 Poster: A snowHead
|
Thanks for that link, very interesting. I was in New York at the time and it was chaotic. It seems the snow is following me around! I'd quite like it to stop now, at least for a couple of days!
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
Well it's snowing rather heavily here in Morges on Lake Geneva. We're at 375 meters and everything is white. It hasn't snowed as much here in December for the last 15 years. If anyone is coming this way, you will need probably need chains. The highway runs at 650 meters over Lausanne in directuon of the Valais. A buddy of mine who lives in Les Paccots above Vevey has been stuck on the highway for 40 minutes.
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
Glancing through the ensembles the next week looks like it will see cold temperatures gradually returning to average for the time of year in the Alps, possibly just a little warmer at the end of the week (more so on the south side) before cooling again for Christmas.
Milder temperatures returning around Boxing Day and then if GFS is right a mild, dry stretch. That is of course far too distant to have substantial confidence in and notable because as mentioned above ECM is less convinced by dominant high pressure.
And here are some ensembles:
Les Deux Alpes.
Chamonix.
The Arlberg.
Hintertux.
Sestriere.
Folgaria.
Zermatt.
Cairngorm.
Eastern Pyrenees.
Bad Gastein.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
That snow may be fading out in the Western Alps, but we still have snow warnings out for today here in Obberbayern with major warnings in place for tomorrow.
I woke up this morning to heavy snow in my village but it eased off to just flurries later on. I'm currently west of Munich (by the Deutsche Luft- und Raumfahrt site at Oberpfaffenhoffen) and it is clear blue skies and sunnshine, but snow forecast coming in from the NW later in the day. These flurries are supposed to be the precursor to the big storm coming in tomorrow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Quote: |
That snow may be fading out in the Western Alps
|
Let's hope so, or they'll never get the slopes open. Even our domaine, which is very tame in terms of avalanche risk, has one major area still closed off. Was supposed to be cloudy with sunny periods by now but is snowing hard at the moment. Meteo France says it's sunny here - they're evidently not looking out of my window!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Dolomites, Sella Ronda still has catastrophically small amounts of snow. I'm not sure if a few cm fell in the last couple of days but SCGB reports (still from Friday) say Canazei 10cm on lower slopes (resort runs closed) and 30cm upper slopes. Arabba 15cm lower slopes 45 upper (but that will be the Marmolada I should imagine). 10 lifts out of 45 open. Their prediction for the next week has gone down to 12cm from the 40cm predicted a couple of days ago.
I'm going for an off-piste holiday and the rocky couloirs we were hoping to ski with a guide need much, much more. I think I should start planning an alternative.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowball, what a shame. Must be galling to read of the ridiculous amounts in the northern Alps - we have plenty to spare and not being an uber-gnarly skier I am not nearly good enough to take advantage of all the super powder around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
After stacks of snow here in Nyon (about 400m altitude) it has now stopped and has brightened up with a bit of sun peeping through. Certainly wishing I wasn't in the office all this week...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Still snowing in Les Arcs. Stopped a couple of times this morning, but never for more then 20 minutes. I think it might snow forever! It's knee deep everywhere and I've skied myself to a standstill. Most lifts now open except for Aiguille Rouge lifts. Awesome, awesome, awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
| pam w wrote: |
I wish I was a more competent off piste skier - the conditions are superlative and there are some good safe options round here. |
From what I have seen your a good enough skier, hire some wider skis and get out and practise  would be a shame not to enjoy such good safe off piste if it's there for the taking before the Xmas hordes arrive!!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
kitenski, thanks. I'm such a coward!
chamonix meteo - generally quite helpful for the area around - is forecasting a further 40 - 70 cms over the next few days, before the glorious sun which I'm hoping will break out before Christmas!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Looks like some roller coaster temperatures ahead. Looking at the Arlberg as an example from a possible -30C at 1800m tonight to 0C during the day on 23 December before tumbling again to -25C on Christmas Eve night. And then once again rising above average on Boxing Day. Beyond that GFS looks keen to keep things dry and mild for a while. ECM seems to be siding with it this evening. But beyond the 27 December is very hard to have any confidence.
In the meantime quite a bit of snow rolling into the northern Alps over the next few days. With a possible top up in the east on Christmas Eve.
In Scotland that roller coaster is even more extreme with some particularly mild temperatures on Wednesday and Thursday. Dropping back on Friday, before racing up again on Christmas Day potentially accompanied by some powerful winds.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
rob@rar, Suffer damn you !! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
nickH, 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
(quiet sobbing sounds from the Southern Alps)
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
It's snowing quite hard in Les Arcs, again. I think this is the 8th straight day when at least some snow has fallen. That's a record for me.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| rob@rar wrote: |
| That's a record for me. |
Interesting. Does anyone know if this spell has been, in any real sense, 'record breaking'?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Looking further forward beyond the next couple of days of snow, from the end of the week high pressure does look like playing a more dominant role for a while. Christmas itself in the Alps looks quite cold, though with snow on Christmas Eve in the east.
That said it looks increasingly sunny from the second half of this week (clearing first in the west) and into the following week.
You can see the high pressure over Europe a week from now on GFS (ECM has broadly fallen in line with this now).
So clearer, drier and subsequently milder temperatures seem increasingly likely (00z had a slightly cooler outlook than 06z). Which won't be unpleasant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
nozawaonsen, Excellent, you bring good news!
Chap that owns a restaurant in La Plagne 1800 says that he has shoveled 2.5 meters of snow from his terrace this season all ready. The WHOLE of last season he shoveled 1.5 metres.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
Heading to Ski Amade n mid Jan and i know a long long way off but hope it doesnt get into a mild run of weather again it did last year we had what, 12 degrees or similar 
im new huge thanks to all who contribute to this thread very useful and interesting
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
We have the beginnings of a blizzard right now in Wessling (20kms west of Munich). The German Met Office put out severe weather warnings for the Alpine Foreland and the German Alps yesterday.
All we need is for the wind to pick up and we will have a full blizzard!
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
sussexmartlet, welcome to snowheads!
The 06z run had temperatures peaking quite quickly on 27/28 December (after a cold period over Christmas), before cooling back to average. There's an increasing spread from 28/29 with a number of runs going quite a bit cooler. Currently looks dry next week compared to this.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
nozawaonsen, Hope you don't mind the question, but do you know if there is any reason as to why the snow hasn't made it into the Southern Italian alps in any great quantity yet? For the last 5 or 6 years I've been visiting in January and it's always been excellent, even when other places have been suffering. Is the weather coming from a different direction in general this year, and what sort of change in the patterns might signal a shift to snowier conditions for this area? My obsessive checking of the reports has sparked up an interest in meteorology I didn't know I had!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
element, there was considerable snowfall in the southern Alps in early November, but after that the Alps suffered a lengthy period of mild and dry temperatures . The result of which was that there was very little snow in the Alps. This is not that rare lower down, but it was exceptional to have so little snow at high altitude.
From early December there has been a substantial increase in snowfall along an arc from the French Alps to the western end of Austria. Strongest so far at the western end of the Alps. This weather has come primarily, almost exclusively, from the north west. This has left the southern Alps in a rain shadow. Snow has occasionally pushed through, but in general it has been held to the northern side.
Another way of looking at this is through the particularly strong positive NAO we have had through December which is an index based on the relative strength of low pressure and high pressure in the Atlantic. Positive NAO tends to encourage milder weather in Northern Europe and sends storms along a northern track. Negative NAO (we had a very negative NAO last December) leads to colder weather in northern Europe and pushes storms on a more southerly track.
It is interesting (though certainly not conclusive) that the CFS long term forecasts over summer had a strong lean towards a drier than normal winter in the Southern Alps. That could of course just be a coincidence.
In terms of the patterns that would bring snow to the southern Alps you want to watch out for low pressure pushing through the Mediterranean.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
Sorry not Noza , but will try and answer your question . The Italian Alps are generally drier than the Western and Northern Alps who benefit from predominant westerly flows off the Atlantic , they do however get at least a couple of big storms a year when the Genoa Low from the south gets trapped in the Arc of the Alps , in the last two seasons there has been a blocking high , blocking the Atlantic depressions allowing the lows to come into the Bay of Genoa causing below average snowfall in the western Alps but way above average in Italy , this is not the norm and explains why the Italians are experts on Snow making .
On a 20 year average the Snowiest area in the Alps is the Arlberg that benefits from West and North storms , also Val d'isere who get the westerly storms and the "return of the East" which is the Genoa low creeping over the border .
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
Hate to appear ungrateful, but any idea when it will stop snowing in the Tarentaise?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
|
rob@rar, Santa might just bring a bluebird powder day
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
rob@rar, I'm told that Thursday to Sunday will be sunny but V cold. We shall see......
|
|
|
|
|
|
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?
|
|
Hells Bells, but will it keep on snowing for the next five days?
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
rob@rar, looks to me like snow fades out of French Alps overnight. And I'd be slightly surprised if you woke to substantial snowfall tomorrow morning.
Wednesday and Thursday looks like they will sees snowfall more focussed on the eastern Alps. Though potential light snow snow in the west tomorrow evening.
Thursday still looks like first real sunny day in the west. Much of next week looks very sunny. Friday relatively mild, but colder this weekend. Beyond that temperatures look at least average fir the time of year.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Quote: |
looks to me like snow fades out of French Alps overnight
|
it stopped snowing here a little while ago, and definitely looks lighter outside - I can see some distant mountains which have been missing all day - but only if I go right out on the terrace and stand on tip toe - the wall of snow outside has cut out the entire view! But we did get quite a bit today. Tomorrow morning I shall look out for a dove with an olive leaf.
Looking forward to that sunshine - yesterdays brief glimpses of the surroundings covered in snow were breathtaking.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Where are the so-called "global warming brigade" now then, eh!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
nozawaonsen,
Are you getting all nostalgic re Xmas day, I thought you were a computer just spurning out predictions/facts etc
I can just see you now in your 80's ski jumper glass of mulled wine, half eaten mince pie, debating whether to tune into sky gold and watch a rerun of the Xmas Two Ronnies or listen to Val donican sings Xmas
Now I like many others have said on this thread Want to have your baby !! Happy Xmas noza
Ps. Can you cancel the warming up bit, a little more snow on the 30 th , enough time for them to clear the roads so I can get up the mountain on Jan 2nd
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
| nozawaonsen wrote: |
| rob@rar, looks to me like snow fades out of French Alps overnight. And I'd be slightly surprised if you woke to substantial snowfall tomorrow morning. |
On the money. It stopped snowing in Les Arcs within the last half-hour (incidentally leaving a spectacular view down the Tarentiase to Bourg St Maurice, with cloud filling the valley). Be nice if tomorrow was reasonably clear to take advantage of today's snow.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
nozawaonsen, Rob Mackley, thanks for the responses, plenty to read about there
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
