Latest weather models have advanced Monday's Dolomites snowfall to the afternoon and downgraded the amount to a few cms. Meanwhile the fronts that push through on Wed/Thurs are now predicted to deliver rain on the lower slopes, aaagh!!!
Local forecasts say an accumulation of 10-30cm for this event.
Temps look to rise significantly on Thursday, maybe some sleet on the peaks and temperature inversion as the colder air hangs in the valleys. After a mild weekend, it looks to cool down again by Tuesday.
Not too sure about it continuing through the night according to the latest radar reports. Looks like it has now all but fizzled out over the dolomites with nothing else heading that way.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Oh well, even if it it didn't snow all night, we're waking up to winter wonderland on the cams this morning:
The parked cars at the Hotel Capella in Colfosco look nicely covered!!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Looks like another band of snow currently moving through the Dolomites. Looks quite heavy according to the webcam and radar. Looks like it will last for a few more more hours. There is another smaller band further South but not sure it will reach most of the Dolomites at this stage. Today's snow is definately a nice suprise and very welcome considering temperatures are now going to rise for the next 5 days and very little if any precipitation forecast for the next week.
Looking good for Val di Fiemme, Obereggen, Carezza and Alpe di Siusi at the moment!!
Yes, that is the radar site I always look at.
As for the Ski Dolomiti Snow reporting, I have to question their snow report totals for the Alpe Di Siusi area. There was clearly lots of snow yesterday on the Alpe Di Siusi as i could see it on the webcams and radar and this mornings web cam shots showed lots of new snow on the trees. However their snow report this morning mentions that the last snow fell on 24.12.2010 ?
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.
jimmybog wrote:
As for the Ski Dolomiti Snow reporting, I have to question their snow report totals for the Alpe Di Siusi area. There was clearly lots of snow yesterday on the Alpe Di Siusi as i could see it on the webcams and radar and this mornings web cam shots showed lots of new snow on the trees. However their snow report this morning mentions that the last snow fell on 24.12.2010 ?
Yeah it was looking really snowy over there, let's hope the lack of update is because the guy who checks the snowfall got snowed in and couldn't get out of his driveway to have a look this morning!!!
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Staying in Val Di Fassa from 15th, but can't quite get my head around the freeze thaw temperatures and how that will afect the snow quality, any ideas?
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
mfamily2, going by my experiences before in March, when the spring weather really starts to take its toll, you may get some freeze-thaw problems on the lower, south-facing slopes. Hard first thing, surface softening nicely late morning through to lunch, then a bit porridgey for the home run.
If you encounter Spring conditions, stay high and on north-facing slopes and you'll find plenty of good snow. The runs down from Porta Vescovo in Arabba usually keep excellent snow, Col Rodella and Piz Sella sectors are also shaded, but Belvedere above Canazei does get the afternoon sun, nice for a sundowner. The Alba area usually has good snow as it doesn't get the Sella Ronda traffic, the Seceda area above S. Cristina is south facing so can suffer near the bottom when it's mild, but stay high and it'll be OK. Some of the Sella Ronda links can suffer because of heavy traffic and southerly exposure, eg. down into Arabba from Plan Boe and down into Selva village on the Dantercepies side, but these sections are brief in the whole scheme of things, don't let it put you off doing the Ronda.
I can't imagine this episode will be as severe as in the Spring, it's only a few days and the days are short so it's only a couple of hours when the sun will be strong enough to do the damage. I've been eating ice cream at 6pm watching the sun go down over Selva in March and still had snow to ski on all week with the Sella Ronda complete, albeit not pretty in places. Also, this week the forecasts are talking about temperature inversions, where the cold air hangs in the valleys, the warmer air rising over it.
Don't worry, the base is really good this year, I'm in Arabba the same week, there'll be plenty to enjoy ourselves on!! Hopefully it'll turn back colder early next week and we'll get some snow too!!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
mfamily2, from stevew on the other Selva thread yesterday:
stevew wrote:
having a great time in selva slopes freshened up yesterday and some good snow to be found yes some icey bits but mostly avoidable
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Latest 06z GFS ensembles for the Dolomites show a rapid cooling on Tuesday 18th and by Wednesday 19th temps are back below average.
Also no significant precipitation is likely during the mild spell, unlike further north in Austria where rain could be catastrophic in lower resorts with thin bases. Chance of snow on Wednesday too!!
This 00z GFS meteogram based on an altitude of 1778m seems to show temps rising into positive territory for a few hrs on Friday, Sunday & Monday with overnight plunges into double digit negatives.
Do I sound like I'm also desperately trying to convince myself that it'll be OK?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
The temps on that meteogram chart don't look too bad to be honest but I'm not sure how accurate they are? Local meteo dolomites forecast suggests temperatures up to 4c on Thursday and 7c on Friday at 2000 metres. Just out of curiosity, where abouts in the Dolomites are those charts for?
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?
jimmybog wrote:
The temps on that meteogram chart don't look too bad to be honest but I'm not sure how accurate they are? Local meteo dolomites forecast suggests temperatures up to 4c on Thursday and 7c on Friday at 2000 metres. Just out of curiosity, where abouts in the Dolomites are those charts for?
The meteogram at 12E 46.5N is near the Falzarego Pass between Arabba and Cortina, so as close as you'll get for the Sella Ronda area.
The GFS ensembles at 12E 46N are from further south near Feltre in the Pre-alps. These seem to be produced at whole degree coordinates and 47N falls north of the border in Austria where the weather is quite often different. Those 12E 46N coordinates should be fairly indicative of what's happening a bit further north, though the Pre-alps tend to catch more precipitation when the bad weather comes in from the South and the Northern dolomites sometimes benefit from bad weather spilling over the main alpine ridge.
You can customise the GFS output, I think it works by averaging the surrounding ensemble runs, here's one for Arabba's exact coordinates:
Just checking the radar, quite a bit of activity over the Oetztal & Zillertal Alps, breaching the main ridge into the Northern Dolomites, just hope it's cool enough for snow in the resorts.
Thanks for the GFS graph details Luigi. Overall it's looking like it will cool down next week but also looks mostly dry for the next ten days. Whenever you get large areas of high pressure over Central/Southern Europe they seem to take ages to shift. I really can't see where the next major snowfall is going to come from and when at this stage. I could well be relying on man made snow to top up the pistes when I head out on the 29th.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
jimmybog, it seems like I'll be skiing mostly in the sunshine next week! I'm not too disappointed, I like to be able to appreciate the scenery!
I'll try not to wear out the snow before you arrive!!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Snowed in Gressoney 4"-12" on Sunday, Monday - pistes and off piste were great though cloudy, Tuesday - quite cold and a dusting in the afternoon at the top, Wednesday sunny though bit windy in afternoon and quite warm. Thursday - Very warm: lunch outside with jacket off but tops closed due to wind and bottom half was slushy. No people - on Wednesday skied from Salati to La Trinite without seeing a single other person. There is still a good base but when it gets cold it will be icy at the bottom and the top half will be tricky due to the effects of the strong wind. Needs a good dump and time to stabilize.
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jimmybog, heading off for Arabba this morning, still looks hopeful for fresh snow & cold weather Thursday onward, may turn out right for you!!
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Before I went away I had been put off by reports on snowheads of poor conditions in the Dolomites but we had a great time in Selva last week. Monday and Tuesday saw some rain at lower levels early on but turned into snow all over the mountain, seemed more over in Corvara area. Rest of the week nice and sunny. The pistes were sometimes hard but apart from some very avoidable sections not true ice, having said that we always found some good snow, even when in the seasonally warm latter part of the week we had some sugary snow and some slush. Didn't even find the queues to bad.
Much of the early part of the week was in search of sunny slopes which we eventually found in Corvara area, lovely runs down to San Cassiano and La Ville.
As a first timer to the area found the scenery stunning and certainly not as expensive as France - will certainly return
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Hi,
Is this the right place to enquire about snow conditions in Cervinia. I have been undecided whether to ski Cervinia or Meribel, but I am not thinking the snow is deeped and holding better in Cervinia? Any comments or first hand views would be appreciated. I have not skied either resort.
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.
Conditions in Madonna are holding up well. Spring like but staying firmer longer by the day as temps drop. This mornings been the perfect mix of hard and fast but warm and sunny. Now looking forward to the possibility of it changing up with some fresh snow thats forecast. Good base and plenty off piste still though
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
I'm in pragelelato village and spa this week (amazing place, 6 course dinner, massive apartment) just near sestriere. Skiing has been great, 2 days just wearing fleece and no jacket. pistes in great condition, a few hard packed areas. Off piste very cruddy, but good base. Some spring snow in places.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Fresh snow yesterday in Canazei - we had about 10cm which topped up the base nicely.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
It started snowing in sestreiere this afternoon, but only very lightly.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Going to Santa Cristina 1st week in February. Wondering how the snow is holding up on the Sella Ronda. Have they used the snow making machines to top up the pistes. It looks to be set cold but dry for the foreseeable future.
Also, I'm coming with a very timid, intermediate skier. Are the red slopes on the Sella Ronda relatively hard or easy. Have skied lots in the French Alps including Tignes/Val D'Isere where feel sometimes the blue runs can be tough in comparison to other resorts' red runs. Looks like to link between blue runs around Val Gardena you have to ski red runs as well.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
rtj, first a warm welcome to snowHeads
A large group of snowHeads will be in Arabba for the 6th bithday bash from 5 Feb
The reds on the Sella Ronda vary. One of the tougher bits is on clockwise after Arabba - you go up the Porta Vescovo lift and the first red coming down is a bit steep at the top and gets very mogulled as the day goes on. If you hit it early then it is steep but much easier to ski. Unfortunately, starting from Santa Christina you're not going to hit in early
So in my view you're better heading anti-clock round the Ronda with a timid person. You can do a practice by going up from SC to Selva and up Dantercepies, then come back down again. If your companion is ok with that then should be fine going all the way around, I think. I was trying to remember what it is like getting down from Ciampinoi to Plan de Gralba to join up onto the Sella Ronda, but sorry my mind has gone blank. I'm sure somebody will be along here soon to put me right, or have a look at the Calling Sella Ronda Fans thread on the Resort Reviews and Trip Reports page.
Have fun, I know we will!
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?
'I was trying to remember what it is like getting down from Ciampinoi to Plan de Gralba to join up onto the Sella Ronda, but sorry my mind has gone blank'
The first section is a bit steep, and did get moguled, but it's only relatively short section of a few hundred yards, and after that is fantastic and the marvelous Piz Sellar beckons with loads of blues, one which run into Selva town.
Anyone got any news on the snow in the Monterosa area?
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
We've just got back from Selva and whilst we had no new snow, the pistes were in great condition and we had a lovely sunny week. It was great to be on the Marmolada, just above the clouds!
Off to Cervinia for a weeks skiing in half term, will i get much snow? i know they havnt seen much in italy for a good month now....
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Snowlover15, we had at least 30 cms last Monday in Sestriere
After all it is free
After all it is free
Just back from Cervinia having skied over weekend. No snow fell but there was plenty around to cover the pistes. A few stones were present in the final hundred yards or so back to the gondola. On the run down to Valtournenche the last hundred metres in altitude were slushy at midday.
The sunshine was non-stop for the three days that we were there so that might have been the main cause!
I did a few runs down into Zermatt and the piste conditions were much worse, with stones present from about 1800m down.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Looks like were in for about 20cm within the next week, looks good, any good links to websites for the area, or some charts websites?
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Looks like there could be a little snow on the way for Sunday
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Poster: A snowHead
