 Poster: A snowHead
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The key half term week is near and STILL its too warm with very little base almost anywhere. Are there any signs that this will change in the next week? What ever happened to those trying to put a positive spin on this season.
I have a french friends who have all cancelled their trips and french schools trips this year are being curtailed due to the poor and dangerous conditions on some lower slopes.
To say I am gutted would be a huge understatement.
Where the devil can I find good safe snow for my children to learn on?
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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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Conditions in Les Arcs seem good at the moment (particularly, above 1800m) and have been at least OK all season. Long term forecasts indicate the possibility of more snow perhaps from the middle of next week. I don't think there's anything to get too worried about if you are heading to a relatively high resort where the unseasonably mild temperatures have been less of a problem this season than other, lower resorts. I wouldn't dream of cancelling a holiday unless I was the kind of person who only wanted to ski in perfect snow conditions.
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Where you going Micksup? Any reasonably high resort should be ok from now on.
To be honest - looking at these posts over last few weeks, I can tell you all forecasts beyond three or four days seem to be pure guesswork so we can now probably tell what's going to happen up to this Saturday or Sunday but not much more.
Alternatively, wait until last minute and get a good value trip to North America.
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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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micksup, the french are cancelling??? Yippeeeeeeeeee more room for us then.
yeh the slopes are real dangerous, dont come and dont send anyone this way  more room for me and my kids then.
why do people believe all the hype???????
c
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| micksup wrote: |
Where the devil can I find good safe snow for my children to learn on? |
anywhere with skiing over 1800m in France, Switzerland, and the higher resorts of Austria.
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brian
brian
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Conditions in Les Arcs seem good at the moment (particularly, above 1800m) and have been at least OK all season. Long term forecasts indicate the possibility of more snow perhaps from the middle of next week. I don't think there's anything to get too worried about if you are heading to a relatively high resort where the unseasonably mild temperatures have been less of a problem this season than other, lower resorts. I wouldn't dream of cancelling a holiday unless I was the kind of person who only wanted to ski in perfect snow conditions. |
Would agree 100%. Spent a glorius week in Les Arcs/La Plagne 1st week of Jan. Snow below 1600 was rubbish/non existent but hey there was still skiing above and we had a ball. The reality in the resorts is a lot better than in the press.
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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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| Quote: |
I have a french friends who have all cancelled their trips and french schools trips this year are being curtailed due to the poor and dangerous conditions on some lower slopes. |
That's great news! We (Gregory and I) are going at half term for the first time ever and my biggest concern was over the hordes of Kids creating anarchy on the slopes and in the lift queues. I know it's not good for the industry but, from a purely selfish perspective, Woohoo!
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Where the devil can I find good safe snow for my children to learn on?
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It'll be much safer without all those cancellees
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brian, off to les saisies from the 3rd to the 10th. Could i be in luck?? 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Some of the Astrian resorts are fine. Im off to Flachau in mid March, they currently have 55 / 95 cm, all runs and lifts open, and its not exactly high, 900 - 1900m, have had continous skiing since November, most of the time with all the terrain open! Also down the road is Obertauern, they have 70 / 120 cm. Again all runs and lifts open, I would say that not a bad base for the end of January, not spectacular but 2003 was worse. You would expect that to grow over the next 3 or 4 weeks too. Whats the problem? A Lot of scare mongering from the press and everone is talking about cancelling! Personally I would be happy with anything over half the terrain open when I go in mid March!
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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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I just got back from Flachau on 29th Jan 2007 having been there for 10 days. When I arrived it was really warm and the slopes were mush...went walking instead. But 2 days in it started to snow and carried on snowing (on and off) for 8 days. The conditions when I left on Monday were just awesome...Powder City.
I've been visiting Flachau loads over the last couple of years. I'm building up info on a web site http://www.flachau.co.uk. Before anyone asks...it is totally non-commercial. I am not trying to sell anthing...just share my thoughts on the area. 
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You know it makes sense.
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DRHOSKING, Shhh, don't tell everyone about Flachau. Let the tour operators stick to Zell and Kaprun and we'll keep the Ski Amade for ourselves. Otherwise i'll be forced to head down to Nassfeld to keep ahead of the Brits (ooops now i've blown Nassfelds cover).
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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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brian
brian
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lower, for where ? by who ?
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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 doubt it will be -20c but can see no evidence of the rain up to 2700m we had earlier in January.
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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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Just to add, once again, that we had a great time skiing in Les Deux Alpes, including the day after the rain to 2700m.
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A little rain isn't too much of a problem on slopes with a decent base... however, it does rather destroy thinner covering quite quickly. Furthermore there's nothing quite so depressing as being rained on whilst on the slopes!
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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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carled, agreed. This rain was at night. It did make the nursery slope outside our hotel into mirror finish boilerplate, but once you were up the lifts it was ok, if a little hard at first.
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HARRYMAC2702, the weather looks set fair till the weekend, but quite cold at night, and they are blowing snow when they can. Conditions in Les Saisies are good at the moment (as in GOOD as opposed to OK). The rest of the domain is not so good and we did find some really quite dangerous areas today on normally easy blue runs. Some extremely thin or non existent snow and some of the drag lifts unpleasant, even for experienced skiers, and would have been horrific for anything but expert snowboarders. Some significant patches of ice (as opposed to boiler plate) on some red runs. Needed 100% concentration, I found. But if you plan to stay around Les Saisies, particularly on the easier slopes on Mont Bisanne, you'll still have good snow when you arrive and lovely blue skies and sunshine. Some fresh tracks would be great though.....
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brian
brian
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12z GFS has the jetstream diving a good bit further south, hence colder but still plenty of snow.
Freezing level on that run would be sub 1500m from next Tuesday and throughout the snowy period I think.
In short, another cracker ! 
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pam w, Thanks pam. Any sign of the local forecasters interpreting a breakdown of the current cnditions.
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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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ScannAr - Just had a peek at your website, nice little site. Getting excited about my trip in March now, im off to Radstadt but hope to Ski Flachau. You got a house over there? Seem to be out there a lot!
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| micksup wrote: |
Where the devil can I find good safe snow for my children to learn on? |
Colorado is reporting yet more snow today
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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brian, please please, please be right!!
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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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| Quote: |
Any sign of the local forecasters interpreting a breakdown of the current cnditions.
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No, they won't stick their necks out because it's all so speculative more than a few days ahead. Your best bet is to keep reading here and see what people like brian, carled and skanky have to say. Sounding good though, fingers crossed, the main village is at 1650m.
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pam w, Anyways cant wait to ski in front of mount blanc with my little un regardless!! 
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You know it makes sense.
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micksup, the french press has been worse than the british press. I've seen nothing but pix of resorts with green fields and stationary lifts. No mention of places with snow. It's good for me personally if the french cancel en masse, but I have friends who are really hurting as a result of the negative (and untrue) press coverage. Of course you can't all come here, but there are plenty of places with good high skiing. Your kids being safe at half term is entirely another question! 
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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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No that's right it is alll rubbish everywhere. Mmmm. Well I got back from zermatt last thursday after a big dump o snow. Had a marvelous last day. On the car ride and plane ride back there (from geneva) there was snow everwhere. As it goes its better if everyone thinks its all mud and ice but I bet it isn't. Goin to Chamonix on Monday and therefore I put my money where my mouth is! Surely it is always better to choose a high altitude mountain anyway I mean why not?
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Poster: A snowHead
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| alix_pea wrote: |
| Surely it is always better to choose a high altitude mountain anyway I mean why not? |
Trees! Lower resorts are usually better in bad weather and poor visibility because of the tree lined runs. They are less prone to high winds too.
I'm actually with you on this one, higher is a safer bet because of the snow quality but some high altitude resorts are so exposed and barren it's like being on the moon!
I like Canadian resorts. You don't have to go stupidly high to get good snow but the downer is that the cold can take yer face off!!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| brian wrote: |
| lower, for where ? by who ? |
Netweather for Val D'Isere later next week are quoting some high temps, yet the resort is still above the freezing level they quote.
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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: |
| Of course you can't all come here, |
......why not Charlotte? A resort with pretty much guranteed snow purely for Snowheads sounds like a fine plan to me - and LDA seems to be getting my vote at the moment  .......Of course cloning yourself to deal with us all might prove a bit trickier
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brian
brian
Guest
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lower, the netweather guy, Paul, pointed out on another thread that they're just using the altitude of the nearest GFS gridpoint in determining their snow/rain numbers. So it could be well off the actual resort height.
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