 Poster: A snowHead
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What a nice site this is??? I suggest the forecast the village uses and get told to look at an atlas.......
Well, the cham forecast was accurate...but what am I to know? Its the one posted in the tourist office and at the lift stations and always has been for years.
Back to a snow report
Back from skiing, suitably tired, Anyway lots of snow this morning, rather wet at les carroz village level, but has really refreshed the pistes and off piste (bit heavy however) Morillon seemed to be the softest, rather slushy at the sairon chair.
Lifts open to tete des saix, but pistes down to get to flaine shut even though the 8 man chair seemed open through the murk. Samoens seems to have the best conditions, long red down was a brilliant cruise to troll along on.
Far less people, in fact got straight onto lifts, roll on more falling snow, sends all the people away!!
Still raining down in the valley
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Thanks for the update legue. We're out in a week so hope the snow keeps on falling. The forecast seems to be for colder temps next week.
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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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legue, I don't think anyone was being rude... just pointing out that Cham is often very different. Anyway... thanks for updates. As I said earlier up to the "worriers" - it will be alright... it usually is! The snow record for the GM is brilliant. Ref queues etc.... Samoens rarely has any lift queues (except Feb half term) - but Sshhhh don't tell everyone!
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stevo_the_saddler, Well the wrorriers will be fine as conditions were excellent today. Superb snow, grand cret and velarge only open to chair, but the base at vercland is very low. The new chair in samoens had a huge queue at 10.45am, but vernant was even larger going to flaine. Les carroz was traffic murder!! queue of cars just to get into the village at 9.30am.
Bottom of morillon a bit soft, but overall a brilliant day, sun, lovely snow, firm offpiste. (its was a bit weird in places eg next to chamois, where it looked deep you just floated on top. (on 78mm waisted skis that normally sink quick!)
Just hope this hairdryer storm tonight is not too 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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legue, How very strange to have queues A) on a Saturday (there were none a week ago!) and B) rare in Samoens anyway. Glad you had a good day... to all the doom mongers.... I did say things would be OK and not to worry!  There will be stormy days... but at this time of the year they will usually leave more snow than mush! You mention Grand Cret and Velarge... they really are brilliant runs (when in good nick)... last year was the first time I had seen them open (in 5 years skiing there) and this year they were too. I think they are a good indication that the snow is OK if they are open. Grand Cret was a little "brown" in places last week by the end of the days.
Enjoy!
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stevo_the_saddler, Sunny saturday, les carroz telecabine car park was full of geneva reg cars. At 12 there was virtually no queue, and molliets on the way back to les carroz was empty! There did seem to be tidal waves of people.
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legue, I apologise if my tongue in cheek comments caused offence.... The Grand Massif does have quite a different weather pattern to both ski regions on either side of it and often if you look at the Cham or Morzine forecasts they will be very different from the Les Carroz ones and ultimately the weather.
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how are things now in GM? from website the snow at morillion 1100 looks to have reduced from 50cm ish base down to 35cm so assume its been badly affected by rain over the weekend?
we are travelling with small children - so does anyone know how warm (or cold) it is at village level? might end up spending more time in the village than on the slopes next week!
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JONR, Why? Is 35cm not enough for you to ski on? There will be plenty of snow... don't panic (as I keep saying). The lifts are open until 19th April.... my prediction is there will be plenty to ski on between now any then.... there alway is!
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JONR, I skied down to 1100 today and the pistes were quite heavy towards the bottom but absolutely fine. As stevo_the_saddler says, you got nothing to worry about.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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We are on our way on Sunday for our week in les Carroz - conditions look ok on forecasts and webcams - getting a bit colder too and the sugegstion of th eodd snow shower to freshen things up. Anybody out there at the moment that can give an update on conditions (and to meet up for a beer of course!!) Can't wait to get teh board strapped on and enjoy the GM - our first time in this area. 
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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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Just returned (last night) from an excellent week in Les Carroz.
The weather was fine and the snow good.
Cold conditions and lack of any real snow fall meant crusty and icy conditions first thing but by 10am the conditions were very good.
Combe, Timalets and Marmottes were generally heavy late in the afteroon, with the latter two well mogulled.
We had a good 1.5" on Saturday which helped freshen things up a bit.
But all in all a great weeks skiing! Snow over in Flaine was a tad better, especially higher up. Having said that vis was an issue on 2 days up high.
Marvel and Sairon over in Morillon were great - marvel turning brown and patchy about 2/3's of the way down.
Samoens was fine apart from the very low runs which were closed.
I had a brilliant pair of Vólkl 10' Tiger Sharks from Sylvan in Ski 2000 in Les Carroz - I can really recommend both the hire venue and the skis, excellent on both counts.
All in all a great trip and definately a place to return to - Les Carroz is a lovely place with a great vibe so well pleased with all choices!!
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Today in Samoens was rather on the chilly side - minus 13 at 1600!!!!!!! Snow is great though and the slopes fairly quiet, especially towards the end of the day when most people had given in to the cold. It was snowing very lightly this afternoon but the sky seems clear tonight. According to the kids instructor tomorrow is set to be another cold one! 
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You know it makes sense.
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It's still cold in Samoens, but not as bad as tuesday! The snow is great and not at all spring like. It was snowing lightly as we left the mountain this afternoon, down to village level. We found quite a few stones on Dahu today so hopefully a little snowfall will cover them nicely.
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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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Anyone got an update. I'm in Flaine from Saturday for a week. It looks like it'll be heavy at the lower villages with high temps but anyone got a 1st hand view on the Flaine bowl?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Michael B,
I'm following you out next Friday, so nervously crossing my fingers at the moment - especially as there would seem to be rain at high altitiude forecast for this weekend 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Tony Ellwood, ditto, out there on the 26th March. Fingers crossed for some fresh and not rain!
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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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Also out on 26th. Not that you can trust forecasts, but snow-forecast predict some rain this weekend then a drop in temperature at the start on next week with some snow. Fingers crossed it stays like that, then the sun comes out on the 26th!!!
Also bodes well for
Michael B, other than the weekend bit of rain (which might never happen anyway)
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With all these Snowheads going out next week, no wonder I couldn't get cheap flights! 
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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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Tony Ellwood, don't look at me, I'm going by coach!
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The skiing is still good around these parts. It has been very warm down in Samoens village today, and i've seen people wandering around in shorts and t-shirts. Up the mountain, if you stick lower down early on then head high when things start to heat up, follow the sun etc then there is lots of good skiing to be had. The Combe (I think? the blue into Les Carroz - i've been here the whole season and still dont know what anything is called!) was closed yesterday, i assume due to lack of snow, but seems to have been a bit dodgy all season so no surprise really. There is still plenty of snow lower down, loads at Flaine and i can't remember seeing any bare patches yet... It has been very quiet again too 
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There is still plenty of snow lower down
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Long may it last - as long as the rain doesn't wash it away! 
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paulmclean85, Flaine's had it's last good week of the season. Tourmaline was brown at the top yesterday morning, and was entirely slushy by 11am. Most runs are becoming slushy by 11am, even at 2,000m. Only Fred manages to keep a hard surface, but that's only because the wind has blown the snow off it. Some of my group skied in to Samoens on Thursday, and it was truly awful. There are bare patches appearing all over the range: Mephisto from the top of Aup de Veran down is pretty good, but once you're on Jade it's cack after 11am, and the runs through Forum to the lifts are sticky. Both Fred and Agate closed yesterday.
Sideshow_Bob, take an umbrella and something else to do. At least two TOs are shipping guests elsewhere for Easter. It was raining in La Foret at 7am this morning.
Drluvski, none of the snowforecast.com predictions for snow materialised this week.
There's not much snow for the piste bashers to move around. The conditions off-piste, on the whole, are better than those on piste, but you're going to be skiing on hard surfaces that feel like the piste, rather than nice fluffy powder.
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There will be more snow before the end of the season... there always is. I had a great couple of days on 18/19th April last year.
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I had a great couple of days on 18/19th April last year
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Looks like the resort closes on the 18th! (well Les Carroz does anyway!)
hyweljenkins, do you seriously think I should switch resorts? I'm travelling independently, so would only lose the deposit on the hotel and I'd rather have better snow conditions!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Tony Ellwood, I would. snow-forecast.com shows temperatures above -6C and just 8cm over the next week, and the freezing level is higher than the ski domain for much of it. The only thing they got right over the last week was the temperatures. It was 11C on Friday afternoon - at the bottom of the Grand Platieres chair.
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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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stevo_the_saddler, that may well be the case last year, but why gamble on just "a great couple of days"?
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Tony Ellwood, and where would you switch to?
It is, admittedly, mild. But conditions and snow cover are generally good around the GM, PDS, Chamonix. etc.
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You know it makes sense.
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hyweljenkins, I was just pointing it out. I have skied GM for 5 years now, renting out apartment for almost whole season even year of those five. No-one has had "no snow" during that time. Maybe Marcellus can tell us his thoughts. If someone wants to go elsewhere, fine, I aint got a clue if its the same elsewhere.
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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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| Tony Ellwood wrote: |
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I had a great couple of days on 18/19th April last year
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Looks like the resort closes on the 18th! (well Les Carroz does anyway!)
hyweljenkins, do you seriously think I should switch resorts? I'm travelling independently, so would only lose the deposit on the hotel and I'd rather have better snow conditions! |
It did last year (19th i think) and we had 8 inches of powder on that morning... admitedly by 2pm it wasn;t much fun, but thats a whole month laster than now. Conditions don't look great at the moment, but I would put money on a fresh dump before the season ends - there always is!
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Poster: A snowHead
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[quote="under a new name"]Tony Ellwood, and where would you switch to?
Somewhere higher maybe? The only problem is that I don't fancy Chamonix and most other high resorts are a long transfer from Geneva.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My thoughts!
Everyone is saying "one more dump before the end of the season".................... personally given the weather this season; I can't see it and if it does come then it might be too late as the poor base through a late start doesn't help..... I doubt I'll ski again this season (not only for lack of snow mind)!
Woken up thios morning to heavy rain @ 800m!
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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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as for the where else to go question.... I think most of the French ALps are in pretty much the same boat.
The GM does have an excellent late season record.. but this year I fear it will have to live on it's past and this year won't contribute to the record book.
I hope I'm wrong but I don't see it personally..
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| Quote: |
Woken up thios morning to heavy rain @ 800m!
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ditto at 1550m, and I haven't the slightest doubt that it's raining at 2000m too. The snow cover here, except on the very lowest runs (or one or two steep south facing ones, where the snow gets badly scraped off), is still good, in terms of depth (100/130) but it's dissolving in front of one's eyes - there's been no re-freeze for the last two nights. The change in the weather has been extraordinary - until last Monday/Tuesday it's been cold, cold, cold - the first half of March was much colder than usual. So I'd say (being optimistic.....) that where the snow cover is good the ground will have stayed cold. So it's by no means out of the question that we could get a decent dump, and a reversion to more normal temperatures, to rescue something of the last month of the season. But if I were contemplating a late ski trip, right now, I'd wait and see.
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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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What a shame. Heading out to Flaine next week. Already paid for apartment and lift pass, so going anywhere else isnt an option. Fingers crossed for some sort of dip in temperatures. 
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Tony Ellwood, leave it till the last minute. As has been said the current weather is pretty much everywhere, but only 10 days ago we had heavy snow in Nice. Base is good most places, helped by the cold winter. I think you're worrying unduly.
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Hywel, probably more than any resort can handle!
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