Where did all the snow go?

The chances of this year’s Rallye Monte Carlo turning into a classic winter event, from a weather perspective, appear to be disappearing rapidly.

Rising temperatures in the Ardeche and Alpes Maritimes regions have caused much of the snow on the higher stages to melt, leaving the drivers facing conditions similar to last year’s unseasonably warm Monte.

Snow had been lying in areas such as the classic Col du Turini - on Sunday’s La Bollene Vesubie-Moulinet test - but the stage was reported clear this morning. There is no further snow forecast during the event.

Sebastien Loeb said: “I had been dreaming of a white Monte, but now it doesn’t look like it’s coming. Okay, the conditions can be just as tough without the snow. In some corners there will be a lot of mud - and in some places the road will be dry. For sure, the weather is a little disappointing, but this can still be a very tough event.”