 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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Bit late tonight - soz!
It was another day of mixed off piste with New Gen - we saw just about everything, except thigh deep powder! We started in Vallon de la Sache where it was really quite lumpy and then returned to Lac and up the Tov, we traversed round the Pointe de Lavachet below the couloirs and ended up on a NE Face with really nice chalky snow, which was a few inches deep. There was then a bit of a boot pack back up to the Home Club, the sun was just in the wrong place to photo the pitch:
After lunch we bounced around the Grande Motte, before knocking it off and returning to the piste because of the avalanche risk in the heat. There was a big slip in Grappilon de Merles today - triggered by the weather, the crown wall looked like a metre and a half and it was full depth back to the ground.
For a bit of Apres I then popped back to the Box Bar Rail Jam, an annual event carried on from the days of TCs:
After a warmish night, the temperatures will not rise as much, it will be a good 5 or 6 degrees colder and there will be a stiff breeze at altitude, especially in the afternoon, definitely anther layer required tomorrow. The sun will shine all day though. Friday will be cooler and breezy and the re will be light snow, probably, the weather system is wobbling about and the models are not agreeing, so forecasts of new snow vary wildly from very little to 10cm. Saturday currently looks like a day of sunny periods and cloud, it will be much colder than today, more normal February temperatures. For Sunday, a noce day afew clouds about but generally sunny. Its all change next week which is currently looking quite snowy.
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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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Col de Fresse chair open again...
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Well it was definitely a layer colder today, if not a layer and a half in the afternoon as the wind picked up! As a team of 6 we decided to have a cruisy day to Le Fornet, employing the usual queue dodging techniques, late start, ski over lunch and use the Laisinant Chair!
So it was a Le Fornet and Solaise day which was nice and refreshing with the breeze. Quite a few of the pistes are now getting quite hard and slick - even up on the glacier, at times there were people firing off in all directions. Plan M was a bit like rollerball at times. But, hopefully, by tomorrow hard pistes will be a distant memory 
The sky will cloud over tonight and it will start snowing at sometime between 4am and midday. Yes, we are initially on the edge of the weather system and its that indistinct, so whether it is cloudy with the odd flocon or light snow at daybreak will be determined as you draw back the curtains. the snow looks a bit heavier in the afternoon, by Saturday 8-10cm maybe. The gusty wind will pick up tonight and blow through the day, I will be wearing at least 2 layers more in the morning. Winter is back folks. Saturday will be more benign, we will start with sunny periods and light breezes. The sky will cloud over and light snow in the afternoon is likely, just another dusting. Sunday looks like starting sunny with more cloud in the afternoon and a stiffening breeze. Mondays detail is a little sketchy but currently very snowy, really quite windy (top lifts closed??) and much colder. This trend continues through Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. The snowline is up and down like the proverbial fiddler's elbow, for the odd hour or two it may get sleety down towards the Dam and Val Centre but most of it will be snow.  Looks like we may be having February in march (a reasonable exchange!!)
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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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i hope so chocksaway i come out tomorrow and have 2 days off piste with snoworks probably wednesday and friday.
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Quite heavy snow at times, particularly around lunchtime. 60kph wind gusts at the of Palafour. Slopes were almost deserted early afternoon.
Still snowing now. Not sure how "adventurous" @chockaway's off piste day has been. Visibility has been challenging at times.
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@GeorgeVII, Yip, there was a lot of lightweights today
@mk28, I'mout with New Gen on Wed and Thu so our prayer mats may well need to be aligned!
But seriously, winter is back. As I drew the curtains, the sun was still shining, but the clouds could be seen approaching on the webcams. So with extra layers off we set up the Col de Ves, by the time we got to the top the light was average and the wind was picking up, so over to goggles and another layer. I was with New Gen again, we traversed round to Grand Balme and did a couloir that I had not done before, mmm steep and the snow was OK. As we skied down to Val Claret and went up Fresse without stopping!! - clearly the new widget is working, the light was dropping and the wind was increasing. We called for a technique discussion (and a hot chocolate) at the top of the Bellvarde. By now it was snowing hard (harder than any forecast) and the word shot round the restaurant that everyone had been caught out by the increase in wind - Borsat had closed and Tommeuses was at risk  . gentlemen start your engines for a Le Mans start to Tommeuses. It was howling, but it did slacken a little. We then went down to Brev, the light was awful so just by the side. After lunch there was enough snow in Glattiers to make freshtracks. As we waited for the bus the road conditions deteriorated and lots of non locals were sliding around until after the snow plough went through. As we walked to the stop I heard the distinct pulsing noise of a BMW's ABS and looked back to see him heading for us - sideways! It is now (1730) snowing heavily again, I could see the new snow reaching 15cm easily, I can also see carnage on the roads as the early escapers realise they need snowchains
The snow will continue till just before midnight, the wind will then drop and tomorrow will be a day of variable cloud, the temperatures will be well below zero (some 10 degrees below last Wednesday!). the light in the morning could be OK as its mainly a thin layer at high altitude, thicker in the afternoon, probably! Sunday will start sunny and a bit warmer, thin cloud looks like appearing in the afternoon and a stiff breeze will build up. Monday appears to be wintry, windy and cloudy. There may be a few flocons in the morning but the afternoon should be really snowy, another 10-15cm is on the cards currently. Tuesday could be summed up as very fast moving sunny periods, some of the clouds could bubble up enough to give a bit of snow. It will be showery beyond that.
For the fliers tomorrow there should be no weather problems, early doors it will be a bit drizzly and misty in the Uk, but nothing significant. Over here it may be a bit misty in the distance. The roads will be a bit quieter than last week with 32k coming up and 29k going down (providing the Friday leavers don't get the jitters and leave tomorrow) so there will be delays at the usual spots but the roads beyond the dam will be black and by lunchtime clear into the resort.
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Well it was quite busy for a Saturday, with the fresh snow of yesterday (11cm in the village and 20cm aloft) the wise money is on a lot of the locals stopping for another day. It was quite amusing this morning as one Parisian obviously emerged from the car park onto clear roads and then tried to get up Rue de La Poste, which was slick. He got as far as 15m past the Jam Bar. As it was busy it completely blocked the road causing a jam back through the tunnel. Clearly it had to be a BMW X5!
The amount of light oscillated through the day, around 1030 it got really dark, then a blue patch appeared (which was nice) and then in the afternoon it was mixed. The odd flocon has gone past the window in the last hour, there may be a few more before midnight. The pistes were much improved, off piste was very much the Curate's Egg. On some aspects you were soon down to the frozen crud of yesterday, other places especially in gullies there was enough to do fresh turns without clouting stuff, so very variable and lots of people tumbling over. Run of the day was the pitch below Pisteurs (from a traverse!!).
OK, the weather for the next few days, lets start with a summary of windy and a bit wintry. But the picture is very confused and is changing at every throw of the electronic dice. So any forecast beyond Monday s little better than a horoscope!
Sunday will start nice and sunny after a chilly night, it will soon warm up though, by lunchtime it wil be very pleasant, but soon after the wind will pick up and cloud will start to build, making it feel a lot cooler. The wind will increase as Monday dawns (high lifts closed) and it will be cloudy; there may be light snow in the morning, or it may wait till lunchtime when it will become much heavier, some 10cm more by midnight hopefully. Tuesday will start windy and sunny I think, the wind will drop but the cloud will build up in the afternoon. The jury is definitely still out on Wednesday, cloudy probably, windy probably but any where from no snow to quite a lot!
No doubt there will be plenty of coverage on Storm Freya in the UK, so any flight tomorrow is going to be bumpy in the first or last bits. You will probably get wet as you cross the car park too, but nothing to preclude flying. Over here the only fly in the ointment is a reasonable chance of fog at Chambery but only until about 8am. It should be clear before the first landings. If it lingers, a spot of holding perhaps. The roads will be black with the exception of the odd village lane in the shade.
George VII has just sent this pic around of some altocumulus lenticularis (lens cloud) behind the Pointe de Chardonnet this afternoon, that or we are being invaded by aliens - nice pic!
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Another spring like day in the village, but quite a bit cooler aloft. The sky was blue all morning and then some cloud appeared, as we skied up to the Grande Motte Cable car we could see darker clouds out to the west and I think they are just arriving now. The wind also picked up closing the cable car as we arrived. Just a cruise round the pistes today, which are in much better condition thanks to the groomed fresh snow. Not a lot else to report really.
Timings on the weather this week are still a bit random. The sky will be leaden in the morning, there might be a teasing hint of sun over the cornflakes. It will be windy all day,, so expect the high lifts and maybe the links to be closed. The snow will start gently at first at some stage in the morning and then it will thicken up after lunch. There may even be a thunderstorm or two in the afternoon. I am expecting something in the order of another 10cm plus or minus a bit! Tuesday looks like the best day of the week, a windy start and sunny periods, but the wind should drop late morning and the clouds should mostly vanish. Wednesday is a bit of a conundrum, most likely we will start with a milky sky, the cloud will then thicken and the wind will increase and it is likely that we will get some precipitation, but the snowline may well be at 2100m. Thursday could be quite wild, windy and snowy, initially the snowline may be as high as 1900m, it will then drop well down the valley.
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Currently the only way to describe the conditions outside is vile! The light snow started about 10, we have had wind and some hail (ooh free exfoliation), it was very damp initially, the roads have only just started going white and it is now snowing very heavily (not often I say that) and there are some tremendous gusts. Lokking at the radar it may continue like this for a couple more hours before easing off. Tomorrow may be good 9if a bit dangerous with all the wind transport).
Think I will go and iron my socks
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I’m in Rosee and the La Dialle gondola has seemingly re-opened after that storm passed.
Will the sun come out tomorrow as the forecast suggests?
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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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@alfabug, I think it will!
Well the socks are now ironed. Just after my last missive, the wind really picked up and we were left with very few lifts, some have now reopened, but not the links, buses have been laid on to get people home. Its still snowing moderately and this is likely to continue till the early hours. the official avalanche risk is now 3 so expect a progressive start in the morning as the pisteurs find the key to the explosives cupboard (not needed those for a while) to make it all safe again.
There is still much discord in the weather forecasts so expect this forecast to change as the days go on. After a windy and snowy night we should be left with fast moving sunny periods for tomorrow with temperatures lower then today, so it will feel cold. the wind speeds may mean the higher exposed lifts are closed, but there is even differing forecast speeds for tomorrow morning! Wait and see..... It will still be quite breezy if not windy on Wednesday. It is likely that we will start with a milky sky, which will fill in and light snow looks like starting late afternoon/early evening. But there is a snowy weather system only a few dozen miles to the south of us....... (seem to be using a lot of dots for dramatic pauses this afternoon). Thursday may well be wild, after a wild snowy night. The snow will probably continue through the day, the winds may ease off. There is a good chance it will be pretty much like today. Friday should be more benign, sunny periods, fluffy clouds and gentle breezes.
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@alfabug, It did! Virtually all day, although there was some thin cloud floating about in the lower villages. The air was quite cold and there was a stiff breeze at altitude which made it feel cool aloft, and kept the cable car shut until lunchtime. With 15cm of fresh and all yesterday's wind the pisteurs were busy this morning but it was not long before the village queues evaporated. Meteo France reissued the Avalanche bulletin, revising it down to 2, which was a bit of a surprise given some of the results of the pisteurs work. On the other hand it was maybe a good job that it was less than first envisaged as the level of stupidity off piste today was colossal. Families with small kids in avalanche zones, huge groups in one place, boarders jumping cornices (he thought he was a hero, perhaps when he hears my voiceover on his mate's vid he won't be impressed) oh and half a dozen Brits without kit falling out of Moniteurs Couloir - I'm sure they will claim it as skiing/riding though in the bars tonight.
Finding decent snow was a matter of northish facing and in gullies. The wind had played havoc with the snow aloft, as it was so warm yesterday the lower snow was quite compacted. That said the Col de Ves was vey nice, as were some parts of Familial. The less said about Campanules the better! Here's the afore mentioned Col de Ves:
Tomorrow will start nice and sunny and it will warm up quickly, but then the isobars squeeze together after lunch and it will become quite windy (keep an eye out for the status of the links). Clouds will build after lunch and I expect it will be fully overcast by the time the lifts shut. There maybe thick enough cloud to give some light snow showers by happy hour. It will be a warm and windy night and there will be snow above 1900m in the small hours we will wake to snow, but the snowline will drop to 1700m. The wind should drop through the morning, the snow intensity will drop; there may be even the odd sunny patch late afternoon. Friday is a bit indistinct but it is likely to start with sunny periods and then there is the chance of a snow shower. Saturday will be windy with a mix of snow showers, but it may well rain below 1700m, and sunny periods. Sunday looks quite wild with a mix of shows and sunny periods, but if the wind appears as forecast that will mostly be academic!
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You know it makes sense.
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@chocksaway
Yes we were on the second gondola out of La Daille!
Off piste wasn’t as deep as we expected but it was a great day on the mountain.
Blue skies this morning so out early again, have a great day!
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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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The weather rollercoaster continues! It started nice, then got a bit dark, then the light improved, stayed better for longer. But the sky is now overcast and the wind really ticked up about 3pm. So all in all not a bad day for a guided session with New Gen. We started up on the north Grande Balme on one of the steeper couloirs, nice snow if a little settled due to the relative warmth:
Funny how the phone makes it seem a bit darker, still makes us look a teeny bit gnarlier. We then did a couple of the couloirs to the south east of the Classique Chardonnet , less hiking but much steeper, a couple of firsts for me. This one is actual to the east of the side entrance to the lower Chardonnet - don't try it without a professional- you could be in for a surprise:
We then worked our way into Vallon de La Sache via a small hike and did another variant which involved another little hike - you may have to zoom in to see the guys at the top of the slope (higher and to the right of the 2 obvious skiers):
Half of the group then needed to retire for coffee, by which time it had clouded over and we called it a day.
In other news Tignes will be celebrating Johan Clarey's 'vice champion du monde' in the Super G tomorrow. He will be joining a torchlight descent down Trolles at 7pm, followed by an address by the Mayor and then the fireworks will start!
I have just realised that the Geneva Motorshow starts tomorrow until a week on Sunday, this has led to big traffic jams around the airport - don't leave it late and check your transfer driver knows, a couple of years ago people were abandoning transfers and dragging suitcases down the hard shoulder!!
OK - a few changes in the detail of the weather, but compared with this mornings forecast of wind speeds its favourable. Its going to be a windy old night but the wind will ease a bit by 4am when the snow will start which should be at least moderate in intensity. The snow will continue to lunchtime when we should then get a few sunny periods with the odd snow shower as well, these showers will fizzle out by tea time. The avalanche risk will rise to 3 in the morning and it will be a progressive opening as the pisteurs do their stuff in a whiteout! 8-10cm by tomorrow evening , maybe a little more if the heart of the weather system passes over us with a snowline around 1400m. Friday will be mostly cloudy in the morning, there should be more brightness in the afternoon, but an odd snow shower is not out of the question. Saturday is a bit of a puzzle, we should have light snow in the early hours down to 100m but then the snowline is going to shoot up the hill by mid morning to around Le Lac, so unpleasant in the lower villages. It will then drop back down after dark, so the net result should be good on high, not so good down low. Sunday currently will be very windy with alternating showers and sunny periods, again the snowline will rise up in the day, but to 1900m this time, before sinking. As ever a degree or two either way will make all the difference.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Definitely a strange day as @chocksaway, has said. Abandoned plans to ski over to Val d' as I expected the links to close.
6 degrees c in the village. For a change the wind was coming from behind the Palafour lift as opposed to the usual "in your face" blast as you crest the ridge.
Most of the loose snow had been blown off piste H well before lunchtime.
I saw a little bit of a weather programme whilst having a coffee in the Jam Bar. Orange alerts for some parts of South East France and the Pyrenees and much discussion about Foehn Winds.
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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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So over the cornflakes it didn't look too promising for a day off piste. But the snow stopped a bit quicker than forecast, probably 15-20cm in total (they measure at 8 so its split over two days). The wind was gusty for the forst hur but the visibility soon improved to let us go higher. So we did a variety of pitches on Palafour, close to the Chardonnet Lift and then first tracks down Lognan (before the sun did its stuff). It was all about aspects and gullies again, there was lots of hard bits on the ridges (after yesterdays warmth it had cleared and refrozen before the snow arrived). Following that we skied down to the road via Glattier, the legs were ready for the full Sherpa Deal  . There was the occasional flurry of snow and the light came and went but as the afternoon progressed it got better and its now essentially sunny with a few fluffy clouds (good for the fireworks at 7.30!!). We did two variants of Chardonnet in the afternoon, lots of freshtracks as not may of the 'followers' were out today. We returned to Earth via Combe des Militaires. The legs could definitely do with a rub down with an oily rag... the snow was getting very heavy by 3 pm, I suspect where the snow is tracked after the refreeze tonight it will be a shocker tomorrow. Untracked may well be OK, where the sun has not been at work allowing a crust to develop.
After a cold and generally clear night, some clouds will develop in the morning, but it really is going to be a look out of the window and see as it could be overcast or there could be some decent breaks. The cloud should be thicker in the afternoon and it may thicken enough to give a light shower around teatime or a bit later. There really is no consensus about Saturday, there is a weather system just to the North that may reach us it may not. So pick your own winner: sunny periods, mostly cloudy or light snow all day. The wind will pick up in the afternoon and it will be a warm wind, so if there is precipitation it could be rain up to 2100m, for te sake of the lowest villages and resorts in the Tarentaise it may be better if it doesn't come at all (I see the sunny side pistes down into Meribel at 1440m are looking quite patchy). There is more harmony amongst the models for Sunday, windy snowy but warm again the snowline could be as high as 2000m. The precipitation will be heavier in the afternoon. On Monday the mercury will plunge (day time temps will be 8 or so degrees lower, and it will be snowy and windy. On high (above 2300m we really could be looking at a significant snow fall. The rest of the week will be unsettled, but the temperatures will rise again.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@chocksaway, have you done the 3000 drag yet???
Wonder what the row was over in the Vallee Perdu LOL
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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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@HoneyBunny, No not yet!
As far as I could work out the row started as who had right of way - should go first. As my French instructor said this morning: probably a Parisian vs a Marseillais!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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A day of rest and a trip to Bourg to fend off impending starvation! The day started nicely but clouds soon appeared around the peaks, and early into the afternoon the sky became overcast and the light went flat, a few snowflakes passed by the window. So out of the window it wasn't as frantic a Friday as could have been expected - looking up the roads the Grand Depart has started (not surprising given tomorrows weather) hopefully a sense of calm will return...... It is still warm though - all the roofs are dripping and the roads are running with water in some places.
It will start snowing in the early hours (maybe as late as 5 or maybe not as we are still on the edge on the weather system). It will only be light snow and it will continue on and off all day (maybe 5cm). The snowline will rise from 1400m to 1900m after dark as warmer air arrives, the authorities are advising an arrival before 4pm for the whole of the Savoie and snow chains or winter tyres will be required, it may well be a little later up our neck of the woods. However, it will be windy with strong gusts, so some lifts may be closed. So down low it will be damp, up high will be too windy, somewhere in the sandwich there may be an opportunity! Sunday will be even windier and a bit more snowy, again the snowline will be at 1900m iin the early hours dropping to 1500m or so during the rugby. Cold air (and February weather arrives on Monday!) It will be 10 degrees colder than Sunday, but that will be relatively academic, as the winds are going to howl. If those pesky isobars stay as they are we could see gusts of >100kph in the villages, so little will be open. There will be snow showers throughout the day and the snowline will be down the valley where it belongs (much to the relief of the lower resorts I imagine!!). There could be 10-20cm of snow on Monday. Tuesday's detail looks a bit erratic, windy (but not too bad to close the place) with some snow showers more probably after lunch. So cast away all thoughts of bikinis, winters back from Monday. The end of the week looks as cold, windy at times and snowy. But there is a raging battle going on over the Bay of Biscay between high pressure and low pressure with many weather systems, as the Alps are pretty much at the southerly extreme of the projected weather, it wouldn't have to change much to change the weather all together. Hopefully it won't. Some of the Apps are getting very excitable in terms of dumpathons - Keep Calm and Carry on skiing!
For the traveller tomorrow it will be windy and bumpy in the UK, buckle up. There is also a chance of catching a heavy shower north of Birmingham, but nothing severe enough to stop flying. Over here just light rain, nothing to worry about though. With 30000 cars coming up and 29000 going down, there will be jams at peak times but not as bad as previous weeks. The snowline will dictate whether the last 5 miles will be difficult or not - be prepared though.
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Damp and warm sums up today, so I wasn't out there long as it was windy on high and soggy in the village, nothing much to recommend it really. Oh it was quiet! It was only the odd flocon this morning and at 3pm its really only snizzle.
The roads were busy this morning, not helped by a breakdown blocking one lane of the autoroute for a bit towards Albertville. Also the customs and passport officials at Chambery were working to post brexit no deal rules leading to outbound flights being an average of an hour late. Its mostly about them (or the unions) asking for more manpower to cope with any extra workload - no surprises there then.
Tomorrows weather will be horrible! The wind will be strong with higher speed gusts. It will snow all day down to around 2000m, another warm and wet one. The snowline will drop to 1500m by mid evening. Monday will be much, much colder and the windspeeds look horrendous, if you do go out wrap up. There is much debate as to how much snow there will be anything from a couple of cm to 12 or 13, but it will be snow down to Moutiers - hurrah. Tuesday is currently forecast to be nicer, sun in the morning, milky skies in the afternoon with a stiffish breeze at altitude. Wednesday and Thursday look like they will be dominated by fast moving heavy snow showers, potentially bringing reasonable snowfall.
Flying in the UK will be very bumpy tomorrow, especially around gusty showers where the crosswind limits may be reached on occasion, leading to the odd bit of holding perhaps. It will be showery and some showers may be of sleet or wet snow (they are hedging their bets - its one of those days when a degree or two will make all the difference). This may mean a spot of deicing if you are unlucky. Over here it will be damp at the airports and as all the customs men will want to be home on time I doubt they will be working to rule.....as its Sunday
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Well today was testing, to say the least. Here at 2100m we have had snow, rain, drizzle and lots of wind. Nothing has settled on bare roofs or balconies, it will be different on the pistes of curse. I was dragged out of the warmth of my pad by tigski who wanted to skin up Palafoulée, they have designated the Palafou luge track as a skinning track during the day, with motivational signs every now and again! It was a bit bleak at the top, but the snow was fine, down in the village it was like glue! The winds have increased this afternoon, closing a lot of the lifts up high; an electrical failure some where near Laisinant has shut a lot more in Val. I hope all the diesel engines started, I wouldn't want to be stuck on a lift this afternoon. Talking of which, Bollin packed up again late yesterday afternoon and quite a few folks had a free abseiling lesson . It was running again this morning ...... Compensation is available from the STGM 'reclamations en ligne'.
And now for the forecast, there have been and will be many changes over the next few days as the high pressure and low pressure systems have a meteorological handbag fight - bear with me! The isobars have moved a bit further apart for tomorrow (on the latest throw of the dice) so we should, at least, have some lifts open. But it will still be windy and potentially 10 degrees colder than today, so it will feel Baltic, proper January Baltic. It will also snow all day, 8-12cm would be a fair guess (Could be more or less though). Tuesday will be much nicer after a cold night, the temps will rise quickly and the morning will be one of sunny periods, the cloud will thicken in the afternoon and the wind speed will rise a bit and there may well be some more snow after dark. Currently.......Wednesday will be snowy and windy, the temperatures will drop again (but not as bad as tomorrow), the amount of snow is open to much debate, standby. Fast moving snow showers will be the order of the day on Thursday, but there will be the odd glimpse of the sun, but it will be cold in the wind. On Friday there will be some weather, what weather is very much open to debate.
Wrap up warm tomorrow.....
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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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Bit wild this morning, but thankfully a lot colder. Not many lifts open in either part of our semi-detached ski domain! Plus the wind is forecast to increase so we can't go next door and they can't come round for a cup of sugar either. Time to toddle down to Brev for a skin to Boisses before the wind picks up after lunch.
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Well that was the plan..... Firstly we had to endure the queue at Chaudannes as not much was open and there was no access by lift from one village to the next. But fair play to the liftie down there she was demanding that every chair was full and marched up and down past the gates (there is a fair distance between chairs) ensuring that she was not ignored. She even grabbed the jacket of one Brit to pull him forward - much to his surprise. The way down was not great, yesterdays slush had frozen and there was not much fresh on top - a boarders hell in factWe skinned up from Brev but it soon became apparent that the wind was picking up quicker than forecast so we decided to skin to the Boisses bus stop and not risk the lifts. Lets just say it was very busy there and the 'battle of the buses' got a bit heated in some cases (perhaps the Chaudannes liftie should have been bus monitor!). By some quirk of the French bus etiquette I was propelled forward once on the bus straight into a seat - result!
By lunchtime nearly all but the village lifts were shut, bizarrely the Funival was still open - quite who would want to be up there with gusts in excess of 100kph I have no idea....... The roads are now very icy and chains are obligatory down to Bourg. It has been snowing heavily all afternoon, I have no idea how much as it is going sideways and through the window of the bedroom next door, I have just heard it banging, not sure if its rented this week, I will pop by the agents on the way to the pub.
The snow will stop by midnight and the winds will drop. The skies will also clear and it will be an unusually cold night for March, so it will feel cold in the morning in the light breezes despite the blue skies and sunshine. Standby for a progressive start as the pisteurs are going to have a hell of a job sorting the windblown snow out in the morning. The avi risk is officially 3. The sky will progressively cloud over through the day, hopefully it will remain milky until lift closure. The wind will pick up, the cloud will thicken and snow showers will start just before midnight. These showers look like continuing through the day, there may be a respite in the morning and one or two may be thundery in the afternoon, the showers will be accompanied by a gusty wind. Thursday will be snowy and very windy according to most projections, stand by for changes. The snow then looks very heavy through into Friday which currently looks snowy and breezy.....
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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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@kitenski, Mmmm, there were quite a few lifts running this morning, but around 1230 its was only Bellvarde Express and Funival, perhaps they had to keep it going just into the afternoon to avoid a half day refund........ not sure the pisteurs would be happy though or the long arm of the law if something happened.
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And for once the weather followed the forecast, we were awoken by the pisteurs and what became immediately apparent was today had the potential to be dangerous, every time a charge went off it triggered something, mostly on northeast-ish slopes. So it was a day of caution for most, away from that orientation and not too steep. But today was an untimely reminder of why the most significant proportion of avalanche deaths are at Risk 3. I have not heard any bad news yet. During the morning we saw 4 skier/rider triggered avalanches in the Chardonnet bowl, just disproving the seasonaire myth that skier compaction makes it safe - this one crossed the path of the 'classique couloir:
The 2 guys are repacking an avalanche bag, he was wearing red.
So for us it was a trip up Col de Ves, then Palet and then the airport run:
It was mostly, very, very good; but some slopes were a bit heaven and hell, there was still lots of hard pack/ice on ridges and behind crests. As we descended onto Piste Double Mayhem we bumped into Tess Burrows, adventurer, author and motivational speaker. She was in the middle of skinning from Brev with the aim of reaching the Grande Motte (pisteurs willing) to highlight the 60th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising (which was Sunday). It would be most ungallant of me to mention her age - but go Tess!
After lunch we tried some gullies just below the Panoramique, wow a lot of snow has accumulated under the terrace at the Panoramique! Leisses may now be skiable!! As a final run we descended Lognan - the sun had started its work and it was quite heavy - time for tea and medals.
The cloud will thicken tonight and there will be snow for about 3 or 4 hours around midnight, initially it might be a bit wet down below the Dam but then it will be snow. Hopefully there will be some sunny periods in the morning, and it wont be as cold as this morning but then the cloud will thicken again, a gusty wind will pick up (watch out for the links) and we will be treated to blustery showers of snow and hail initially. The snowline will start at the Dam initially before heading down to Bourg. Thursday will be snowy, breezy (windy at height), the air out of the wind will not be bitterly cold though. The heavy snow will continue into Friday, it should ease in the afternoon, currently it doesn't look too windy, but the snowline will creep back up to 1800m before it stops. Because Spring is back on Saturday, blue skies and sunshine, warm temperatures. Should be a good day (but potentially high avalanche risk) as all the crowds are in tin boxes heading in and out. Now the $64m question - how much snow. There is some really heavy snow expected especially on Thursday night into Friday, just where 'the eye of the storm' passes will make all the difference but 40-60cm would be a mid range guess.......
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You know it makes sense.
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@chocksaway, It has just started snowing as I wondered back from the bar.
I hear that the remarkable Tess eventually made it to top of Grand Motte at 7pm after starting out in Breviere at around 6am this morning. Chapeau!
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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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@GeorgeVII, As you say you have to doff your flat cap to Tess.
A challenging day, the light was OK lower down until 3.30 really when it got very grey - up high looked miserable so we stayed low! I was out with New Gen again, and we lapped 3 different variants of Glattier, so by the third time we were on first name terms with the bus driver! The snow down there was nice and in the shelter of the trees we were out of the gusty winds. After lunch we did an off piste variant of Golf and then traversed round Pointe de Lavachet to end up just below the Home Club. Nice snow, but the gusts were really strong, full of hail and snow - you just had to wait for them to subside. And as we are all gluttons for punishment we did the Thumb just before the weather closed in.
Right - hang onto to your hats its going to get wild! We are going to have snow showers all night and a gusty wind will pick up in the small hours, the shutters will be rattling. The winds will ease a bit by daybreak (less gusty) and there might be a brief respite from falling snow between 8 and 11, or it might just be light snow....But the pisteurs will have some work to do, so be patient and careful. The gusts will then return and the snow intensity will increase through the afternoon, from 4pm it will be really heavy (its not often Meteo France use their Neige Forte pictogram). Friday will be another windy day, with normal snow and then light snow in the afternoon, by then the snowline will have moved from Moutiers to 1700m so a bit soggy in the lower villages. But don't expect much to be open on Friday morning as the wind and heavy snow will send the avalanche risk upwards. Spring returns on Saturday, blue skies, sunshine, mild temperatures, light winds and loads of fresh - might have to be a dry Friday . Spring will continue on Sunday morning, but the gusty wind will pick up as snow showers and sunny periods move in.
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Poster: A snowHead
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An admin day today, out of the square window it snow lightly until mid afternoon and since then it has started to come down heavily and there is even higher intensity snowfall coming in an hour or so. The light was generally poor so I imagine it was a trying day.....
This heavy snow will continue until the morning, initially the snowline will be down the valley, but it is going to climb quite rapidly so that it will probably be sleeting in Brev by breakfast and in Val by lunch time. There will be reasonably strong winds at altitude and these will pick up from lunch time so if the links open keep an eye out . So what can we expect with 30-50cm of fresh by tomorrow afternoon there will be lots of windblown snow at height and lots of heavy snow below 2000m or so as the rain soaks in - so unsurprisingly the avalanche risk will be 4 tomorrow and it will be a very complex snowpack - so be very careful. Saturday will be entirely different, the sun will be out, the winds will be calm and it will feel pleasantly warm, just like spring! there may be the odd cloud or two at altitude. Sunday will start just fine, spring, but then a cold front arrives which will bring lightish snow showers in the afternoon, a gusty wind will also put in an appearance in the afternoon. Monday's frecast is a long way from certain, most likely sunny periods and some snow showers; it looks quite chilly. Beyond that it looks mostly sunny, cool untilWednesday then the temps start picking up.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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28cm in the village and 40cm up high of fresh snow according to the 'official ruler'. But having cleared the balcony, its heavy down here and quite warm now. And there are gusty winds of 80kph up there, its going to be tricky to find somewhere today, especially as its Risk 4. The pistes will be great though (until they bump up!)
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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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Mmmmm, well my initial impressions proved to be correct. 6 of us set off with airbags etc with an instructor and when he declared the off piste by the side of Palafour unskiable then we knew we were in for a re-plan. So we made an incongruous site on The Rosset beginners slope, with the full kit, doing a whole load of drills including skiing backwards, a certain instructor in red was completely bemused! Just goes to show that on the worst days there is stuff to learn (as a minimum all of us had skied the Chardonnet Couloir, some of us more adventurous stuff. Luckily Tignes seemed to be in a sunny bowl so it was quite pleasant, on high it was windy, with lifts closing and opening. It was also warm which has done nothing to maintain the fresh snow off piste.
Tonight will see the clouds slowly clear, there might be the odd light shower to come. But the freezing level will remain very high so I can't see the snow improving much for tomorrow, apart from high up where it will be cold enough but it will be very wind affected. But as everyone charges down the valley the sun will be shining and there will be light winds. It will feel warm in the villages. The avalanche risk is 3, but definitely but your spring head on; beware sunny slopes after lunch especially. Sunday will start sunny and warm, but a gusty wind will build up and clouds will also bubble up, there may well be light showers of snow towards lift closing time or a bit later. On balance Monday should be a day of fast moving, light snow showers and much colder than the weekend, but there is discord between the various models! Tuesday and Wednesday look like chillyish days with sunny periods and fluffy clouds. The temperatures then ramp up towards the end of the week.
For those on the move tomorrow we have 27000 cars both arriving and leaving the Tarentaise, so there will be a minor few hold ups, but barring breakdowns, they will not be prolonged. If you are flying I trust TUI will have sorted out any MAX rescheduling. The weather in the UK is going to be drizzly and very windy by mid morning. There may be the odd occasion where a blustery shower prevents an approach because of crosswinds, but you would be unlucky. Bucking up tight would be a good plan though. Over here its all good at Geneva. But there is a reasonable chance of fog until mid morning at Grenoble, Lyon and Chambery. If wee are unlucky and it forms at Chambery then there will be holding on the ground in the UK or going round in circles in France until fuel minimums are met.
And finally, its time for Tignes to hoist the Rainbow Flag for European Snow Pride next week. A warm (but snowy) welcome to one and all.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi - does anyone have a good prediction on whether the grand motte will be open sat or sun?
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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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Could be?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@alansk, Looks like most of it will be open today,quite a bit of avalanche work today. May have to wait for the ice to melt off the cables for the Cable Car
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Had to collect Lady G7 last night from GVA. Pouring with rain around Annecy and Albertville. Drove up the hill in dense fog at about 1am this morning...... lovely
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There was a thin veil of cloud towards Italy this morning, but it had gone by 1130, we are now in the middle of a spring like day. We did try some off piste this morning, and yes there was the odd gully with some nice fresh snow but it was mostly a tale of horrors and every turn was a different surface. So we retired to the piste and coffee, the pistes are in very good shape after the new snow, though by 2pm they had bumped up a little bit. We did pop up the Grand Motte and the news does not appear good. There was indeed a lot of ice on the cables (they are still waiting for it to melt on the Leisse chair). But as you can just see the cables on the left hand side are in distinct disarray (the motor cable appears to be lying on the cornice to the left of shot - not sure how long that is going to take to fix.
Also just a word of caution to those who go just to the 'side of the poles it'll be OK' This slip was less than 30 m from the side of Genepy (though into a gully and not threatening the piste), the crown line must be well over 2m!
I did see a few aircraft waiting for the mist to clear at Chambery and at least one diversion, but another set of delays on departure as the customs men are working to rule for more staff in case of a no deal B word. Perhaps we should all lobby to go to Geneva where I am sure they would welcome us (if they had the capacity).
The weather seems to have settled a bit compared with last week, tomorrow will start with sun and warm temperatures. But cloud will build around the peaks and will be followed by a cold front. The temperature will drop sharply and the wind ill pick up on its arrival and we should have snow from late afternoon. Monday will be cold, don't be misled by the sunny skies and the odd fluffy cloud, at lunchtime it will be 8-9 degs colder than Sunday. Tuesday will be similar, and Wednesday will be sunny but still cold. The thermometer reverses on Thursday as warm air arrives, sunny days and much warmer, spring may well have arrived for real.
For the travellers, blustery showers will make it bumpy in the UK, no weather snags over here to affect flying.
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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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Any more news on time schedule for fixing Grande Motte lift?
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Random question: is Tignes hosting the half pipe event again this year? They don’t seem to be preparing it at all.
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FAQ
