chaînes. Évidemment, c’était la galère, comme d’habitude pour mettre les chaînes. On a les mains gelées, on n’y arrive pas, on s’énerve. Heureusement que les déneigeuses passent régulièrement et permettent aux automobilistes de monter jusqu’à Isola”, explique-t-il.

“The snow has started to fall at Isola (Alpes-Maritime SW France region 06), came a report from a journalist from his duplex on 2 February, Saturday.. Access was ok as far as Isola Village but it became more difficult on the tighter switch back roads. Cars were skidding and drivers stopped to put on chains. But that’s necessary in these conditions. Frozen hands can be a nuisance. Luckily the snow ploughs sweep regularly allowing the cars to get to the station Isola” 

Un risque d’avalanches élevé. Increased risk of avalanches.

“Pas question d’accéder aux stations en ce moment sans pneus neiges ou sans chaînes. C’est une évidence. Deuxième chose, quand on est à Isola, le paysage est magnifique. En 24 heures, il est tombé entre 60 et 80 centimètres de neige. Cette neige est fraîche et c’est un régal pour les skieurs, qui sont sur 70 ou 80% du domaine. Tout le domaine n’est pas ouvert puisqu’il faut damer la neige. Le risque d’avalanches est de 4 sur 5. Pas question de faire du hors-piste. Il faut attendre demain pour que toute la neige soit damée”, conclut Jean-Bernard Vitiello.

“No point to trying to access the ski stations without snow tyres and chains. That’s evident. But when you arrive at Isola the views of the countryside are magnificent. In 24 hours 60 to 80 cms of snow fell. This snow is fresh and it’s great for the skiers, who are everywhere. Not the whole ski country is open due to the danger. the risk of avalanches is 4 out of 5. No-body will be ski-ing off piste. Tomorrow it will be settled” 

About bill

Worked in the technical / engineering area as a Science Laboratory Technician and as an Aeronautics Engineer. The artistic side involves writing under the nom de plume of Billy Olsenn, his recently written play 'A Case of Wine' was staged by the players group Straight Make-Up at the 2012 Birr one act drama festival. It's next staging was in the one act circuit is in Cavan, at Maudebawn on Sat 10 Nov 2012. Then it was performed in the Bray, Co.Wicklow at the very popular one act festival in January 2013. Next play is FEAR. A dark tale about revenge on the cruel death of two pensioners by young thugs. Neighbours hatch a devious and dangerous plan to exact old-style revenge. Bill is a member of the Drama League of Ireland and his plays have been critically vetted and certified as original pieces of work by the DLI. Another literary project is that of commemoration of an aircraft crash on Djouce mountain in Wicklow in 1946. Bill wrote articles for the 50th, 60th and most recently the 70th anniversary, (12 Aug 2016) all were published in the Wicklow Times and ensured the survivors of the crash, all French Girl Guides, were not forgotten. Articles reproduced on this website. But mostly this site gives a more general European and specific French slant on popular and not so popular articles of French news, translated to English by the author. Each article is translated on a paragraph by paragraph basis so easy to read in either language and even possible to improve either language by comparison of the short English and French paragraphs. Amusez vous bien. The author is currently writing an easy to read technical aviation book centered around the Fokker 50. Another interest is that dealt with in another of Bill's websites www.realnamara.net, a Statue of the mother of God, Mary. It was erected in 1972 in Dublin, at the end of the Bull Wall near Clontarf, and my grandfather William Nelson, was the main instigator of that project. I give talks on the history of the statue and my grandfather's adventurous and dangerous life at sea. Technical assistance with each website is by J O'N.
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