 Poster: A snowHead
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Still some more heavy rain to work it's way through the French Alps into Switzerland between now and tomorrow morning...
Austria is getting off slightly lighter, with less rain and temperatures a couple of degrees lower.
It still looks likely that with the steep plunge of temperatures across the Alps on Wednesday night, Thursday morning we will see some more snow (possibly starting as rain lower down).
There then seems to be something of an east west split. It stays very cold, but unsettled in Austria bringing with it more snowfall for the next few days, but at present looks like although it will be very cold there will not be much in the way of snow in the western Alps.
By the weekend it looks like there will be a brief slight rise of temperatures around the 12 December (still well below freezing at 1500m) before a further drive down to some bitterly cold temperatures around the 14 or 15 December.
Which leads to this rather colourful chart in this evening's GFS. Super blocking high pressure in the west. Very deep and cold in the east...
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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, we do keep telling ourselves that Christmas is very early. If you get good snow (as opposed to white stuff you can slide around on) then you're lucky. The extensive new cannons which have been installed in the last few years in many resorts will be paying their way, if the weather stays high pressurish and dry.
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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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Can we have any prediction for christmas week? 18 to 26 Dec?Any fresh snow coming before 18 Dec in tignes (lets say <2000m )?
Thanks in advance!
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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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poromenos, Christmas week is a bit of a stretch to be honest!
It does look like it is going to remain really rather cold for much of December once you get past Wednesday. Although the precise pattern is hard to judge there are a lot of signals indicating blocking highs in the north (particularly over Greenland). Indeed some of the high pressure being modeled really is exceptional and some of the cold temperatures are pretty severe too.
So cold I don't think at this stage is looking to be too much of a problem. And cold is obviously a good starting point... The question is whether precipitation will also get a chance to work it's way through... Tonight's ensembles for the French Alps do suggest a slight warming and perhaps some snow right at the far, far end of the run and the mean suggests a gradual increase in precipitation (though nothing huge) towards the end of the run. But (and this is a pretty important but) at that range it really is far too far to have any confidence in any one model's output over a run... You'll have to keep watching...
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| nozawaonsen wrote: |
poromenos, Christmas week is a bit of a stretch to be honest!
It does look like it is going to remain really rather cold for much of December once you get past Wednesday. Although the precise pattern is hard to judge there are a lot of signals indicating blocking highs in the north (particularly over Greenland). Indeed some of the high pressure being modeled really is exceptional and some of the cold temperatures are pretty severe too.
So cold I don't think at this stage is looking to be too much of a problem. And cold is obviously a good starting point... The question is whether precipitation will also get a chance to work it's way through... Tonight's ensembles for the French Alps do suggest a slight warming and perhaps some snow right at the far, far end of the run and the mean suggests a gradual increase in precipitation (though nothing huge) towards the end of the run. But (and this is a pretty important but) at that range it really is far too far to have any confidence in any one model's output over a run... You'll have to keep watching...
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Thanks for your quick reply!
Would you book for you a ski holiday during this period to a snow resort above 1800-2000m? (in espace killy,3 valleys area...)Snow cannons with cold temperatures can be a good combination even without much precipitation,right?(assuming there is no bloody rain above 1800m )
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Snow cannons with cold temperatures can be a good combination even without much precipitation,right?(assuming there is no bloody rain above 1800m )
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Yes, though there's certainly plenty of rain above 1800 right now. But not all pistes have cannons, of course.
I wouldn't hesitate to book a ski holiday in a place with plenty of high altitude skiing (in the 3 Valleys I'd prefer Val Thorens to Meribel though). Espace Killy will be getting loads of snow at the top today, I imagine.
some of the forecast temperatures look horrendous at those kinds of altitudes, though. But I'm a softie. I don't go skiing if its minus 25, thanks.
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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Bottom villages are 1250 (but they won't be open anyway so it doesn't matter), Plagne Centre is 1970, mid station 2505 and top of the glacier 3400 ish. It should be fine Smile
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And even if they were, this is Montalbert at 1250m : http://www.webcam-ski.com/interfaces/la-plagne/interface.php?pk_interface=341&m=images&r=historique&annee=2010&mois=12&jour=6 and even the 16:10 looks perfectly usable. This is after the "great disaster" of the rain that has had you all crying in your beer. Hopefully there won't be too much more rain today but even with the loss there's been its not a disaster. For the 7th December I'm quite impressed, I think everything looks pretty good for christmas.
For la plagne, this was the higher view also on 6/12: http://www.webcam-ski.com/interfaces/hotel-araucaria/interface.php?pk_interface=329&m=images&r=vue&pk_img_vue=2549&n=4#diapo_img4 so even for you Picadilly, I think it will be perfectly usable.
One year we arrived in Alpe d'Huez the saturday before christmas to a "green field site"! We were early so popped into a restaurant for a lunch to console ourselves, it started to snow while we were in there, and stopped on tuesday. By then we had thigh deap powder.
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yep, will be like boilerplate if it the snow is saturated then the temperatures fall way down again. Possibly not so bad on those equipped with guns which could be used to help but elsewhere it'll be nasty.
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Off piste? Yes, quite probably. But not all of us are that fussed about that. On piste, once the pistey bashers have finished with it I'm sure it will be quite fine.
my (glass is half full NOT half empty) tuppence.
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Tue 7-12-10 10:52; edited 1 time in total
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You know it makes sense.
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[quote="andyrew"]
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yep, will be like boilerplate if it the snow is saturated then the temperatures fall way down again. Possibly not so bad on those equipped with guns which could be used to help but elsewhere it'll be nasty.
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Off piste? Yes, quite probably. But not all of us are that fussed about that. On piste, once the pistey bashers have finished with it I'm sure it will be quite usable.
my (glass is half full NOT half empty) tuppence. |
having had the pleasure of 'boilerplate' on piste (which was where i was referring to) i'm pretty sure there was little that the pisteurs could rescue from it until sufficient fresh or blown (gun) snow was available to cover it with.
If i get a moment i'll dig a photo out from a couple of years ago to demonstrate the point
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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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Zooming in on the Alps does not make a pretty picture for those heading to the western Alps in the near future.
http://www.sat24.com/alps |
Why's that?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Because that is a warm air mass tracking up the Rhone valley carrying warm air = rain 
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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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| andyrew wrote: |
| so even for you Picadilly, I think it will be perfectly usable. |
Hmmm lower cams look a bit grim today but hopefully there's enough left higher up!
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| One year we arrived in Alpe d'Huez the saturday before christmas to a "green field site"! We were early so popped into a restaurant for a lunch to console ourselves, it started to snow while we were in there, and stopped on tuesday. By then we had thigh deap powder. |
That happened to us in Alpe D'Huez many years ago - that same week (maybe the same one?)
Was POURING with rain when we arrived; three days later the resort was under 5 feet of snow!
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Maybe Scotland could share some snow with the Alps - got plenty spare just like last season
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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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| Picadilly wrote: |
| andyrew wrote: |
| so even for you Picadilly, I think it will be perfectly usable. |
Hmmm lower cams look a bit grim today but hopefully there's enough left higher up!
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According to their sites Montchavin and Montalbert don't open till the 18th so its no problem lower down. But if you want a cheerier picture have a look at:
http://laplagne.livecam360.com/grande-rochette/flash/main.php
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That happened to us in Alpe D'Huez many years ago - that same week (maybe the same one?)
Was POURING with rain when we arrived; three days later the resort was under 5 feet of snow! |
We've had a couple of occasions of being buried in AdH at christmas over the years. That last one would be about 2000 and before that about '93! In 93, the christmas champagne froze to the balcony! (and in the bottle)
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Pattern looks the same this evening. If anything colder in FI. Snow looks fine here in Ischgl. And some more on the way as temperatures drop at the end of the week. 
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looks like that plateau effect seems to be breaking up and being a bit more peaky with temperature eroding quicker, is that fair?
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Some really cold options coming through for mid December. Some of the ensembles reaching towards -20c at 1500m in the Alps. Europe is looking a lot colder from mid December the whole of the UK included. Back in the Alps snow forecast for next three days in Austria
skinutter, yes the "plateau" of warm temperatures looks set to tumble in the Alps tonight. In the UK it looks like being a warmer weekend before the 14 December when temperatures plunge across Europe again.
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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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has anyone got anything/information that is good for the french alps in the upcoming weeks, i know its going to be cold,but its going to be dry too i believe, anything even if its a lie!! ( must be backed up by a map quote etc.... hand drawn is fine i,m desperate) i,m still in shock  with regards this huge reverse in the snow,i know november can change but december,i,m going to morzine/avoriaz 2nd of jan, and this is just ruining my life (slight exaggeration) i cannot even get excited regarding xmas, until there is at least 30 cms in the village, HELP ME PLEASE !
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If it helps, snow was forecast on chamonix meteo for the next 48 hrs on a consistently falling freezing level with 10-20 each day...so you never know, you may just get your wish. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Great thread... keep it up.
Closer to home though, what does the next couple of weeks look like for the Scottish resorts?
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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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Europe is looking a lot colder from mid December the whole of the UK included
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Hmm. If some of those scenarios come true we will all have more to worry about than whether there will be 5 or 35 cms of snow in the alpine villages. We could be looking at substantial travel disruption - and perhaps life disruption. The UK is not set up for very cold temperatures. We could get a lot more power cuts and maybe in some places water supplies are not good at coping with - 20 either. Have there been water supply problems in those very cold areas in Scotland?
Whether we can actually GET to the Alps might become a more pressing question than what the snow will be like. It was bad (at both ends) last year - could be as bad, or worse, this year.
I am travelling by eurotunnel on 22 December, picking up one offspring coming by train from Italy to Geneva on 23rd and some more offspring flying into Geneva on 24th. Timing is all a bit tight. Am going to hang loose on all those arrangements and be prepared for last minute changes. I can see my son spending Christmas on Milan station with the tramps. 
I have just checked my calor gas emergency heater is working. We have so few power cuts here we are a bit blasé. I have a stack of bottled water in the bowels of the boat where - because it sits in sea water more than half the time - it is unlikely to freeze.
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You know it makes sense.
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maybe in some places water supplies are not good at coping with - 20 either. Have there been water supply problems in those very cold areas in Scotland?
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We've had temperatures below 0 for well more than a week now, with several nights down at -12 (it was -10 by 7pm last night) and so far everything seems fine. I'm in the middle of a major renovation and my incoming pipe is not buried as deep as I'd like (the plan was to get some more hardcore (now under 2 feet of snow) down on the pipe run before christmas!), but so far it all seems fine. It survived the similar temperatures last year too over christmas. There were a lot of internal burst pipes in the area though. Of course, this year there are much colder parts of Scotland than here I have to get to manchester to head for France on the 20th and will be packed and ready to flee south as early as the Friday if I see anything "incoming"!
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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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just had a quick nosey at the webcams in Praz sur Arly and at 1000m they still look pretty white to be honest. there isn't puddles of water which i have encountered there before at the back end of the season and other warmer periods so actually looks like the snow is proving to be pretty resilient. I'm sure underfoot its like sorbet but certainly less of the disaster i was anticipating with 3 days of horribly mild temperatures and rain.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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There were pellets of ice falling in showers above about 2500m in the three valleys today, rain at about 2000m and below. Snow very soft below about 2500m ish, pretty much like skiing in April but without the warm sunshine!
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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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looks like a decent dump of snow forecast for most of Austria of the next few days, then a clear cold spell.
Those going for the w/c Sat 11th could have an epic week
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Interesting drive home from work this evening which indicates that the Föhn that has been holding sway over the northern Alps has finally broken. It was +12°C in Munich (typical winter Föhn temperature) then dropped to 8°C on the south eastern outskirts and again down to +3°C at Holzkirchen. By the time I got to the Inntal interchange (A8/A93) it was back up to +5°C and 10kms further on it was down to +3°C. Up here on my alm it is still too warm (+8°C at 800m) but you can almost see the mercury dropping. Snow forecast overnight and to continue more or less unbroken until through the weekend and on into next week. 
We have an extreme weather warning out as there is a danger of the sudden drop in temperature causing the melted snow to freeze as black ice as well as the risk of sublimation of the water vapour directly into ice on any clear cold surfaces such as bridges. Weird when you think that I left work without my coat on just 2 hours ago!
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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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We have an extreme weather warning out as there is a danger of the sudden drop in temperature causing the melted snow to freeze as black ice
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good job you got home then! Enjoy the coming snow.
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Even with the warm temperatures and some rain, the pistes in Espace Killy have been in good condition... spring-like conditions in mid-afternoon, even at about 2500m. There are a (very) few brown/grassy patches forming lower down, but quite isolated.
On the upside, the pavements and roads are clear!
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Chamonix meteo is forecasting a useful amount of snow, to quite low altitudes, tonight and tomorrow. Let's hope they're right - they're usually pretty good.
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pam w, I found them very accurate in the near forecast... Well worth a read!
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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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Certainly got my fingers (toes, eyes) crossed as we're heading out that way next week! Agree that overall chamonix meteo usually get it about right and if anything tend towards pessimism rather than optimism (from our snow wanting perspective)
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While I'm taking a keen interest in how the French Alps are doing (we arrive in Le Grand Bornand on Dec 18th) I'm currently stuck in Luxembourg due to snow............... We drove from Northern Belgium this morning and after a couple of meetings headed South into snow from Bilzen onwards. By the time we got to the Luxembourg border we had to contend with closed roads, cars in ditches and stuck artics on hills. So the UK is not the only country to get caught out by this weather. Now ensconsed in a very nice Hotel 25 miles away from where we wanted to get to, but having stupid summer tyres on the car we brought over (snow tyres out of stock in UK) that's as far as we could get.
Mind you Free Wi-Fi and very good beer are softening the blow.
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