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Retour d'est

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
IMO this meteorological phenomenon deserves it's one thread!

In short - an extremely localized effect that gives MASSIVE snowfall (sometimes 2 meters in 36 hours) in western Piemonte (IT) and southern french Alps (Montegenevre, Queyras etc). Extremely localized in that you can have 1 meter of fresh snow in Abries (Queyras) and only 20 centimeters one valley further west.

Still have to find a good page with explanation in english of what this is. So for now a google translated page will have to do
https://translate.google.nl/translate?sl=nl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wintersporters.nl%2Fwiki%2Fretour-d-est&edit-text=

In the video below, dutch ex-pat Rogier van Rijn who moved to the region about 15 years ago
Extreme Retour d'Est sneeuwval uitgelegd from wintersport.nl
https://vimeo.com/119181127
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Isn't that the weather pattern that can dump major snowfall at Le Fornet end of Val d'Isere, but relatively little in Tignes?
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Presumably our equivalent is a channel low bringing snow against the east side of the Pennines off the north sea ?
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rob@rar wrote:
Isn't that the weather pattern that can dump major snowfall at Le Fornet end of Val d'Isere, but relatively little in Tignes?


yes it is Happy
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yes.
Italy, the whole east facing slope of the Piemonte (Aosta till mediterranean).
France, the first west facing slope of southern french alps. Montgenevre, Queyras (Abries, Molines, St Veran), Isola 2000. But Le Fornet also a bit.
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A meteofrance description here http://pluiesextremes.meteo.fr/en-savoir-plus-sur-les--retours-d-est--sur-le-queyras_r81.html

They're point being that Queyras is normally an unusually dry area, but which once or twice a year "enjoys" a deluge.

Practically speaking, it doesn't help much for those planning their one or two European trips in advance.
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
@Onnem, 2m in 36 hours has only happened once in recorded history, per Meteo France. I wouldn't be holding my breath on a recurrence...
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After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Am I right in thinking that Serre Chevalier is too far west to benefit?
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@under a new name

The heaviest dumps would be on the Italian side of the border (logically as the precipitation get propulsed against the mountain ridge from the east) but the Italians are less enthousiastic about keeping up administration Wink

But you're right - retour d'est is a fascinating phenomenon, but the last thing you can say is that you can count on it to happen
The number of them varies from winter to winter - and so does the annual amount of precipitation - be it in the form of snow or rain

I get the strong impression however that the number of retours d'est is on the rise the last 10 years, probably has got something to do with global warming and a different position of high and low pressure areas

Temperature of the mediterranean is now much (2-3 degrees) warmer than normal - let's see what this means for retour d'est
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@Onnem, hard to know re changing climate over such a short period. My better half's father was raised in Champoluc (AO) and when he was young they used to have tunnels under the snow to get around the village. That hasn't been necessary in a long time...
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Quote:

@Onnem, 2m in 36 hours has only happened once in recorded history, per Meteo France. I wouldn't be holding my breath on a recurrence...

OK, not a "retours d'est ", but they're forgetting the reported 2.5m in 18 hours in Caporetto last March http://www.weather.com/storms/winter/news/italy-24-hour-snow-march-2015
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
I think that would be Caprocotta.

Caporetto is in Slovenia and now called Kobarid. Caporetto is the Italian equivalent of the Somme.

Sad https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Caporetto
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@Peter S
It's not in Slovenia, I remember that one from last winter. It's in the Appenines, they were plastered in snow last winter, and even skied into may.
What happened there was was an anomaly however, not like retour d'est which occurs a few times every winter.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
found a link http://www.weather.com/storms/winter/news/italy-24-hour-snow-march-2015
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
@geoffers, I suspect MF were only thinking about France? maybe?
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
I've often posted about the Retour d'est as @Onnem, knows rolling eyes

I was fortunate to be in the Queyras a few years back when it happened and the difference between the three main valleys was staggering.
http://www.stylealtitude.com/newsandblog/2014/03/30/if-carlsberg-made-a-ski-resort/

Last year I was also lucky to be on a road trip when we went to the resort that can't be named (on the Italian side) and again the volumes were bonkers, almost too much!

And last season following on from the second dump (again reported on here) we did a road trip from Serre and we were pretty disappointed how the snow had transformed so quickly, and that is the problem unless you happen to be there then even after a few hours the snow will get heavy very quickly (dangerous) as the Retour d'Est seems to happen closer in Spring more than in the cold winter months, a fact that is pretty damn crucial!

Unfortunately we tend to miss out on it in Serre, all of last season being a case in point. With Via Lattea resorts (Sestrierre & Oulx) benefiting from it far better than us.
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@Weathercam
World famous (at least in Holland) dutch local Rogier van Rijn tells me that Serre Chevalier is already too far west of the alpine ridge.
Montgenevre yes, Abries most certainly, Saint Veran already less.

https://translate.google.nl/translate?sl=nl&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=nl&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.antonmagazine.nl%2Fchapter%2F10&edit-text=
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
@Onnem, don't understand the point you are making ???

Never suggested Serre ever gets the Retour Est - and would debate Montgenevre ever gets it too - I've NEVER known Montgenevre get a localised 2m dump !!!
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@Weathercam
Didn't want to suggest anything like that at all, I guess that Montgenevre would get a fair share of retour d'est being on the top of the slope from Piemonte to Hautes Alpes, and would get more than Serre Chevalier being further west away from the border
Retour d'est comes from the east (....) and splashes against the southern alps, and just a bit of the precipitation spills "over the edge" on the first mountain flank on the western side
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Retour d'est in Prali, Piemonte, march 2015, "only" 1 metre

http://youtube.com/v/lqlosSNRgB8&feature=youtu.be
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@Onnem, nice vid, looks "quite good"
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Saint Veran (Queyras, hautes alpes) received a dusting.
One of the prettiest villages I ever visited. Source - "Fan du queyras" FB this morning
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
First retour d'est of the season - Rogier's report incl. video
http://wepowder.fr/forum/topic/212240

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