 Poster: A snowHead
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There seem to be some very good deals on flights to Granada at the moment, so I'm thinking of booking a long weekend and spending a couple of days in Granada and a couple in Sierra Nevada skiing.
Can anyone tell me the best month to go in terms of snow reliabilty and weather? I've heard that SN can often be closed due to high winds and too much snow but on the other had it can be too warm.
Also where is best to stay? Would you stay in Granada and drive to SN each day? Or stay near SN, if so where?
Thanks in advance for any advice. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Jo66, I don't know how it is these years, but back when I lived near then it would often be led till the last minute. Probably aim for end of Jan-Feb. That said I've skied there in christmas time and there were snowstorms etc.. Also, definately stay in Granada and drive up you will save yourself a lot of money that way and the 30 minutes really isn't that bad.
As for the resort, depending on your skill it isn't really challenging for advanced/expert skiers. Quite a lot of red runs though and the fact that you can say you skied in Spain is always nice. I went there for a couple days and I enjoyed it and that was with open blisters on my shins so I'm sure you'll have a great time
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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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I've been three times now. Two trips were in January and one in April. The first January was in 2004 and there pretty reasonable snow. I went back in late April of that year and the snow was just incredible, masses of it. January 2005 the snow was mainly artificial and it was a bit of an ice skating rink.
I think the resort is great but then I'm happy as a pig in s**t as long as I get something white and slippy to ski on. It isn't a big resort but it doesn't pretend to be. I've always skied there in fantastic weather and the views are just stunning.
I have friends who live in Spain near to the resort so I stay with them and will do four days out of week for example. What I would say though is that it can get very busy at the weekends and gets totally mobbed if it is a holiday so choose your days carefully.
Enjoy when you do go!!
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Thanks Timmaah, and snowaddict, for your advice. So it would seem that April might be better than Jan? Would that be fair to say? At the moment the cheap flights are 3rd week in Jan. Can't decide whether to book now and take a risk on the snow or wait for cheap flights to come up in April.
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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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In all fairness, April may be pushing it a bit.. Feb-March should be fine. Also, you could just fly in to malaga there's bound to be bargain deals for that time and get a friend to pick you up (its a 2 hour drive from Granada).
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I guess to be honest it is just pot luck. Just keep an eye on the reports as things go along. What I would say though is that they are pretty skilled at laying doing the artificial. The only problem being of course it gets quite polished if they don't get the white stuff.
As Jo66 said, Malaga is deffo an alternative airport to go into. That is where I fly into and I've had some really cheap flights over the years. The motorway from there up to Granada is a great piece of road and well signposted.
If you're looking for car hire, I use autopro.es who are pretty cheap but use good quality cars. They are the cheapest I have found.
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i have been 7-8 times over the last few years last year we went in jan and the snow was a bit thin on the ground and in the afternoon was getting a bit slushy but the years before that it was ok, I suppose it just about taking a chance 
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Sierra Nevada is high.
It doesn't snow a great deal, but what does fall tends to stick around.
The season is usually good from Dec to Apr.
Mar is the best time. It is typically sunny, snowy and less windy.
Weekends are often busy. Go on a weekday if possible.
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I have tried twice to ski in Sierra Nevada. Both times during the xmas break, first time (2003?) there was too little snow, the second a snowstorm had blocked the road. I understand that the weather is very erractic in the area and that opportunist visits outside of the safest months (Feb and March) are best. As I was holidaying at the time in Marbella i didn't particulary mind.
I will try again this year to make it. First week in Jan.
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We went the first week in April and about 90% was open. The snow got quite soft as the afternoon went on as it was warm but we had 2 enjoyable days. They'd had a good season that year though.
One thing you must do is visit the Alhambra and then walk back into town and up the hill in the old town on the other side and admire the view across to the Alhambra and up to Sierra Nevada in the background while drinking a beer or two!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Jo66, If you want a hotel in Granada we stay at same on every year let me know and i will give you details easy drive from the hotel it near Alhambra
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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 was there for the last season. Later was definitely better. It opened early December with only 2km of runs and didn't snow properly til the 23rd of December, this was all gone in a few days, and then nothing til the end of January - got quite boring playing it safe on the ice all the time.
March April time there were some great snowfalls, although the high winds were a problem on and off. The season ended around the 20th of April, still load of snow, but they'd set the date by then , plus it was getting so warm that everyone was off to the beach instead.
The most frustrating was when it would dump loads, then a day of high winds to blow it all away, or even rain up top to turn it back to ice again.
This year I'm waiting til January to go back.
As for accomodation, if you're hiring a car then I'd say stay in Granada, it's an hour at most to the top, and it's a cool city. There's cheap hostels if you want them, or hotels or whatever, and the nightlife in the resort is pretty limited, and very samey, where as in granada you've got all kinds going on.
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Also, if you want to stay closer, Cenes de la vega is like a suburb of Granada, and oonly about half hour from the resort, or there are the villages like Guejar or Pinos Genil, depends what kind of atmosphere you want. If you stay in Guejar you gedt to use the old road up the mountain which is beautiful...
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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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I may be wrong, but my recollection is that the last time FIS scheduled the World Cup finals in Granada ('97? '98??) they were cancelled due to lack of snow.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Acacia wrote: |
| I may be wrong, but my recollection is that the last time FIS scheduled the World Cup finals in Granada ('97? '98??) they were cancelled due to lack of snow. |
Don't know about that but the womans salom went ahead this last season. I watched it on Eurosport  http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/610.html?sector=AL&raceid=44656
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Without hesitation, springtime is the best in SN in all senses, snow quality (the best corn snow I've ever tasted, and I ski a couple of weeks in the Alps every year since the middle 80's), less crowded and sunny weather.
Saludos
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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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Spaniard, Any idea how busy it is likely to be around middle end of next week - 3/4/5 Jan?
Thanks
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Holidays in spain so will be quite/very busy. I think 5th jan shouldn't be too bad cause that's when teh Spaniards celebrate Christmas iirc.
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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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i was there the other year in early jan in really only gets busy at the weekends during the week its ok
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Thanks hope to let you know after the 6th!
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Jo66, Resort opened up much more over Friday/Saturday - they had a fair amount of snow last week. Huge queues for gondola on Friday - tho to be fair it was about 30mins not the 1-2 hours some experienced - tho we went up by bus so to resort at about 11am but only wanting 1/2 day so that was fine. Saturday they opened up chair lifts which eased gondola pressure. Both days we had blue skies and not too much wind (resort had been closed on wed 2nd pm and Thurs 3rd all day due to wind). Suggest you look at the webcams to see how things are looking. Should now be quiet for much of Jan, Feb is high season as are then weekends and Easter itself I believe. I will be keeping an eye out as hope to go back in Feb and/or April. Staying in Granada for us was fine - taxi to bus station (about 3 miles out of town centre) then bus up at 8am or 10am back at 4 or 6pm. Buses have numbered seats on way up so they know how many they are taking and just put on the number needed from what we could see.
Hope this helps 
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