 Poster: A snowHead
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Is this the worst winter for snow in Europe ? I can barely remember a powder day in any french or Austrian resorts for the last 6 weeks maybe 2 months. The days of 30-40cm overnight seem a thing of the past
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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No
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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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No, big difference this winter is we haven't had sustained very warm or heavy rain. We are a bit weak on the snowfall but we are presntly keeping what we have.
Winter started properly. I've had green Christmas 3 times and 4 winters where you never got to ski lots of things...all of which we've skied this year.
2020 we couldn't have skied hardly at all when Covid hit,, even if we didn't have covid, the snow just up and vanished!
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@DarrenBee, no. 10 days ago was skiing 40cms of cold powder in the 3 Valleys, followed by more of the same for 2 days in Chamonix. Last week there was (and is) still good soft snow to be had if you go looking. The week prior the northern French Alps had a reasonable top-up, mid-January there was an good 40cm+ snowfall across northern french Alps into Switzerland. The biggest problem for these areas has been the couple of weather systems which came through really warm, with rain/snow limit up above 2500m at times.
Southern Alps (and Italy) for sure are having a terrible season, but further north it is not that bad..!
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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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1982-84
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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@offpisteskiing for me it has been a really good season. The rain just before New Year was a bummer but apart from that cold, no real avy risk, generally nice snow both on and off piste. Had a great ski tour with a friend the other day in a mix of spring snow then chalky powder and destructured snow as we dipped over to a north facing bowl. He thought it was great. A friend had old powder on the Rochail in the Oisans yesterday.
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@DarrenBee, It indeed is bad. And there are bad signs generally of more fundamental long term change. BUT....there have been snow famines before. I remember arriving in Les 2 Alpes in 2001 and looking to the left. Nothing. No white, just brown and green. Awful. And it rained. Miserable. I remember a couple of thin Decembers since then, too. But the trend is not good.
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| Quote: |
But the trend is not good
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I think this is the key conclusion - and it's about "climate", rather than "weather".
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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 was in a resort 7 or 8 years ago & the nursery bunny slope was grass & mud. At 1600m.
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No
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Reporting from Lauterbrunnen which really is the north side! We have had long cold dry spells but we have had a few really good powder days.
Back in January we had 30cm forecast, we all reckoned we skied 45 to 60cm so we can not complain too much over here.
Mid Feb a lovely 30 - 35 of good stuff. Yesterday I toured with SAC between Meiringen and Grindelwald we only went to 2400, so not excessively high, good cover with reasonable old powder from 10 days ago.
Yes, we would have enjoyed much more frequent snowfall but overall can't really complain.
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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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Pretty close, I fell the motorbike on ice in jan and havent been sliding yet. But...have just booked a sad and lonely git trip so things are looking up!
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You know it makes sense.
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According to MeteoAlpes, this season has been record-breakingly good in terms of attendance for the northern Alps. Settled weather reduces lift closures and is ideal for piste skiing, as long as there is sufficient snow already on the ground.
It really depends how you define a good or bad winter.
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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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This winter is ok where we are. Not great, but perfectly good. Skiing back to the valley at 940 metres. The worst I can remember in recent times was 1989/90. I didn’t even bother going.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Am currently skiing in the Eastern Pyrenees where although there hasn’t been a proper big dump for months (which is unusual as there is usually a Jan/Feb dump annually) most runs are open in all resorts due to snow cover holding with minimal rain history (at least at 2000m or above) and great snow management/artificial cover. Also I’ve found in the more rounded grassier peaks of the Pyrenees compared to the Alps it seems to take less snow to provide skiable conditions and even if dodgy you are more likely to get away with it skiing over a patch of grass rather than rock with your skis living to fight another day!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think this depends which area. Here in Salzburgerland it has been a relatively good snow season with regular snowfalls. Certainly better than the previous two seasons.
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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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For the weather watchers to consider. On this north side of the Alps (Lauterbrunnen) we have had regular spells of east and northeast winds. Frequently folk have commented on how cold the wind is.
The up side to a cold wind is less damage to a slightly reduced snow pack.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I defer to Victor Borge: "The two worst winters I remember ? . . . Mike and Bernie.
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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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Nope. It’s been quite a good season hereabouts. Great early start with plenty of snow in November. Regular top ups, not overly warm which has helped keep the pistes in great nick….off-piste is a little limited now.
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Last winter was way worse.
Snow all over the show, but only accessible by hiking.
It's like going to the chippy when you're starving hungry and being told you can have chips but you need to peel the potatoes, blanche and fry them yourself.
In the words of the great Jim Bowen - "Here's what you could have had" .
This season the weather has been great - who doesn't like sunny days?
While I miss the off piste, there's still plenty on uncrowded piste to go at now that the masses have departed.
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89/90 massively worse, PdS down to 2 lifts for skiing and 6 "pistes"end of Feb. Didn't snow for 9 weeks after a poor start.
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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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As has been mentioned Southern/Hautes Alpes, Via Lattea, Piedmont has hardly seen any new snow since the second week of January, 20cm tops.
However, the pistes have held up well with the cold weather and clear skies at night, as the sun gets stronger (higher) so even North-facing slopes will start to suffer.
For most skiers, they will not notice the scarcity of the snow, and we were with a group of friend's friends yesterday at apres ski and they'd had a great day.
It's the lift-served off-piste that is nigh on non-existent, and if ski-touring you really have to work to get to the snow, and even then it might not be good.
I had a long chat with a La Grave guide yesterday and he's off games with a bad-back this week but has a group next week and he really will be clutching at straws to deliver the goods. Just look at the decisions made by the Guide to take his group on a traverse from La Grave to Chamonix (Piste section)
One of the issues down this way was the periods of really strong winds after what snow we had, so where you'd expect super smooth spring snow it's melted down to the sastrugi that was there.
I went up the Granon yesterday on an e-mtb (knee is a bit dodgy) and yes there's snow but it's going to be hard work, not least the long walk where you'd have to leave your car to get to the snowline as the road is still snow affected on north-facing bends, hence an e-mtb.
Image is the South side of the valley taken from the webcam, you can see via the cams how the pistes are still good.
Walking back last evening I commented looking up towards the South facing Col de Buffere was that the mountain looked like you'd see it in June!
Another guide I know well, who I sort of had pencilled in for a week in Piedmont in February has been scoring great snow in Switzerland getting his clients to go there.
Just look at some of the images that he's been posting!
Talk about invoking FOMO 
https://www.instagram.com/gadanguides/
We've also been dismayed by the number of false forecasts that show a good dump ten days ahead only to disappear as we get nearer 
I'm even considering the possibility of leaving here for a "holiday" in Northern Sweden later in April !!
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7/8 years ago I was in Alpe d'Huez about this time of year and we had to give up around 1/2pm as it was so slushy. Lots of grass and the day we left resort at 12pm it was 22 degrees! in the middle of March!
As others have said there hasn't been buckets of snow but enough combined with sustained fairly cold temps means there is still decent snow in most places
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Please stop this thread. 
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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: |
| 89/90 massively worse, PdS down to 2 lifts for skiing and 6 "pistes"end of Feb. Didn't snow for 9 weeks after a poor start. |
Agreed. There were quite a few winters around 1990 that were really dry, and I remember friends who picked the wrong resort and ended up doing a walking holiday! At least we now have better snow making equipment.
Sometimes there are winters where the snow doesn't really arrive until mid March, and then it can be an epic Spring. Other winters, there is tons on snow in January and Feb, and then it disappears early. You never know what to expect.
As far as I'm concerned nothing has changed.
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As far as I'm concerned nothing has changed
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You wouldn't say that if you'd been shown how far the glaciers at L2A and Tignes have retreated in the last 20 years.
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You know it makes sense.
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Worst? No
Most frustrating? Definitely
Sustained periods of above freezing temperatures and precipitation, known locally as rain.
Sustained periods of below freezing temperatures and no precipitation, known locally as fuc*ing Gulf Stream / Jet Stream.
Very little crossover of warm to cold, rain turning to snow.
Whenever there was snow on the ground, the warmer weather rolled in quickly.
By this time last season I was up to 19 days on snow, this year it's 3.
But those three days in the Brecon Beacons National Park have been glorious.
Last edited by You know it makes sense. on Tue 8-03-22 14:27; edited 1 time in total
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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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| Cacciatore wrote: |
| Nope. It’s been quite a good season hereabouts. Great early start with plenty of snow in November. Regular top ups, not overly warm which has helped keep the pistes in great nick….off-piste is a little limited now. |
I’d agree with this, there was that big snow in November and it snowed a fair bit in early Feb, with regular top ups too, the main thing is it’s been -5 to -10 ish which has kept the snow in great condition.
The only piste I’ve skied so far which has mounds of soft snow on it is the 1b down to Brixen im Thale. Rest of them have been great conditions no bald patches seen so far.
Off piste yes, for powder turns you have to go off looking but I had some this week within reasonable distance to a piste and it hadn’t snowed since 26th Feb-it’s been cold so it was indeed powder snow.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I suspect it will end up being a successful season in the Dolomites. Early snow and good weather for snowmaking meant everything was open by Christmas, which is a bit unusual. In typical Dolomite style the sun has shone most days and there have been no days lost through wind, avalanche risk or poor visibility. Some lifts may have been closed because of occasional high winds however. Sunny skies, open slopes and reliable itinerary planning will no doubt prove good for repeat business.
Still another 7 weeks to go at Kronplatz 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I think that it will be a very successful period for ski businesses from early Feb onwards particularly when the Covid restrictions started being much more relaxed. Last week in Austria was really busy I thought.
Most people come to ski in sunny conditions on the piste and that’s exactly what they got these past 4 weeks.
I’d have liked it to dump snow this week but it was not to be and most holiday makers don’t want the poor vis and lumpy pistes. They want it like it is now.
Blue skies and cold grippy snow on the pistes. That’s what it’s like in Ski Welt now apart from 1b down to Brixen that’s really soft.
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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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| Quote: |
I’d have liked it to dump snow this week but it was not to be and most holiday makers don’t want the poor vis and lumpy pistes. They want it like it is now.
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Correct. Sounds wonderful.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@pam w, exactly, loads of people having a beer and their lunch outside on the terraces, they are loving it!
Especially after no skiing for 2 years it couldn’t have worked out better (in Austria anyway)
I do remember 16/17 winter being a bit sparce in the March I think there was a particularly warm spell for a number of weeks.
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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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@DarrenBee,
Ask Steve Angus - he should/did have access to Val D'Isere and/or Tignes snow records going back decades.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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2020-21..... It was so bad I didn't get to ski once.
After that, any snow looks great!
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before work today, beautiful, calm, first tracks before the zombie hordes, with an early morning sunrise #lovewinter
How I love the smell of glide wax in the morning
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Much the same as last winter over here in West Austria…weather certainly not as cold or stable as even 20 years ago …but there has been continuously enough snow high up for some off piste and most pistes to be in condition since late November…
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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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Much the same as last winter over here in West Austria…weather certainly not as cold or stable as even 20 years ago …but there has been continuously enough snow high up for some off piste and most pistes to be in condition since late November…
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The most frustrating thing for me is that Japan is having an excellent winter (and did last winter too) but it's not yet accessible for tourists. The last time I went, 2019/20 was a historically bad winter there. 
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