@under a new name, T_windchill =35.74+0.6215T_air −35.75v^0.16 +0.4275T_air v^0.16
Have you not experienced the bise easterly wind that blows down the Rhone Valley every few months towards Geneva? I've been out walking the dog in an air temp of -5c that becomes -20c with the wind, and seen it do this.
Presumably not your boat?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Perhaps I should have said that it's a fairly poor heuristic?
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?
@polo, Someone on once pointed out that wind chill was only applicable to people and not solid objects, ie feeling colder than the ambient due to heat loss from evaporation etc. Also the Bise is a cold north easterly wind that flows down from the Swiss plateau towards Geneva and the southern side of Leman and it does produce some nice ice sculptures.
@under a new name, I also tend to ignore the "wind chill", because there's so much that goes into the "thermal sensation" (as they call it in Brazil) you get at any given time: wind can vary a lot from one spot to another (especially on the mountains), it depends on whether the sun is shining on you or not, on whether your clothes are black etc etc. And as you said, if you're skiing, you're "creating" your own wind (which will also freeze your beard). I'd rather just look at the complete report (temperature, wind, clouds etc) and work it out myself.
I wouldn't necessarily call it nonsense (it surely can be useful), but I tend to ignore it too; partially because, for a lot of people I know, it's a way to complain about how bad the weather "feels" cause it's always a much more extreme number than the actual temperature hahah.
But speaking of cold (and subtly getting back on-topic before complaints come), it was pretty cold in Stubai this weekend, and the actual snowfall certainly surpassed the snow-forecast and bergfex predictions. I'd say about 30cm between Thursday and Sunday, with a bit more more to come today (sadly I'm already back home). Piste conditions were superb, though visibility was poor except for Saturday. Quite a lot of snow all the way to the villages around 800m. Anyone heading that way for Christmas will surely have a good time.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
1m has fallen in a pretty consistent pattern across the Northern flank of the alps
Less either side of it but still decent. Snow depth examples
After all it is free
After all it is free
I can't remember the last time that the Alps had such a heavy snowfalls to low levels across such a wide area. Any guesses?
@BobinCH, what website is the second screenshot from?
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Fantastic data/graphics @BobinCH
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denfinella wrote:
I can't remember the last time that the Alps had such a heavy snowfalls to low levels across such a wide area. Any guesses?
@BobinCH, what website is the second screenshot from?
still a lot of folk with summer tires and no chains and also people fitting chains in the middle of the road. A lot of smashed cars too. Complicated from above 600 meters.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
@davidof, yeah but no if you have the right tyres and know what you are doing
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
under a new name wrote:
@davidof, yeah but no if you have the right tyres and know what you are doing
But you still have to avoid being hit by the people that don't. Or the people that think they "live here" doing 50+ through the town on winters, assuming they are immune to physics and can stop as per no snow.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@davidof, I think we're probably looking back to at least 2018, if not longer.
When people are slewed around the road putting chains on too late it matters little how superior your tyres. You're stuck.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Amazing to see the amount of snow that has fallen in the last 48 hours. Heading out to Les Arcs on the 28th. Am i reading the models right in that it looks like slightly above average temps with over night freezes when we arrive. Then a chance of snow and dropping temps as we go into the New Year?
About 80cm in the mountain ranges around Grenoble. 1 meter in the Beaufortain snow granary. 70cm around Chamonix. 60-50cm in the interior ranges: Haute Tarentaise, Haute Maurienne. Meteo France's predictions above look fairly accurate.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Adding to @davidof's French roundup, here are some of the biggest 3-day reported new snow totals from Switzerland (so still just this current storm really), using the Swiss avalanche link provided by @BobinCH above:
Glacier 3000 - 197cm at 2600m
Muotathal, Schwyz - 196cm at 2100m
Ovronnaz - 185cm at 2600m
Laucheren, Wassen - 151cm at 2200m
Schwanden - 130cm at 1600m
Villars - 116cm at 1800m
These higher figures are all from locations in the northern Swiss Alps, i.e. north of the Valais gorge and Andermatt northwards. 1m+ of snow pretty widely above mid mountain heights, sometimes closer to 2m! Several stations in the Jura, Vaud etc. are reporting 50-70cm of new snow at valley level on social media.
Further south and east amounts drop off; typically 50-100cm in southern Valais, much less further east of here.
After all it is free
After all it is free
snoozeboy wrote:
under a new name wrote:
@davidof, yeah but no if you have the right tyres and know what you are doing
But you still have to avoid being hit by the people that don't. Or the people that think they "live here" doing 50+ through the town on winters, assuming they are immune to physics and can stop as per no snow.
A very good point. We were slowly going into town yesterday and the 74 plate with presumably crap winters in front of us dodged around a speed control and was all of a sudden sideways. And the town bus newly missing it's front spoiler
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Some stunning webcam scenes across The Alps.
Lucky Snowheads who are skiing/boarding today!
Whilst we only have to wait until 4 January.
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Snow&skifan wrote:
Some stunning webcam scenes across The Alps.
Lucky Snowheads who are skiing/boarding today!
Whilst we only have to wait until 4 January.
Was looking at exactly the same thing! 4th Jan here too - keeping all appendages crossed for good conditions!!
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
We're 4th Jan too.... More of the last few days weather for the next week would be excellent...
That said, the webcams show far too many people for my liking. Won't be like that in 2 weeks
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.
denfinella wrote:
I can't remember the last time that the Alps had such a heavy snowfalls to low levels across such a wide area. Any guesses?
In December of 2021 there was a huge amount of snow in Chamonix at town level (more than now) and people were saying it was the most snow in town since 1966.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Yes that’s true. I drove round trip Chamonix to Val Thorens via Geneva that day/night and it was a fair adventure!
Sadly it was soon washed away with heavy rain.
Today was peak snow/weather conditions, a pity so much closed because of avalanche risk, but great days ahead.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
The Saturday at the start of Christmas week in 1991 had a huge snowfall. Crystal had to get their summer hotels opened around Annecy and went through the season's worth of complaint forms in the day.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
JDL65 wrote:
The Saturday at the start of Christmas week in 1991 had a huge snowfall. Crystal had to get their summer hotels opened around Annecy and went through the season's worth of complaint forms in the day.
I can vouch for that - was the first year we drove to Val Diz. Left Calais on a midnight ferry Friday night, pi55ed down with rain all the way (no A26 then so had to go via Paris). Came out of the tunnel between Lyon and Chambery, and it was snowing. Didn't have snow chains, so slithered and slid to Chambery and bought some there. Got to Aime before the roads turned white again, so stopped to put the chains on. Took 4 hours from Aime to the car park in front of the P&V at La Daille - got there about 6pm. Checked in, came out and about 6 inches of snow on the car.
Went to the Crystal 'welcome' meeting - no-one there. Turns out the delays to flights meant the police had closed the roads shortly after we got there. They didn't re-open till the Tuesday. When the other punters finally arrived they weren't too happy - had spent 3 nights in army barrack and school halls eating pot-noodles.
I think close to 2m fell in the 24 hours - and where the snow ploughs had cleared the roads from La Daille to Val Diz proper, the sides of the roads had snow banks at least 3m tall. A few cars with snow-plough shaped 'dents' in the too. Wasn't much open skiing wise due to avalanche danger, but what was open was bottomless powder. Many hours spent on blue/green runs digging for skis.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
@Judwin, great to hear these past stories . This fall was great but not momentous .
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
@Le Grand Renard, but compared to the last 2 years?
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?
Le Grand Renard wrote:
This fall was great but not momentous .
Some places had well over a metre, here in Les Arcs we had 60-80cm. By any measure in the Alps that's a very large dump of snow. Had it occurred two days earlier it would have coincided with inbound traffic for Christmas week, so headlines of Snowmaggeddon would have been everywhere, as the traffic chaos would have been significant. I agree that it wasn't a storm 'for the ages', but there'll have been plenty of seasons where no single event produces that much snow.
@under a new name, @rob@rar, Sorry for being slightly negative , yes it was very welcome .
On another note Merry Christmas to all those who read and take part on the best thread on Snowheads
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
According to granddaughter's ski instructor we had well over a metre at 2000m and 90 cms in the village. The Beaufortain is often quite snowy. Everything now pisted, everything open, little wind, sun shining. Absolutely perfect conditions and very unusual at Christmas. Best I've known in 20 years. Those Snowmageddon episodes make great stories but usually rubbish skiing. Anyone who says there's no such thing as too much snow doesn't know what they're talking about.
According to granddaughter's ski instructor we had well over a metre at 2000m and 90 cms in the village. The Beaufortain is often quite snowy. Everything now pisted, everything open, little wind, sun shining. Absolutely perfect conditions and very unusual at Christmas. Best I've known in 20 years. Those Snowmageddon episodes make great stories but usually rubbish skiing. Anyone who says there's no such thing as too much snow doesn't know what they're talking about.
Yeah, there is definitely a middle ground for what makes perfect conditions. Looks brilliant this year. Going to be dry for the rest of the week, no December washout at least. GFS and ECMWF are both suggesting another precipitation episode from New Year, the only question being where the snow line will be.
So much snow that every single lift is closed whilst they do avalanche control = 1/6th of your skiing days/lift pass cost gone.
Whiteout every day gets tiresome pretty quickly. Very few people like skiing in poor visibility.
Massive dump on transfer day = chaos on the roads and not a good way to start your holiday.
Unpisted slopes (or rather posted slopes but it kept on snowing overnight) = not easy conditions for beginners and lots of falling over.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Origen wrote:
Anyone who says there's no such thing as too much snow doesn't know what they're talking about.
Swiss Olympic snowboarder, Sophie Hediger, 26yo, was killed Monday in an avalanche in Arosa, Switzerland.
Riding on a closed trail, after a windy snowstorm.
Stay safe in the pow, folks.
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Looks like a bit of a cold plunge developing in the NY
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@denfinella, Meteo France have just published these figures for the recent storm
- Nivose du Couvercle (Chamonix, 2800 m) : +150 cm
- Nivose Grande Pareï (Beaufortain, 2260 m) : +106 cm
- Nivose Le Gua (Vercors, 1650 m) : +83 cm
- Nivose Saint-Hilaire (Charteuse, 1760 m) : +75 cm
- Praz Torrent (Chamonix, 2020 m) : +67 cm
- col de Porte (1320 m) : +63 cm
- Les Saisies (1610 m) : +62 cm
- Le Grand-Bornand (1430 m) : +62 cm
- Flaine (1610 m) : +62 cm
- Servoz (Haute-Savoie, 810 m) : +55 cm
- La Mure (880 m) : +48 cm
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
once pointed out that wind chill was only applicable to people and not solid objects, ie feeling colder than the ambient due to heat loss from evaporation etc. Also the Bise is a cold north easterly wind that flows down from the Swiss plateau towards Geneva and the southern side of Leman and it does produce some nice ice sculptures.
