Ski Welt Conditions 1st Week in March

A snowHead

Hi all. I am thinking of taking a short ski break at the beginning of march (2nd - 6th) and the ski welt area in austria is really attracting me, however as this ski area is quite low comparatively I am slightly dubious about the snow conditions at this time. Can anyone offer there thoughts on this or if they have been at this time what it was like? Cheers, Ben

A snowHead

Snowpack will normally be at it's deepest at that point. You have a chance of everything from heavy snowfall right through to warm temps and slush on south-facing slopes. Normal caveats apply, but I'd expect nice snow with less chance of grim, rattley, icy dry-January-style hardpack than earlier in the season. In general it should be a bit warmer than mid-winter, so the snow should be correspondingly softer.

I've been later than that (last week they were open a couple of seasons ago) and still had great onpiste skiing even though the surrounding fields were green, and even a powder day.

PS. Westendorf has the best skiing of the area IMO

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

Should be no problem at all. Most of the ski welt will be open to the start of April, although by then some of the runs down to the valley will just be ribbons of snow down through green pastureland.

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Went last year and year before at beginning of March. Last year it was deep good snow on arrival with fine sunny weather. It turned colder just as I was leaving. The year before it was deep slushy snow with fine sunny and a lot warmer weather. Again it turned abit colder as we left.
I have also turned up mid march and had non stop snow for a week and also mid February to be greeted by green mountains with white/brown strips coming down (pistes) though it did snow a few days later (07 I think)

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

We have been to Westendorf late season twice and both were fine. We were there in the last week of the season (end Mar/start Apr) in 2011. This was one of their thinnest years recently but we could still (just) ski to the villages. On top there was great snow. They are very good at maintaining the pistes and the mornings were superb, however nasty they looked at 4pm all the runs were good all morning. Surprisingly, freeze/thaw ice was not an issue despite -10 nights and +10 days. It got hot in the afternoon and there was effectively nothing off the prepared pistes but there was still good skiing to be found on N facing slopes and in the shade of treelined runs.

2012 we went early March (maybe just after powderseeker as it had just gone cold and dumped some fresh) and the depth was excellent, about 1m in the villages and stacks up high, it starts to get hot in the afternoons if the sun is out and so south facing runs can be pretty trying late in the day, apart from that conditions were superb, 2 days heavy fresh snow and the rest bluebird. Going again end Feb next year.

PS agree with clarky999, Westendorf has good variety, and is right between the main SkiWelt area and Kitz if you want even more exploring.

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The only time I have ever been was the first or second week in March some time in the mid 90's.

Now, I fully expect that this was an exceptionally bad year reading the above (and what others have previously said), but it was very warm and so the slopes were either boilerplate on the very highest slopes and pure mush below. The temperature in the mid-station was in the mid-teens. Even with modern snow making technology I'm not sure much could be done as evenings were not that cold either.

A pity really as the area did look good, and it does seem like an exception rather than the rule.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

The ski welte area itself is a massive area in its own right. If you are having any doubts( and I wouldn't) base your self over the Brixen/Westendorf side as you can always ski the kitzbuhel ski area as the season goes on longer. But the north facing slopes down into Ellmau/Scheffau will still be fine. Unless there is a huge warm period, and unfortunately it will be the same all over the Alps.

After all it is free

Thanks for your responses guys, sounds like it could be alright although a potential mixed bag. I've also been looking at a few youtube videos taken at the beginning of march in the ski welt area which help to give a better idea and seem to give a good impression so I feel quite encouraged by that, however I need to go away and decide if I'm still willing to take the risk.

bendiddley, I've skied in Austria in April in knee deep fresh powder.

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bendiddley, doesn't matter where and when you go there are always weather risks, too much snow, too little snow, too much wind, temperatures too cold, too warm, major avalanche risks, etc. Having been to Cervinia (high at 2100m) in February with very high temperatures and patchy slushy snow and Austria (low resorts) at the end of March with thigh deep powder on piste, I'd say anything's possible. First week in March is unlikely to be a risk anywhere, it's right at the height of the season when snow depths are usually at their best, plus the Austrian resorts are exceptionally good at snowmaking and piste preparation.

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Thanks queen bodecia and clarky999, very wise and encouraging!

Here are some photos to put you in the picture, taking in the SkiWelt on 16th March this year. First a view from the Westendorf car park (at village level), looking up to the Choralpe and with the Alpenrosen gondola on the right...

And here a view towards the Brechhorn from the Gampenkogel, further on in the Westendorf ski area...

But it wasn't all (Alpen) roses. The south-facing slopes on the north side of the Brixental (the side that links over to Söll, Scheffau, Ellmau and Going) do become soft and heavy on warm afternoons. Here is the piste back down to Brixen (1b on the piste plan)...

As you can see, harder work and green slopes at the side but still skiable.

But you should be able to find some great skiing. If you can't ski in the first March week, then there was no season at all!

You know it makes sense.

Nice pics espri, gives a good idea. What were the conditions like higher up on the south facing slopes, did they all suffer, and also was this just an afternoon thing?

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

Higher up is seldom a problem, though obviously it depends how warm it is. And it is usual for the pistes to be hard first thing, softening up later.

A snowHead

I was in Soll for the first week In March this year, it was very much a mixed bag!.

The first 3 days were very very slushy and lots of green was appearing day by day, however there was good drop in temperate and the snow came in and we had 2 days of heavy snowfall which turned the place around completely! There was excellent off piste and on piste conditions which was some of the best i've ever had! When the weather is good this resort is amazing, the skiing seems endless you can go and go and go and not have to ski the same piste twice.

Only downside you can go so far that you may end up with a mad panic trying to get back to your resort, like us we were in soll and realised we weren't going to make the last lift up to the hoe salve and ended up with a rather expensive taxi bill!

Like the general theme it can go either way! He's a video I took on my gopro that week, the first day that the temps dropped!
Youtube > 'Soll, Austria. March 2013, Black 42'

Ben

A snowHead

Thanks ben, great video. I've been in a similar scenario racing across the mountain trying to get to the one chair lift that will get you on to that last slope to the bottom. Never been caught out though thankfully. I agree ski welt looks huge, will have to watch out how far i venture if I go.

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

the SKi Club of great Britain have a usefull historical ski record, can look at resorts and historical snow records, most resorts onlyhave a year ot twos data though. can also compare resort to resort.

http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/snowreports/historical/snowreport.aspx

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Thanks drhosking. That could be useful.

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Ski Welt Conditions 1st Week in March

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