 Poster: A snowHead
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so how will the fact that we've had lots of rain on top of snow effect the snow pack once we get more snow? Does this heighten or lesson the risk of avalanches? Excuse me if its a bit of a dumb question, but I'd be quite ineterseted to here the expert answer.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Can you all hush up - some of us havent been out on the snow yet unless you count piddling about in Berkshire on a sledge!
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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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| rob@rar wrote: |
| davidof, I agree, but there's an air of doom and despondency in this thread that belies my experience. |
Yes, if you are set on France for next week and haven't booked then you really need to think about the high Tarentaise resorts: Val d'Isere, les Arcs, la Plagne, Trois Vallees all have tree skiing if the weather closes in but have large high altitude domains (2000m+) where the snow levels are at least in line with long term averages or even above average at the moment. My preference would probably be for les Arcs / la Plagne or the Trois Vallees as they have more low level skiing than l'Espace Killy.
Avoriaz, Flaine, Serre Chevalier, Montgenvre and Isola (as mentioned above) would also be on my list for France. The last three have benefitted from some Italian weather fronts to get extra snow helpings.
I'm told the Compagnie des Alpes is hoping for a bumper season.
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| davejsy wrote: |
| so how will the fact that we've had lots of rain on top of snow effect the snow pack once we get more snow? Does this heighten or lesson the risk of avalanches? Excuse me if its a bit of a dumb question, but I'd be quite ineterseted to here the expert answer. |
I'm no expert, but in Les Arcs where I've been for the last couple of weeks there seems to be a layer of buried surface hoare that is unlikely to be affected by this rain. Shady, ie north facing slopes, are likely to have this unstable layer for a few weeks more; sunnier slopes for less time I'd guess. In the few days before Christmas it felt very precarious, even when at Level 3 on the avalanche scale, so I avoided slopes that I would otherwise ski. The risk level seemed to subside a little over the weekend, although it still remained at 3.
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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 think it has been quite variable this season so far - snow then warm November, then cold, then rain etc, which means it has been a bit hit and miss for those with just their 'one week' of skiing, but those who are based at or with longer access to a resort, it does not seem to have had a bad time so far
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Overall, this weather is pretty bad for avalanches. The rain-affected snow will freeze hard to form a rain crust. This will remain in the snow pack as a strong layer in itself, but one to which subsequent layers of snow will not adher well. When the rain crust melts at the end of the season, this could also be a problem.
For us at least, the rain has turned to snow without a big freeze in between, so that does help a bit. The moist new snow will stick to the moist rain-affected snow a bit better.
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if there is enough rain to break down the depth hoar layers, it could be a good thing in the long run
difficult to generalise though
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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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I've no idea if it's the worst start but like others had some great fun skiing over Xmas - and in St Gervais/megeve too! (which no one could call high!)
Al in all it was miles better than I expected it to be- a bit (OK quite a lot)patchy, a bit artificial in places and towards the end of the week genuinely icy (the shiny blue stuff not the it's just a bit hard stuff) Cote 2000 was fab as was les Contamines. Al in all a great week.
Still, hope it gets a bit better before the next trip on 18th Jan!
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| Arno wrote: |
| if there is enough rain to break down the depth hoar layers, it could be a good thing in the long run |
At altitude I don't think there will be. Not much of the precipitation seems o have fallen as rain below 2,500m so I doubt that even the wet snow that did fall will have any effect on the unstable layer that's perhaps half a metre deep?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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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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skimottaret, I think we have made our point now 
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Not sure across the Alps as a whole, but conditions in a lot of the French resorts look good. Regardless of this, it looks as though much colder weather which is now setting in will last for at least the next week, and probably longer. Forecasting snow is tricky, but the general theme suggests there could be quite a lot of it about. Temperatures possibly going down to -30C at times.
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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| Quote: |
we are talking high up here.
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that's the point. In a lot of resorts there has been a great deal of rain at lower levels - including big names like Les Deux Alpes and Verbier, not just the smaller places. Combined with the big crowds, and the major travel difficulties some people experienced with the weather complications in the UK and northern France, many people have had a pretty miserable holiday at one of the busiest times of the year. And will probably have a difficult journey back, ironically because of widespread snow down to lower altitudes tonight. So for people who have had a miserable and expensive week, standing in long queues and getting soaked, yes it probably has been a rubbish start to the season. And as lots of people will only have one week's holiday, 2009/10 might be an unhappy memory. But really, of course, the ski season proper is only just beginning......
I do think a couple of unusually good starts to the season have made many people forget that this is really too early to go skiing and expect good conditions. If you get super weather at Christmas/New Year you're lucky.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| pam w wrote: |
| So for people who have had a miserable and expensive week, standing in long queues and getting soaked, yes it probably has been a rubbish start to the season. |
Unfortunately mountain weather can suddenly take a turn for the worse, and those people have my sympathy. But the bigger picture of conditions since the end of November through until now doesn't seem to me to be as bad as is being painted.
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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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davidof, last year it snowed more in November and early December than I've experienced here before. This year the amount of snowfall seemed about normal until a couple of weeks ago. Now, lots of snow high up, lots of rain low down! Still the OP is totally wrong!
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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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We've always had our best holidays in the week before Christmas. We leave until the last minute to book.
This year Selva, 2008 Avoriaz, 2007 Lech, 2006 Megeve (lift passes 1 & 2) - I think it was 2006 anyway. Great snow, no nutters. 
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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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Anyone who goes at xmas/New Year needs their head examined - well anyone who goes twice anyway.
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