Verbier Webcam – Check the Snow on the Medran Slope

The Verbier Webcam looks up the slope above the Medran lift station, the central gateway to the Verbier ski area in the Swiss canton of Valais. Gondola towers and cables run up the left side of the frame, with cabins climbing into the forest toward Les Ruinettes. Below them, a gravel track zigzags across a grassy slope, and a long fence of orange-padded posts cuts diagonally through the foreground. Spruce forest fills the right half of the picture. In mid-October the grass is still green, a few trees have turned yellow and red, and low cloud often drifts through the treetops. Once winter arrives, the same slope shows how much snow is lying at village level, right where skiers board the lifts.

About Verbier and the Medran Lifts

Verbier sits at about 1,500 meters (4,900 feet) high above the Val de Bagnes, in the municipality of the same name. About 2,900 people lived in the resort in 2020, and in winter the number of people staying there can reach 35,000. Verbier is part of the 4 Vallees, a linked ski area that also takes in Nendaz, Veysonnaz, La Tzoumaz and Thyon and is marketed with 410 kilometers (255 miles) of runs.

Medran is Verbier’s central lift station, with ticket offices and the gondola up to Les Ruinettes at about 2,200 meters (7,200 feet). The lifts that continue from there reach as high as the summit of Mont Fort, at 3,330 meters (10,925 feet). None of that high ground is visible from this camera, which points at the first stretch of the lift lines as they leave the village behind and enter the trees.

The resort’s best-known winter event is the Xtreme Verbier, the final of the Freeride World Tour, held each year on the steep face of the Bec des Rosses. The lift company, Televerbier, runs the gondolas seen on camera along with the rest of the Verbier lifts.

Weather and Climate in Verbier

Winter at 1,500 meters is cold without being brutal. Over the past decade, January afternoons have averaged about 0.5 C (33 F), with nights near -8 C (17 F), and December and February are only slightly milder. March and April warm slowly, to around 5 C (41 F) and 8 C (47 F) by day, while nights still drop below freezing. That pattern often keeps snow on the slope in front of the camera well into spring, and the fence posts are a handy gauge of its depth.

Summer is mild rather than hot. July and August average about 20 C (68 F) in the afternoon and 9 C (48 F) at night, with June close behind. September cools to around 16 C (60 F), and October, when the frame shows green grass, low cloud and the first autumn color, averages 12 C (54 F) by day and 2 C (35 F) at night. November brings regular frost, with afternoons near 5.5 C (42 F). These are 10-year averages (2015 to 2024) for the village’s altitude, so Les Ruinettes and Mont Fort are a good deal colder.

Things to Do Near Verbier

In winter the gondola from Medran is the usual way up to Les Ruinettes and the wider 4 Vallees. Cross-country skiers can take the Ruinettes to La Chaux trail, which runs at about 2,200 meters (7,200 feet) with views over the valley and the Combins massif. Getting to Verbier without a car is simple: the St-Bernard Express train runs from Martigny to Le Chable, where a gondola or a PostBus climbs the rest of the way.

In summer the lifts carry hikers instead. The walk from Savoleyres to Les Ruinettes passes Lac des Vaux, a mountain lake at over 2,500 meters (8,200 feet), on a route of 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles) with about 500 meters (1,640 feet) of height difference. Cabane du Mont Fort, a mountain hut at 2,457 meters (8,061 feet), sits on several trails, including the Sentier des Chamois to Lac de Louvie. The Verbier Festival fills late July and early August with classical music; Martin Engstrom founded it, and Zubin Mehta conducted its first concert on July 12, 1994. At the head of the Val de Bagnes, the Mauvoisin Dam, completed in 1957, stands 250 meters (820 feet) high and holds back Lac de Mauvoisin.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Verbier located?

Verbier is in the canton of Valais in southwestern Switzerland, in the municipality of Val de Bagnes. It lies about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) east of Martigny as the crow flies, above the village of Le Chable, which is linked to Martigny by the St-Bernard Express train.

What can you see on the Verbier Webcam?

The camera at Medran looks uphill along the lift lines. Gondola towers and cabins climb the left side of the frame toward Les Ruinettes, a gravel track crosses a grassy slope lined with orange-padded fence posts, and spruce forest fills the rest. It points at the same slope all day, so snow, cloud and the lifts running are easy to compare from one visit to the next.

Does the Verbier webcam show Place Centrale?

No. Place Centrale, the square in the middle of the village, is not in this view, and neither are the chalets or village streets. The camera faces up the mountain from Medran, so trees, lift towers and the ski slope fill the frame.

Can you see Mont Fort on the Verbier webcam?

No. Mont Fort rises to 3,330 meters (10,925 feet), far above Medran, and the forest at the top of the frame hides the high peaks. The camera is useful for conditions at the bottom of the lifts, not at the summit.

Can I check the snow in Verbier on the webcam?

Yes, for the lower mountain. The slope in front of the camera lies close to the village’s 1,500 meters (4,900 feet), so it shows whether snow is lying at resort level. Cover higher up, at Les Ruinettes or Mont Fort, can be very different.

What is the weather like in Verbier?

Cold, snowy winters and mild summers. January averages about 0.5 C (33 F) by day and -8 C (17 F) at night, July about 20 C (68 F) by day and 9 C (48 F) at night. October sits in between, at around 12 C (54 F) in the afternoon and 2 C (35 F) overnight.

Why is the Verbier webcam black at night?

The slope is not lit after dark, so once the sun has set the picture fades to an almost black, grainy frame. The stream keeps running, and the view comes back by itself at first light.

Source: Verbier 4Vallees