 Poster: A snowHead
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This is all amusing, bit like the "Looking Ahead" weather threads on the Windsurfing forums where it can all get a bit feisty, not least as I'm one of the better protagonists at winding people up 
As roga, says it's weather.......
And to all those moaning about lack of snow etc. I often say to those that be careful what you wish for. Planes delayed, horrific transfers.......or once in resort, only a few pommas at the bottom due to high winds, or nothing up top open due to avalanche risk, or so damn cold with the severe wind chill you can only manage an hour or so.
I've spent 3 days cooped up before unable to do anything, and I know of others who hardly got out in their week.
This is a bit of a laugh, up in cyber space is still a very old diary (before the word blog was used) of a trip to La Grave back in 2000! Take a look at what we got up to on the Wednesday when we coudl not go up the Mountain of over the Col. http://www.baylis.demon.co.uk/lagraveframe.htm **
And could well have a similar issue this weekend (for windsurfing that is) where for many winds will be too strong and waves too big.
**Think the pages have all got a wee bit confused, there's a mixture of trips & years in there me thinks, one when we were stuck in Serre and could not get back over the Col
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Blimey Roga. Easy chap. Get out of bed the wrong side ?
My point was that 2 days of snow in the best part of 2 months in the middle of anywhere in the Alps is somewhat cack in the grand scheme of things (I mean it psses down regularly with aplomb most places in the UK). I know there's nothing can be done about it and there's no point moaning. I do actually GET that much.....
 *logs off*
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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?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| T Bar wrote: |
Your point being? |
Just comparing it with the conditions a generation ago, doesn't seem as bad to me as it was then.
[/quote]
We had some shocking winters back then... plus most resorts had little artificial cover.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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12z GFS run out now and more of the same. No noticeable precipitation at all in the alps all the way through to the 17th of Feb.
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On the plus side, the latest UKMO, BOM and GEM output is more conducive to precipitation around the 8th onwards.
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JezC, It has been a touch more than 2 days of snow in the past 2 months. Really it has! Even I'm admitting we're into snow-drought status now, but up until a week or so ago I would have called this season average at the worst.
Late November was snowy. Early December was snowy. Mid December was a bit mild and damp (but snowy at altitude). Then late December (18th through to Christmas) was very snowy. January started off a bit mild, then produced 2 decent snowfalls within a week. Now, it's been dry but very cold for the best part of 3 weeks. Snow-cover away from south-facing slopes is decent, piste condition is decent. No snow for 3 weeks is frustrating but far from a disaster as yet.
Ask me again in another 3 weeks... 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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As much as 50cm of fresh in the Fornet sector of Val d'Isere according to a friend there.
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rob@rar, Le Fornet can get very local snow, stayed in le fornet for a couple of seasons and was not unusual to get a good snowfall there but as you moved west towards val and then tignes the snowfall dropped substantially. Happens when the weather comes in from the east over the border from italy. Still early season for val, have enjoyed powder down to valley into may before.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
is not actually doing the resorts and those who rely on holiday trade any good
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Too right. I'm extremely glad that we had strong early bookings (possibly because the last two years pattern meant loads of late bookers ended up with late booking crap as all the good stuff had gone) because even though our currrent guests are reporting great skiing (and I had great skiing at the weekend in Italy) - the doom and gloom has seriously diminished out enquiry rate.
We have availability in some weeks. The snow higher up is deep and plentiful. It's cold and sunny. I mean, what else do you want?
FFS.
Rant only over as I want a glass of wine.
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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.
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Well...
12z GFS operational pursues a sort of "scorched Alps" policy in FI.
Fortunately it's an outlying run in FI so we can comfortably ignore that for now and look at the gently cooling trend [edit: after this weekend!] the mean is showing. Good.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Tue 1-02-11 20:20; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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under a new name, I agree, everyone seems to be freaking out and from what I can see the resort webcams are showing great conditions. Gone are the snow drought days of the 80s/90s, now we have snow cannons and very good piste preparation, there's hardly any need to worry about conditions any more. Even if the temperatures are a bit too positive during the day they're nearly always cold enough overnight. So sunny days and perfectly groomed pistes sounds like an ideal combination to me.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Even if the temperatures are a bit too positive during the day they're nearly always cold enough overnight. So sunny days and perfectly groomed pistes sounds like an ideal combination to me.
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I like your way of thinking
Mitch
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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OK if you ski on piste. Might spell breakable crust off piste (assuming there is anything off piste which isn't rubble by now). Or there again there might be some spring snow in places.
However I didn't come on here to complain - I was touting a possible change for where I'm going, to see what the entrails readers on here thought of it.
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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?
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snowball, nice thing being that there will in many resorts be some excellent spring skiing when spring appears...
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Whats the chance of a change of scenario with a new moon?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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mattiwilkin, as much chance as there is without a new moon. What's the moon got to do with it?
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under a new name, my guess it was a little tongue in cheek...
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Still on hols in Tarentaise enjoying excellent piste and even finding powder and now spring snow with skins , however this thread is the weather outlook not how good is the piste in my resort , prediction No snow in western alps till change over day in half term
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NAEFS composite (basically the mean negative/positive anomalies from all the GFS and CMC ensembles - a very useful medium term forecasting tool) is looking promising for day 8+. Lower pressure across the Atlantic and into Europe, which is much better from a "shall water fall out of the sky?" perspective.
The 18z GFS run is coming out now - hopefully this will show something other than a disgusting bartlett high iin the medium term.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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have been following reports closely. w are staying in st foy, and have been here 4 days, the pistes are in really good nick , yesterday visited tignes/val and there must have been 15 cm of fresh at the top, went to ls ros and over into italy at la thuile , again 20cm in places and plenty of fresh tracks to be had on north facing slopes. Overall considering the snow drought the skiing has been excellent and we are all having a great time. The temp has been cold, if it all warms up I guess things will change .
Just wanted to say its not all doom and gloom
Just would like a big dump to try my new EP pros out though
good luck all
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Just seen this on the Cairngorm website, at least the winds are "steady" lol!
Weather Conditions
Tuesday 1st February -7am update
Steady SW windspeeds at 98mph at the top station, temperature currently plus 3C and raining.
Rain is forecast to turn to heavy snow later in the day.
All Uplift is on hold due to High winds, and will be reviewed at 9am. Yesterday the piste machines were once again harvesting snow from the Fiacaill to ensure, we can continue to operate lower lifts. They also pisted out heavy drifting above Coire Cas.
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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.
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I second the above post on the Tarantaise. Am based in Ste Foy and its still pretty good here. On piste is very good and where it has been skied off piste its good too. There are still some patches of good untracked to be found for the keen.(but not telling where they are) Was in LA Ros/La Thuile 2 days ago and was really good on the Italian side. VdI yesterday was good too both on and off. So cheer up folks it ain't all bad!
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Well La Grave is dire, my mate Per a guide there jokingly said that you need crampons to get down to P1 and even the skiers are now only going to p2!
This was his email response when I told him how things had changed forecast wise...
"Oh no! we are in desperate need!!"
Slight change to that chart on the previous page with the high moving fractionally South. The more canny will have noticed that there's now only a cold front tracking through - keep chanting!**
** You don't want to see Sunday's chart http://seaspritesports.com/weather120.php#map
Wind building nicely here this morning, and forecast to pick up some more, strongest at 16:00 - launching post Noon tide on the drop (see link below)
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You know it makes sense.
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I think current conditions are ok(ish) for low season, I'm going to our chalet in the GM tomorrow for a long weekend with 4 friends and whilst I would like it a few degrees colder and a couple more feet of snow the pistes are good enough for us to have a great time.
I know there are lots of resorts where conditions are pretty good but for those resorts that are currently experiencing less than average snowfall, this weekends high temps and FL means that what snow there is will deteriorate and they won't be able to blow it either. It worries me for half term, lots and lots of people crowded onto fewer pistes (and no off piste to speak of), increasing the risks of collision, accidents etc. I know there's nothing that can be done about the weather and therefor there's no point in agonising about it but for families looking forward to their annual ski week (which in half term has cost a small fortune) it's hugely disappointing and I completely understand why some people are getting anxious.
I'm trying to keep the faith, 2 1/2 weeks is a very long time in weather terms and I know that all it takes is a couple of days heavy snowfall to transform a resort!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Interesting nozawaonsen comparing your chart above for 'somewhere' in the Alps with this for the same period at Cairngorm:
If I'm reading it right we again have temps slightly above average although bouncing about all over the place earlier in the run but generally staying below zero - would that be correct?
The upper wigglies seem reasonably easy to read (unless I've written a load of cobblers above!) but what do the lower ones mean, precipitation or something else?
Anyone got a link to similar charts for Glencoe and Nevis, I seem to be having problems viewing them at the moment!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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roga, sorry the chart is for the Arlberg.
The tricky aspect for the Scottish mountains is what will fall as rain and what will fall as snow. As each low pressure system comes over it raises the temperatures quite violently (3C at 1500m approx at the high point) and this coincides with the precipitation spikes (which is indeed the lower set).
So it looks like a lot of stormy and heavy rain to snow, snow to rain. With the snow line shifting back and forth for a lot of the next week.
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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?
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I'd add that both charts show temperatures above average for much of their runs. When you talk of temperatures being 0C on that chart that equates (rather approximately) to 1500m. So at 900m that would be closer to 4C.
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Not much encouragement for timely snowfall in the Alps from this mornings model runs.
ECMWF could result in some interest around the 13th or 14th of Feb, though I suspect any fronts would end up fizzling out over France. The UKMO showing nothing. The 0z GFS run had an interesting later period, introducing high pressure over Scandinavia and channelling very cold air from the east. The 06z GFS completely reverses this, pulling very mild air from Africa and the Med across mainland Europe for almost the entire time period.
Based on the current model output, no widespread snowfall in the Alps should be expected until the last 10 days of February. Caveat: NWP output can change dramatically, especially at longer timescales.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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nozawaonsen, breaking the European trend for a second - do you have some time to share your thoughts about Japan (Hokkaido) over the next 10 days? I am leaving on Friday and dont know what size skis to take. Fat or very fat?!?
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MoodyFFS, hah probably, but sometimes you can't easily tell round here!
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All a bit depressing. My previous holiday this year at Verbier there had not been any significant snow for a long time. We had to do climbs and long skins to find any good snow. The problem with the skied areas and anywhere the sun had got to was the danger of very long falls. By the end of the week our guide got very nervous on steep slopes because falls could have been fatal. This will be even worse at La Grave because that is what the place is about.
Oh well, I suppose there is still time for it to change. (but it looks more like rain than snow  )
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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.
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Have to agree that your view on conditions directly relates to your snowsports ability.
Just come back from a week in Courchevel and thought conditions were dreadful! But that is directly related to my lack of skill as a snowboarder.
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FAQ
