According to Météo France, winter 2023/24 was the third warmest in the French Alps since records began in 1900.
This included a very mild February and March and was before the record warm start to April, which saw temperatures of 29°C in Grenoble and 27°C in Albertville and Bourg-Saint-Maurice on 06 April 2024.
Third warmest winter on record
At 2C warmer than the 1991-2020 average, the winter of 2023/24 ranks third among the warmest winters since 1900, behind winter 2020 (+2.3C) and winter 2016 (2.1C).
February 2024 was the second hottest February ever recorded across France at 3.6C over the long term average, behind February 1990 (+4°C).
Average levels of snow overall
Although snow conditions were poor in low-lying resorts, a consequence of high precipitation was that higher levels received good levels of snow.
In March 2024, average snow cover at French ski resorts was 85cm – strikingly similar to the 20-year average of 89cm.