 Poster: A snowHead
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@Snow&skifan, this is abnormal in terms of the winter as a whole. You do not get such sustained snowfall throughout the season. Indeed such intensity is rare. It would be surprising to see such an intense and prolonged period of snow again this season. That’s not to say there won’t be strong storms again this season. It’s likely there will be, but over such an extended period of days is unusual. However, very heavy snow is not that unusual for the Arlberg. And periods when access is restricted or people are asked to stay indoors happen about once every three to five years. What is particularly abnormal about this recent snowfall is how heavy it has been at lower altitudes and across such a large part of the country. This has had an impact on transport and infrastructure across a wide area.
Austrian building regs do include specifications relating to snow loading and these have been periodically revised and updated.
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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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The landlord of the pub I was in this evening claimed that the snow in St Anton was perfectly normal, no big deal. Apparently the problems with snow elsewhere are all the fault of useless local politicians. It seems you have to be born in the Arlberg to know how to deal with snow 
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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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@munich_irish, which pub ?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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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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| stanton wrote: |
| @munich_irish, which pub ? |
Kirchplatz'l in Pettneu.
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Maybe 15 - 20cm of fresh in Nasserein overnight. Quite wet snow.
Currently snowing fairly steadily.
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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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| Markymark29 wrote: |
3 killed and 1 person missing in avalanche late yesterday in Lech. Skiing in closed area Langer Zug......that’s just crazy, it’s closed for a good reason.
Enjoy it and ski safe folks.
https://vorarlberg.orf.at/news/stories/2958424/ |
Wasn't there a member of the Dutch Royal family comatised after being an avalanche victim in the Langer Zug area a few years back. Went skiing after a dump thinking it was safe?
That area is notorious for non-safety.
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@skimastaaah, different area - that was above Zug
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You know it makes sense.
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looks like loads of new snow on the webcams that's fallen during the daylight hours today alone.
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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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Flexenpass closing at 1530, B197 down to Langen at 1600.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Did a few laps of Maienwassen on Friday with a friend. The powder was a bit tracked but still deep and soft.
| sah wrote: |
| stanton wrote: |
Perfekt morning , plenty open today .
Stuben is closed
Make the most of this small break , some more snow tonight (dusting) same again tomorrow then all hell breaks lose again POW DUMP
OFF PISTE IS DANGEROUS |
Anyone skiing maienwassen / maienplatt? Presumably access to Steissbachtal is not allowed so no bachseit? Or are folks sticking to ski routes etc? |
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Webcams e.g. on Bergfex of Warth and Lech show stunning scenes. Metres of snow at resort level, with bulldozed paths to the doors of buildings. Around Oberlech it looks the pistes have only been narrowly pisted ... I suppose they’ve got so much snow to deal with?
Hardly anyone about, just the odd person walking. Are the lifts closed?
Edit: Lechzuers website shows the vast majority of lifts in Vorarlberg are closed, a handful open.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sun 13-01-19 15:56; edited 1 time in total
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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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Frustratingly all roads into Warth closed for today and poss tomorrow due to a avalanche risk. Drowning sorrows in Schoppernau for time being, awaiting road openings.
Stupid sport.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Terrible news about the 4 skiers in Lech yesterday
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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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| cameronphillips2000 wrote: |
| Terrible news about the 4 skiers in Lech yesterday |
I am more upset that the result of their stupidity was to put multiple SAR personnel into harm’s way.
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Looking pretty good.
Chance of rain at lower levels.
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| rikwatson wrote: |
Frustratingly all roads into Warth closed for today and poss tomorrow due to a avalanche risk. Drowning sorrows in Schoppernau for time being, awaiting road openings.
Stupid sport. |
Train to Langen, ski Sonnenkopf?
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Sad news about the 4 folk in Lech but agree their actions have not only been fatal for themselves but have put those (mostly volunteers) whose task is to try and rescue them at significant risk.
Just driven to Davos from St Anton, huge amounts of snow here so imagine pretty much the same across the mountains in the Arlberg. Definitely would say the amount of snow is unusual, Bavarian guy with me who has been around the alps for 35 years or so cant ever remember seeing so much.
We have a Brit colleague who is driving a VW mini bus here from Zürich airport who called to ask what wheels he should put the snow chains on 
It the lowlands it was rain for a while but turned to heavy snow from about 14:00 onwards
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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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@rikwatson, worse places to be I guess......good skiing there.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| munich_irish wrote: |
Sad news about the 4 folk in Lech but agree their actions have not only been fatal for themselves but have put those (mostly volunteers) whose task is to try and rescue them at significant risk.
Just driven to Davos from St Anton, huge amounts of snow here so imagine pretty much the same across the mountains in the Arlberg. Definitely would say the amount of snow is unusual, Bavarian guy with me who has been around the alps for 35 years or so cant ever remember seeing so much.
We have a Brit colleague who is driving a VW mini bus here from Zürich airport who called to ask what wheels he should put the snow chains on
It the lowlands it was rain for a while but turned to heavy snow from about 14:00 onwards |
One of Snowhead’s Arlberg experts has already explained that there’s not that much more snow than normal.
Looks great though.
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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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@Snow&skifan, whilst heavy snow in the Arlberg is not in itself unusual there is more snow than normal. This has been a particularly intense and sustained period of snowfall.
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| rikwatson wrote: |
Frustratingly all roads into Warth closed for today and poss tomorrow due to a avalanche risk. Drowning sorrows in Schoppernau for time being, awaiting road openings.
Stupid sport. |
From reports, this particular blizzard will fizzle out in the early hours of Tuesday. In extreme conditions like this, are the authorities able to open the Warth road promptly after that, or does it take a further 24 hours in avalanche work?
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You know it makes sense.
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| nozawaonsen wrote: |
| @Snow&skifan, whilst heavy snow in the Arlberg is not in itself unusual there is more snow than normal. This has been a particularly intense and sustained period of snowfall. |
I’ve been to the St Anton area a few times and always had plenty of snow. Going by the webcams of all the Arlberg/Vorarlberg villages, this looks incredible. 1999 comes to mind, where I remember BBC Breakfast talking over the phone to British families trapped in their Lech hotels for a week or two. In the end, they helicoptererd all the tourists out.
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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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| Snow&skifan wrote: |
| rikwatson wrote: |
Frustratingly all roads into Warth closed for today and poss tomorrow due to a avalanche risk. Drowning sorrows in Schoppernau for time being, awaiting road openings.
Stupid sport. |
From reports, this particular blizzard will fizzle out in the early hours of Tuesday. In extreme conditions like this, are the authorities able to open the Warth road promptly after that, or does it take a further 24 hours in avalanche work? |
I'm kind of same position as you, TBH none of us know because of the double whammy of massive snowfall and warming temperatures. This cant be good for avalanche control , best thing for all of us is that it stops then gets cold. Good luck and stay safe
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Poster: A snowHead
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By Wednesday say, those who luckily live in the Arlberg or are holiday makers who stuck it out, should have great conditions. Without the crowds of New Year!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Snow&skifan wrote: |
| By Wednesday say, those who luckily live in the Arlberg or are holiday makers who stuck it out, should have great conditions. Without the crowds of New Year! |
Agreed, I'm flying out to Zurich on Wednesday morning with the plan to go to Lech. However, it may be the case that the roads will still be closed although I'm hoping for the best. Interestingly I've discovered that if the roads are closed ,to the resort you are travelling too , you can cancel your hotel without charge. This is what the tourist office has told me and also the hotel , the ultimate force majeure.
Not planning to do that though, If I can't get through on Wednesday I'll stay in Zurich and try the next day, don't want to miss this event.
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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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If it's anything like last year, the day the weather cleared up, in St Anton at least, they had the roads open and access to the resort restored by lunchtime. Can't see it being any different this year so should be no problems by Wednesday so long as the weather plays ball.
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@rikwatson, go and ski Damüls- great small resort and just up the hill from you.
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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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Snow has turned to rain at StAnton this evening, warm sector going through with cold front to follow. Freezing level should drop again in the early hours with lots more Monday. Limited opening expected.
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Resort report:
Arrived in St Anton Saturday at lunch. Skied from 2pm in Rendl. Some off, but mostly on piste. The avalanche barriers on Northside are not yet as loaded as they were end of Jan last year (when you could ski over some of them). It was a great first day and as close as you get to bluebird and nobody about! Meanwhile the Galzig was shrouded in cloud...
Today, I spent the morning up and down from Gampen. It was a deep day!
Light snow, vis good. Snow excellent. No prepared piste. Then they opened Kapal and I was lucky to be one of the fussy up. WOW! Days like this don’t happen often. Only drawback was a strong wind, colder temp and poorer vis. Did a few runs down to the t-bar and then headed to Galzig. Skied down to St Christoph and it was excellent but not worth it for the wind in your face and slog to get to the chair. The Arlberhohe Hotel below Christophbahn was a a sight. Digging cars out will be a slow process.
Back to Galzig and it Jair got better. Skiroute at side of Osthang and under Galzigbahn was OMG deep and still untracked in places.
I then headed over to Kandahar and the vis was poor but plenty of snow. From 2pm it got into white out territory higher up but skied till 4.30.
With over 100 days in St Anton, this was a top 3 day. Equipment : Kästle FX 95. No issues and plenty wide enough for me.
Staying in Flirsch so even thought it’s raining, I am currently snowed in.All roads into St Anton are closed from 10pm and train is out.
Tomorrow could be the morning of mornings....hopefully the road opens. Otherwise I may try getting to Langen for Sonnenkopf.
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@Kaisr Sose, roads won't open until the weather clears up and definitely not by the morning (workers busses already scheduled), so it's off to Sonnenkopf I guess...
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It will be interesting to see what lifts actually turn today, given the avalanche risk level is up to 5.
Local ski buses, apart from Linie 3 & 5, are not running.
Shades of this time last year.
8:20am Edit: all lifts and runs closed at this point. No great surprise.
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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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Forecast to be getting warmer Tue & Wed. I expect a few big slides over those days before it gets cold again Thurs on....
Hopefully no one gets caught in these, ski safely folks, discretion is the better part of valour.
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