The All New 16/17 Weather Outlook Thread

A snowHead

All countries have snow problems. Was in snowy Stockholm recently and it took 6hrs to do 10km.

Just the Brits whine about it more.

They mobilize the army for an inch of snow and a gust of wind. Lol.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

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i don't like getting into battles like this but honestly @Whitegold none of your posts add any value or entertainment. I think you need to wind your neck in, especially on the weather thread.

And before you come on all big and tough yes, i would say it to your face!!!

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

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@Gaza, @Gaza, I think Whiteroll was using a figure of speech and, either way, it's really not that important. Let's not start all slanging each other off again. This thread is too good for that.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Avalanche Level 4 across parts of Switzerland.

http://www.slf.ch/lawinenbulletin/schneedecke_wetter/index_EN

Avalanche bulletin through Saturday, 14 January 2017

High avalanche danger will be encountered in some regions

Snowpack

As a result of fresh fallen snow and strong to storm-strength westerly winds, fresh snowdrift accumulations formed over wide ranging areas on Friday which are very easily triggered. These drifted masses will continue to grow in number and size and spread geographically on Saturday. The new fallen and newly drifted snow will for the most part be deposited on top of a shallow old snowpack which, particularly on shady slopes between 2200 and 2800 m altitude, is completely transformed to faceted-crystal, loosely-packed snow in some places, in others has melt-freeze crusts or is riddled with older, hardened layers of snowdrift. An avalanche can fracture in the layers of the snow cover which are nearest to the ground and subsequently sweep along the entire, generally shallow snowpack with it. At intermediate altitudes, the old snow is for the most part shallow and hardened; at higher altitudes even the old snowpack has been subjected to heavy wind influence and is, thus, less weakened.

In the Simplon region and in Ticino, the snowpack is structured more favourably.

Observed weather on Friday, 13.1.2017

Skies were heavily overcast, accompanied by snowfall. The snowfall level in northern and western regions on Thursday evening was 1400 to 1800 m.

In southern regions, and during the daytime in northern regions, there was snowfall down to low lying areas. In the furthermost southern regions, skies cleared up during the daytime.

Fresh snow

Above approximately 1800 m, the following amounts of fresh fallen snow were registered between Thursday afternoon and Friday evening:

- In the northern and furthermmost western parts of the Lower Valais, as well as in the Glarner Alps: 30 to 50 cm;

- Northern flank of the Alps not including the region of Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald and not including the Glarner Alps, together with the remaining parts of the Valais not including the valleys of Visp or the southern Simplon region: 20 to 40 cm;

- The Lauterbrunnen to Grindelwald region, valleys of Visp and southern Simplon region, northern Grisons, northwestern Ticino: 10 to 20 cm

- Remaining regions of the Swiss Alps together with the Jura region above approximately 1200 m: 5 to 15 cm.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, -11 °C.

Wind

Winds were blowing at moderate to strong velocity, intermittently blowing at storm strength, from the west-to-northwest.

Weather forecast through Saturday, 14.1.2017

North of the Main Alpine Ridge, skies will be heavily overcast. There will be snowfall down to low lying areas which will be intensive on the northern flank of the Alps during the night and on Saturday morning. In southern regions skies will be bright and it will by and large remain dry.

Fresh snow
between Friday afternoon and Saturday midday:

- Regions north of an imaginary Rhine-Rhone line: 30 to 50 cm;

- From the western part of the Bernese Oberland into the Glarner Alps: as much as 60 cm;

- Southern part of the Valais not including valleys of Visp and not including the Simplon region, northern Grisons, Silvretta and Samnaun: 20 to 40 cm;

- Jura: 15 to 30 cm;

- Valleys of Visp, Simplon region, central Grisons, Engadine,

- Northern Ticino: 10 to 20 cm;
in other regions of Switzerland, less; or else it will remain dry.

Temperature

At midday at 2000 m, -12 °C.

Wind

Winds at high altitude will be blowing at moderate to strong velocity from the northwest.

Outlook through Monday, 16.1.2017

On Saturday night and on Sunday morning in northern regions, the final thrust of snowfall will round to a close. In the Valais it will be intermittently sunny on Sunday.

On Monday in northern regions, skies will for the most part be heavily overcast, accompanied by snow showers. On the southern flank of the Alps it will be quite sunny on both days. It will remain cold.

For backcountry skiing and freeriding in outlying terrain away from the secured ski runs, the avalanche situation is highly treacherous over widespread areas. In southern regions, the avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly.

After all it is free

@nozawaonsen,
Thank you once again.

Of course the higher you are the best chance you give yourself however relatively low Austrian resorts in the Salzburg region have plenty of snow.

Tirol I believe (well, some of it anyway) hasnt faired as well, heading to Neustift this week and much snow has been forecast of late but little has materialised, today a good example sadly.

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@nozawaonsen, thanks for that. Any idea where Engelberg would fit in in this Switzerland geography? Going there for what is suppsoed to be an off-piste week (SCGB) in about a month's time and would be keen to see some worthwhile base being laid down.

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Just had 5 ridiculous days in Tirol. Waist deep just off the edges in Hintertux on Monday and it was absolutely chucking it down when we finally dragged ourselves down the Penkenbahn at 11 this morning.

snow reports

You know it makes sense.

@J2R, I was in Engelberg last weekend. Was better than expected. Lots of sharks off piste but with the storms happening now, it is filling up a treat. I expect the base to be reasonable after this weekend.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Just been out to clear the weight of snow from my box hedges in Belgium. Contemplating a jaunt to one of the Ardennes 'resorts' in the week.

A snowHead

@geoffers already done...

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Have been enjoying a holiday, will be back with regular posts soon.

It's interesting because many higher areas will get more snowfall, but the snow becomes more heavier.

But this place doesn't work, unless you stay on topic...

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About 8cm has fallen since I cleared the drive at 8pm - so that's about 2cm / hour. If the current snowfall keeps up that will be another 12cm by 6am. The roads in town were pretty treacherous earlier so I doubt we'll be skiing Saturday, or at least not in the morning as it will be too difficult to drive anywhere. We've gone from famine to, well if not feast a mild dose of bulimia.

I would say the snowfall figures of 40cm until midnight Saturday will probably be about right (about 55cm for the week from mid altitudes). Further North in the Aravis, Beaufortain and Chablais it is more like 1 meter over the last week.

So many disappointments but this is a game changer for this season for the French Northern Alps.

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@Waffle,
My colleague in Ardennes says they have had about 30cm. Might be worth a trip Smile

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@musher, All the slopes have opened and with snow tonight and through the weekend, it should be fun! Even my downward sloping lawn is looking tempting right now (last skied 2014).

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

would val d'isere be classified as Northern Alps?

After all it is free

Heaviest snow over next few days looks like being across Switzerland and Austria. Intensity dropping off considerably overnight, sunshine pushing into the northern Alps from
Monday in west and Tursday in east.

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@davidof, most of the snow was forecast for the northern Alps. Most off that arrived. Southern part of French Alps always looked like it would only see low snowfall.

snow reports

Hi.

What is the longer outlook looking like for megeve? Heading out on the 28th jan for 7 days. From the forecasts looks like no more snow to come after this dump finished?

Hammering it down in Innsbruck at the moment. Loads of snow yesterday in Mayrhofen. Innsbruck airport partially operational - our flight home is delayed as the incoming flight failed to land and has diverted to Munich.

You know it makes sense.

@levster777, you are not arriving for two weeks. It's not possible to forecast with much confidence beyond seven days. The coming week looks cold, dry and increasingly sunny once the snow has passed. Beyond that it's hard to say, but it doesn't look completely dry in FI.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

3vs have had great snow over the last few days.

Bizarely, despite the fact that the snow at altitude came only in November and just this week the resorts have managed wonders to have very good pistes for the whole of the season.

Certainly at Val Thorens the absence of freeze/thaw conditions of the last few years has meant that they've manage to keep the pistes softer than for the last few years and less of the boiler plate ice that made last year difficult.

Perhaps this weather thread should include someone who understands snow and cold enough to predict the impact on the pistes of the forecast weather.

For me it's clear that regardless of the forecast, many resorts can prepare the pistes. But the day/overnight temperatures seem to have a huge impact on the quality of the snow on the pistes. I haven't a clue what the difference in temperatures are that made this year's pistes better than the last few years but it would be good to get someone who understands this stuff to comment.

A snowHead

@emwmarine, simple. It's been cold.

A snowHead

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@Whitegold,
Mate you are being silly now.
Les Contamines is not high (village 1100m) but it got another 60cm on the mountain last night and 45cm in the village. It's -10c there now.
We have had 3 dry starts to seasons in three years but winter still happens!

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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@emwmarine, before that it was dry.

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Anybody see anything of significance for French alps (cham/3 valleys) in next 10 days? Be great to have one more follow up to this current system.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

Chucking it down in Geneva. Pleased I got back from Berlin last night.

After all it is free

@neslot, nope. Plenty of cold sunshine on its way.

Casting an eye into the deep mists of FI both ECM and GFS suggest a more Atlantic flow as January draws to a close. Obviously that is too far out to take seriously at this stage in the mean time expect cold.

http://www.wxmaps.org/pix/temp4.html

http://youtube.com/v/eIcdwwr-7K4

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20 to 25 cms in zermatt and similar amount on the hill....ie not double that amount as sometimes happens.
heard Cervinia did bit better. Had to travel to Milan this am for a few days and was snowing hard when we left.

Zermatt i svery wintery indeed

Help!!

The All New 16/17 Weather Outlook Thread

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