 Poster: A snowHead
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We skied Verbier yesterday and it was sweet. You can see a video of me skiing the powder in the trees at http://www.chamberyflights.co.uk/blog/weather-snow-conditions/the-best-start-european-ski-season-ever/ . My first day on the hill this year was November 8th in Cervinia and the conditions were also incredible. And this morning I woke up to 20cm of snow in Chamonix town. 
All this snow has got me wondering whether 2008 is the best start to the European ski season ever...
Last year the early season snow was pretty good too and I remember skiing Montgenevre mid-November in 2000 but for me this the best start to a season yet and I am a veteran of 9 seasons.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's global warming and PC gone mad.
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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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Powder Monkey, looks good. We're getting good snow here now as well. Off to the hills on Thursday I think 
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Powder Monkey, Nice video, the pow looked excellent. For me last season's start was better, because I got to ski powder in mid November, at the moment stuck in the office. Here's some pics, from Nov 2007 http://waynos.co.uk/Noah/PicGen.asp?DayNumber=471 But so far looking like a good start.
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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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Powder Monkey, Don't speak to soon, the Hairdryer is forecast for the w/end 
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Stupid good here! As Powder Monkey says, yesterday was awesome. And another 30cm last night in the village, right down to 600m in the valley!
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red 27, boo and hiss to the evil foehn. Still, to have had three consecutive weekends of powder in November is pretty incredible in my book.
waynos, great photos. Looks like you had it pretty good last year. I'll have to presuade my photographer firend who was out with us to part with some of his shots to see how they compare.
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Powder Monkey, would agree with waynos, on this one. Last season (certainly for Austria) would be hard to beat
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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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NO
You obviously have not been skiing/boarding very long.
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 stanton, Would love to hear about your experiences.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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1987 was a good early year 
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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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Ah. My limited experience of seasons only dates back to '97. 
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Last year still beats this for me although 60cm of powder at the Stubai Glacier the first weekend in October was something special
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You know it makes sense.
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1992/93 was the best by a mile...I think statistcs would proove this. It was a weird season as it snow from early October very hard and by the end of the month there was top to bottom skiing in Tignes and the Espace Killy link was fully open at 1st weekend in November. BY mid november there was a 170cm base in resort in Tignes and 320cm at 3000m. Unfortunately there was too much snow and 7 people died in Val Thorens in late November as an avalanche came down and hit innocent piste skiers. Only 140 day tickets were sold that day as it was terrible weather. Resort should never have opened. My group of 60 all came back...was horrible.
There was enough snow that year to last the whole season with that huge base so early... In fact it was then quite a lean winter. It all came early !
This is a lovely start though for sure.
Alex
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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It depends where you look.......we will return to this post in mid-december, the normal "start" of the season, then we will compare, but in the pyrenees now is really crazy..... I don't know if it's the best start ever, but the best in the 20 last years maybe
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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'm not going until March 2009! I hope this lovely white stuff hangs around until then...
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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: |
All this snow has got me wondering whether 2008 is the best start to the European ski season ever...
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that's a judgement you can only make once the season has started - at Christmas, say. Premature triumphalism will only encourage the malign spirits of the Foehn to stir from their North African sandhills and set out in search of their favourite food.
Shh.....
But those early days must have been great fun!
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The low pressure system in Biscay this weekend could give the Pyrenees a LOT more snow.
No signs of Alpine Foehn that I can see at the moment. The isobars are much too far apart meaning any southerly winds will be very light and won't raise valley temps. Some significant snowfalls likely for the Alps again, this coming weekend.
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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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| Quote: |
No signs of Alpine Foehn that I can see at the moment.
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Hmm. See the weather outlook thread. Things can change very fast and it's a month to Christmas.... I'm out on 20 December and as keen as anybody for good early conditions. But it's still too early to get too excited, just as it would be too early to get cast down if the fields were still green. If the Christmas conditions are anything like as good as they were last year (when I was in Hampshire and friends were at our apartment having a ball) I'll be thrilled to bits though.
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brian
brian
Guest
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bar shaker, that's a Foehn over W Austria on this chart, no ?
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Europe is not only the Alps,....if we analyze the whole continent, maybe, is the best in 50 or 60 years.
Escandinavian Alps and Pyrenées (and other northern ranges in Spain) are being buried under snow, and the alps are in a very good shape too.
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brian
brian
Guest
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I think it's fair to say that things are going pretty nicely in Switzerland so far (% of long term mean values):
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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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| brian wrote: |
I think it's fair to say that things are going pretty nicely in Switzerland so far (% of long term mean values):
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Looks like Switzerland is the new Iceland.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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It was an epic storm over the past few days.
Overall, it looks like roughly 30 - 150cm was puked in France, Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Austria.
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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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brian, Sunday is a long way off in weather forecasting 
Besides, if that low does track through, it will bring southerly winds for one day and they will be full of moisture... putting down even more snow at piste levels.
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hello!
I'm off to Alps on Dec 13th but havent booked it yet, we're booking on Friday/Saturday
There is a group of us and our short list now is Paradiski or Three Valleys - but where is that snow going to fall?!?!
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You know it makes sense.
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| lauralime wrote: |
| but where is that snow going to fall?!?! |
Good news for you. It has snowed across the French Alps, so it really doesn't matter. For your shortlist, they're rather close and I expect they get similar snowfall.
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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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lauralime, it's everywhere. Most major resorts already have some cover - Val T has 65cm at resort level (2300m) and nearly a metre at 3200m. The website is www.valthorens.com/winter-en if you want to look at webcams etc. The 3V seems to have had a pretty good cover recently - www.les3vallees.com/en.
Paradiski has had a bucketload seemingly - the webcams on www.la-plagne.com are showing a lot of snow.
Tignes/Val D'Isere have also had a massive amount in the pst few days, with more to come this weekend.
Either way i think most would agree both choices are pretty safe bets
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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
Val T has 65cm at resort level (2300m)
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Les Saisies has 85cm at 2000m. We usually get more than the Tarentaise.
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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: |
Looks like Switzerland is the new Iceland.
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what, all the moneys gone ?
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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anyone know if Flaine has 360cm snow?
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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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It seems that Les Contamines is opening limited runs this coming weekend (only accessible from the Les Contamines side, not from Belleville).
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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pam w, is right, they are opening up to signal and across to tierces sector. Limited, but much earlier than scheduled.
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but I'm going to Sutton Coldfield.....
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pam w, can't be much worse than Milton Keynes (not xscape)
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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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The latest dump of snow is adding weight to my argument that this is, if not THE best start to the European ski season, it is certainly up there. Skied thigh deep powder int Courmayeur on Saturday. Face shot tastic!
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FAQ
