 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Alyeska, Alaska, has received around 1500cm / 600in of snowfall at the top of the mountain so far this year.
Alyeska is on track for perhaps 2000cm / 800in of snow for the full season.
Most European Alpine resorts will get less than 1000cm up top, even in this supersnowy season.
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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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Whitegold, indeed. It's certainly been very snowy in Alaska this season. The rest of the West has done less well compared to average, with most places still looking substantially below what they would normally expect.
Current western US snow water equivalent % of normal
That said given that average is normally very good, below average is not necessarily a disaster.
Closer to home it's certainly been a great season in terms of snowfall for most of the northern Alps despite the almost standing start.
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Here's that second piece from the LWD blog.
Zahlreiche Lawineneinsätze und spontane Lawinenabgänge sprechen eine deutliche Sprahe!
Lists the numerous avalanches in Austria on 16 February.
- Stanglalm, Bärenbadkogel (Kitzbüheler Alpen)
- Fimbatal, Schwarze Piste 20, Gampen (Silvretta)
- Neuhüttenlift-Kaltenbach, Spieljoch, Hochsinnalm (Tuxer Alpen)
- Skiroute 3, Steißbachtal, Grubigstein, St.Christoph (Arlberg-Außerfern)
- Hochgurgl (Südliche Ötztaler Alpen)
- Pürglesgungge (Zentralosttirol).
And 17 February (before the Lech incident I think)
- Maut, Kaltenbach (Tuxer Alpen)
- Füssener Jöchl, Hahnenkammbahn (Arlberg-Außerfern)
- Kreuzjoch-Schlick (Nördliche Stubaier Alpen)
- Unterschnappalm, Grasingalm (Kitzbüheler Alpen)
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Thanks forthe heads up on La Rosiere. Will keep an eye on the forecast and see what it's doing closer to the time. It will be the 3rd time I've been to La Ros but still looking forward to it - when the sun shines, it's a beautiful resort
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Snowfall, not snowdepth.
Source is quoted in post.
For a second source, see SCGB.
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Thank goodness it's not a competition! That would just be too dull with people boasting about how many inches they had...
The good news for most in Europe is that there has been plenty of snow in much of the Alps. The good news for all those people going to Alyeska is there has been plenty of snow for them. Smashing. Beers all round.
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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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Beers on Skeena Heli anyway, lower down with a 3m pit and a 3m probe they're still not hitting ground and higher up they reckon there's about 10m on the ground 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Whitegold, I'm aware of difference between snowfall and depth and made that clear in my post.
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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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Here's an extract SLF's update from yesterday evening with an outlook for 19 and 20 February.
Treacherous avalanche situation - considerable danger widespread
"Trend for Sunday and Monday
On Sunday in northern regions, snowfall is anticipated. On Monday, the snowfall will slacken off and it will turn increasingly sunny. All in all, approximately 15 to 30 cm of new fallen snow is expected in northern regions. It will turn significantly colder. The avalanche situation is expected to remain tense."
Here's WRF for Sunday 19 February, with snowfall focussed on the central and eastern Alps.
0900
1200
1800
Temperatures dropping quite steeply at the start of the week before building again to above averages temperatures by the end of the week. At which point there's still a fair amount of uncertainty, but it currently looks like further snowfall next weekend in the central and eastern Alps.
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Cheers for that Noza, interesting links....hopefully it will stay cold throughout March....
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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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Interesting review of the recent cold spell from Meteo Suisse.
Etude comparative des plus importantes vagues de froid
- Most significant cold spell for 27 years.
- Neuchatel recorded an average temperature of -7.8C in the first two weeks of February. One of the coldest fortnights since 1864.
- Only three events since the middle of last century compare.
- Almost all the severe cold spells have occurred in January and February, only one in 1879 occurred in December.
- Cold spells of more than two weeks have become increasingly uncommon in the the last 150 years.[url][/url]
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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waynos, apparently it was the daughter's birthday. Your father rescuing you from an avalanche is a good present!
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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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Snow tomorrow in the central and eastern Alps. Looks like 10-20cm to me, but let's see.
Beyond that the middle of next week looks very pleasant. Sunny, mild, light winds.
Thursday 23 February looks like another bout of snow, again focussed on the central and eastern Alps, as does Sunday 26 February at present. As the Azores high is building to the west of the Alps it is tending to force everything coming through slightly to the east, hence why the predicted snowfall is tending towards the eastern end of the Alps for now.
Further out still, the end of the month looks like it might see a more substantial system try to push through, but obviously that's too far out for confidence.
ECM 12z +240
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Spring is just over a week away now.
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And by the end of this week there could be some very spring like temperatures cropping up.
The first part of next week looks very pleasant. Sunshine and mild temperatures.
Against this background a weak band of snow (rain lower down) may push through the Eastern Alps on Thursday, before a warm end to the week. Sunday may see further snow trying to push through, with temperatures dropping. The end of the month may see a more determined drive of cold and snowy weather, but at this stage it's certainly not impossible that high pressure digs in over Europe.
In the short term though some great weather to come at times in the next few days, especially for those places getting some fresh snow today.
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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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Sadly a Finnish man staying in Zell am See died in an avalanche off piste yesterday. He was buried for two and a half hours. And apparently triggered the slide himself.
The search in Lech/Zurs from yesterday was called off. No missing persons were reported. And with no evidence of anyone being buried the search effort was halted.
The Dutch Prince remains in hospital (press speculation that this seems rather a long time with no clear news).
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nozawaonsen, all horrible news. It was all predicted early in the season with the volume of snow that fell onto unfrozen ground and it was well documented.
Could be worse to come this season in the alps 
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shoogly, the cause of the recent spate of avalanches in Austria may have more to do with the extreme cold of early February and subsequent heavy snow and wind mid week rather than the early season set up. Nevertheless this was exactly what the avalanche warnings were flagging up last Wednesday.
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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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Please let the 12z ECM join the party 
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The follow up report on the avi where a father rescued his wife and daughter in Austria a couple of days ago. http://www.kleinezeitung.at/nachrichten/chronik/2951559/lawinenopfer-hatten-tausend-schutzengel.story
Sounds like he spotted both women and dug by hand, no mention of beeps and he says he followed some other tracks to the off piste area. The comments to the story are all very negative to the family and people in general for going off piste. This seems a common response on these types of stories I've read in Austria, I'm sure some people caught in avalanches are pretty stupid, just as in some car accidents being caused by stupidity but we don't ban cars or even read of negative comments from joe public, some risk / stupidity seem more socially acceptable than others.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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waynos, the comments people post in response to articles always seem to be especially inane wherever you are and whatever the topic.
In general the pattern is for high pressure to remain dominant over western Europe. In the early part of winter this same high pressure was present just hundreds of miles further west which allowed snow to push down into the Alps. With it sat over Europe it's much harder for wetter weather to push through. It's high pressure which is setting the pace.
- great sunny, mild weather for next few days.
- weak disturbance pushing through on Thursday which may bring snow (rain lower down) to the eastern Alps.
- very mild Friday.
- Monday probably sees a cold blast and snow (ECM edging towards GFS continued support for this tonight).
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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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Not good charts this morning if your looking for some big dumps of snow in the next 10 days. Even the possible snow forecast for Monday has now dissapeared. High pressure totally dominant across the Alps on every chart I have looked at this morning. And it doesn't seem to matter where the high pressure centres itself, it always manages to cover the Alps. This now reminds me of the pre early December weather pattern with virtually no snowfall over the Alps for several weeks.
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The good news being that the snow depths are legendarily enormous, and anyone holidaying in the near future will probably have a load of gorgeous blue sky days skiing in some of the best ever conditions.
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You know it makes sense.
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Yup, this morning's charts do really show high pressure getting a grip over Europe.
More to the west than the set up in Autumn, but the net result would be the same. Mild and dry. Let's hope the charts show something different this evening.
Nothing wrong with mild and settled weather. Just better for it not to last too long...
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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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So how long do these high pressure systems tend to hand around for? 2+ weeks or is it too unpredictable?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Peter Griffin, unpredictable. Can be a week, can be two, can be much longer.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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^ happy days! 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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paulio,
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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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Another fatality in the Tirol this afternoon. The victim was in the Navis valley and was apparently killed by a slab avalanche.
Press speculation continues that Prince Friso has suffered permanent brain damage. But it is just speculation. Officials holding to the stable, but not out of danger line.
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Havent had a dump here since the start of the month
after such an epic early season
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Indeed. And little on the horizon. And some very mild weather for the end of the week.
It does look like there might be some very light snow tomorrow in the Eastern Alps, as a weak disturbance pushes through. Temperatures then look like shooting right up in the sunshine on Friday. Monday looks a little cooler again (close to seasonal average) and a further band of light snow may again push through in the east.
Before some further very mild and dry weather at the start of March.
High pressure. In control.
ECM +192
So for now some very pleasant, sunny weather. Not much snow.
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Two brothers triggered a slab avalanche near the Pointe de Chalune in the Chablais (Portes du Soleil). It's a popular ski touring route around here. One dead, the other critical. It's the second death due avalanche in this area since the beginning of Feb. Another man had a lucky escape whilst touring on the Tête du Boston when he set off a slab avalanche on the ski down.
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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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Havent had a dump here since the start of the month
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That's not good
I would have a word with the pharmacist, there's surely something they can give you to help....
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Some signs on this evening's pub run of a colder and snowier period in FI (ie early March). ECM 12z thinking along not disimilar lines. Given how far out that is I'd treat that with some serious caution. Will be interesting to see if any of these hints make it to the 00z runs tomorrow.
Shorter term possibility of very light snow (rain lower down) in the eastern Alps tomorrow. Then further light snow - again in the Eastern Alps- on Sunday and next Tuesday. Temperatures very mild at the end of this week, cooling, then very mild again middle of next week.
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