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Home > Tips > Safety First > Strong Winds Stopping Chairlifts

Even a nice-looking sunny day can be ruined by strong winds which disrupt the chairlift operations. By strong winds, we mean around 40km/h (25mph).

Skiing or snowboarding on such days is a tough decision to make because you can't really tell how the situation will progress along the hours. Winds also deteriorate the quality of the snow, making it less enjoyable for drifting your boards. Ski resorts' morning reports often lack precise information on which lifts will be operated and updating the ski lifts status turns into a hard exercise. However to be fair, operators have to evaluate each lift to decide whether it’s safe to operate it, especially when it holds a chairlift. They really don’t know when winds will subside. For skiers, that’s a major concern because the more lifts closed means fewer trails to enjoy.

Not only higher lifts, but some of them used in connecting two different domains are prone to wind and will force people to get to the wrong parking, not being able to reach their departing point again. This could be the case in Mzaar ski resort for the Rocher chair lift, Vallon or Lac.

Strong winds are also known to blow snow off sections of higher trails creating sheets of hardpack surfaces holding off  your ski boards or surf.

So what do you do to prevent strong winds from ruining your ski day?

Check the local forecast for the ski area in Lebanon you plan to visit. You may also call or keep an eye on the website for updates. However, it is always hard for the resort to predict what will happen along the day. Strong winds against chair lifts can cause serious swinging and eventually disengage a cable from its pulley. With high wind speeds, it’s unlikely upper elevation lifts will be running. However, there are plenty of trails in the resorts to escape the stronger gusts. These are generally located in the mid-or the lower part of the domain.

During severe conditions where lifts stop working very early in the morning, some areas allow you to trade in your ticket for a voucher that can be used on a future occasion. However, none will give you your money back.