 Poster: A snowHead
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Any thoughts on the best 2 weeks for skiing? The two weeks before the Feb school holiday or the two weeks after? We’re planning a week in La Rosiere followed by Les Menuires or Alpe d’Huez. UK school holiday week starts 11 Feb which is a week we hope to avoid.
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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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@oz, Best snow? On a very rough average, I'd say the quantity of snow increases steadily until about 15th of March, so the later the better. If you are hoping for light, fluffy powder then a little earlier would be better. Overall, I'd recommend after half-term rather than before. The snow could be better or worse, but at least you will have more daylight later.
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@oz, welcome to snowHeads. Impossible to say about the quality of the snow with such precision, but much easier to forecast how busy resorts will be. My preference, other things being equal, would be the weeks before the UK half term as they will be quieter than the two weeks after half term.
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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 always go first two weeks of March. Chance of snow just as good IMHO as the two weeks before Feb half term. But, weather is warmer in March, longer days and more chance of sitting outside with a cold beer (or orangina) than in Jan or Feb. Would avoid La Rosiere though, very windy and a bit small, adjoining resort of La Thuile is better, although I'm sure many would disagree.
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Peak-snowdepth in the French Alps is around Feb 15 to Mar 5.
The sweetspot -- deep snow, hot sun and cold temperature -- is above 1500m in the last week of Feb.
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December was always a lottery, but January has also become one in recent years. I think, purely for snow, I'd be looking at sometime in the last three weeks in Feb.
The safest solution is to leave it until the last minute and go where and when it snows. The website, weathertoski.co.uk is a great source of info.
http://www.weathertoski.co.uk/
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I think it's a flawed concept. Having studied snow pack for a fair few seasons I'm convinced it's not reliable year-on-year. Go somewhere and get a storm and it's good, go somewhere it's dry and you're scratting about. You can look at historic charts of snowfall I suppose, but I don't think there's a pattern worth anything.
France has the advantage of being easy to drive to and close to lots of other places, so I would go the other way: pick the time you want for other reasons (eg to avoid French holidays), drive there, and if it's bad.... drive somewhere else. Usually somewhere from the Pyrenees to the right had side of Austria is doing well... that's where you want to be. Plus the sense of uncertainty adds spice.
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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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@philwig, There are some pretty big flaws in your theory too. There is a huge amount of reliable data to suggest when you are most likely to get decent snow. That clearly doesn't guarantee you will but the OP understands that.
Your theory of 'drive there, and if it's bad .... drive somewhere' else' isn't hugely helpful if:
a: you need to book accomodation
b. You drive to the Alps and it's the Pyrennees that are good.
Your theory might be OK if perfect snow is the only consideration, but for 99% of people that is not the case.
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@foxtrotzulu, are you and @philwig united on what you class as decent snow? I don't think so...
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@foxtrotzulu, @philwig, ...also driving from Melbourne seems a little extreme... 
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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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| under a new name wrote: |
| @foxtrotzulu, are you and @philwig united on what you class as decent snow? I don't think so... |
Probably not. In my view this is what constitutes 'decent snow' in descending order of importance:
1. Quantity. A really good depth of snow on all runs from top to bottom.
2. Texture. Cold enough weather to avoid too much Gard stuff in the morning and slush in the afternoon.
3. Fresh snow/powder. Irrelevant for piste skiers, critical for off-piste skiers.
I'm not sure you can put weighting onto these factors, but if I had to I'd suggest something like 60/30/10.
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Christmas week! But not for the last two years, so this Xmas must be going to be good 
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Having spent last 8 seasons in Haute Savoie, I agree with Whitegold
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Poster: A snowHead
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @foxtrotzulu, are you and @philwig united on what you class as decent snow? I don't think so... |
Probably not.
If you want "snow", as in "snow as opposed to brown dirt", then probably you want to go as late as possible, because the stuff generally (although not always) builds up over the season.
If you want "good snow", as in stuff which actually falls the night before you ride it, then that's harder to predict, but deep mid winter is often best. But it's not predictable: your March heli-ski week will be ok one year, garbage the next. Flexibility is key.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
@foxtrotzulu, @philwig, ...also driving from Melbourne seems a little extreme... wink
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Melbourne is a village in Derbyshire very near to Castle Donnington and as such is pretty close to the centre of the UK.
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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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Thanks everyone, great advice. I'll go for the 2 wks after the hols. I'd forgotten about the sunnier days closer to March, and an afternoon or two soaking up the sun and a beer on a sun terrace might be a good trade off against softer afternoon snow. I was thinking March for snow quality was getting late in the season but it sounds like it will be okay.
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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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| johnE wrote: |
| Quote: |
@foxtrotzulu, @philwig, ...also driving from Melbourne seems a little extreme... wink
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Melbourne is a village in Derbyshire very near to Castle Donnington and as such is pretty close to the centre of the UK. |
Melbourne Aus, the land of sun and very limited skiing  Taking my 15 y/o son with me to visit family in the uk - and getting in a cheeky two week ski hol on the way
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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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This season I thought the best skiing conditions in the 3Vs were the first week April.
Great snow depths, just after a decent snowfall and hot sun.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@oz, if you're coming all that way, why La Ros? Wouldn't be top of my list and seems an odd choice.
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Champoluc/Gressonay/Alagne
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| maggi wrote: |
| @oz, if you're coming all that way, why La Ros? Wouldn't be top of my list and seems an odd choice. |
Family friend married into a La Ros French family so we thought a week in La Ros doing the family thing then ramp up the skiing with a week in Les Menuires.
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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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I suspect that over a good many years the best snow is the four weeks from mid February. Which is, of course, the French school holiday period. If it has to be France I'd go before the French holidays start or immediately after. But if you are flexible about where and want to avoid the holidays, book some time in late January/early February then go where the snow is good. Having good snow is surely more important than having exactly the right accommodation, or which country you go to? Driving gives you max flexibility but hardly practical from Melbourne. A fight to an airport such as Turin gives you quite a lot of choice - northern or southern alps, Italy or France. And driving to the Dolomites is not out of the question, either.
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Second week of January. After the Russians have left. Quietest time; nicest mountain weather (i.e. not beach weather).
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FAQ
French holiday actually last from 4 Feb to 5 March so you may want to avoid that whole period. Although the UK (and Dutch and Belgian, etc holidays) add to the numbers in most resorts the majority will be french still.
