 Poster: A snowHead
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The week after us, I can promise it'll be good then 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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This has certainly not been the best start to a ski season in the Pyrenees to be honest, though if you look at the snow fall over the last few years the Pyrenees has fared well and often better than the bulk of the alps. This year though we are sitting here looking at the snow reports from the Northern and Eastern alps with green eyes. It is not a bad start, it is just that the weather is so up and down. I skied some great powder at Peyragudes yesterday under clear blue skies, and today it was grey and rainy.
What we need, and what we are waiting for is a steady period of cool air to sit over us, because at the moment we are getting the odd day, the odd snowfall but warm air returns.
Snow depths on piste are fine, but conditions in the afternoon lower down are more spring-like than January.
Current depths:
Peyragudes : 100/30
Superbagneres: 75/55
Baqueira Beret: 150/60
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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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Anyone in the La Mongie area at the moment able to give us an update?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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More snow falling tonight in the Pyrenees.
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heading out to soldeu on 29th jan. I'm freaking out a bit as it all looks suspiciously brown on the webcams!! I'm telling myself it's due to the wind that seems to be destroying Europe this week. Please tell me I'm right!
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This was link was posted earlier - http://www.infonieve.es/estacion-esqui/grandvalira/4601/
Has some webcam links.
Comments on the first "tab" - "la estacion", in Spanish or Catalan (used google to translate) give an idea of what is going on.
One comment seemed in line with what you can see. In a nutshell it says Pas and Grau ok but hard. Below 2000 metres pistes are suffering.
Weather reports show some snow this weekend, with it possibly getting colder next week.
But this is only what I can see from my computer, I'm no expert. Like you it's fingers crossed.
I thought January was supposed to be cold, ......and the gulf stream was on its last legs,..........
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Eastern Pyrenees wigglies seem to be showing a possibility of snow between 17-21st Jan. Lets hope they are correct. 
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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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Netweather is showing this in El Tarter 17th through to the 22nd, and showing the base at below freezing.
...but this could all change at the merest brush of a virtual butterflies wing within the model, but we can live in hope.
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| Namsbreh wrote: |
| More snow falling tonight in the Pyrenees. |
The forecast was for snow above 2000m during the evening with the snow level falling to 1400 during the early hours of the morning. All forecasts were wrong because high winds and heavy rain blew through earlier than expected missing the cooler air. The result = lower slopes were again battered by rain.
At least the cooler air has allowed the snow cannons to do their stuff this afternoon.
The next 10 days looks remarkably dry, but hopefully cold enough over night to keep the canons running.
Latest depths:
Peyragudes: 100/30
Superbagneres: 50/30
Baqueira Beret: 160/60
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Any updates from the Pyrenees?
It appears I have blagged a visit to Bagnere in a couple of weeks, complete with a native to guide me...just praying for snow beforehand
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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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Strax, The Baqueira web cams are looking good. Some friends in Resort report the conditions are pretty good. Formigal looks as if it's had some snow too, or they have been working the cannons hard !
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Up at La Mongie today, 9th Jan. Lots of Ice. An awful lot of ice! The cannons have been running, making piles of ice. It was empty, sunny and beautiful, but we need some proper snow. Alas, nothing forecast this week.
But being gluttons for punishment we'll go back on Wednesday!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Stella wrote: |
Up at La Mongie today, 9th Jan. Lots of Ice. An awful lot of ice! The cannons have been running, making piles of ice. It was empty, sunny and beautiful, but we need some proper snow. Alas, nothing forecast this week.
But being gluttons for punishment we'll go back on Wednesday! |
I'm out there in 3 weeks... I guess ice is better than mud, but fingers crossed the area gets some of the snow that the alps is getting right now....
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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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He he he,
I've only ridden the "snow" in Scotland. I reckon French ice will be easier than the Scottish stuff...
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The cannons have been running, making piles of ice
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PMSL! I'l look out for those piles.
If anyone learns of freshies there, please let me know, my guide is a little too native, and lacks communication skills!
Thx
Strax
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Tue 10-01-12 12:45; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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The warm afternoon sun and freezing overnight temperatures is consolidating the base, artificial is keeping the pistes in a decent state and with literally no one on the runs there is still some very good skiing to be found. The higher runs are better, but actually the runs that are kissed by the afternoon sun are very nice indeed.
Baqueira has plenty of skiing above 1800m, likewise Peyragudes and Superbagneres still has good cover though not as many runs open.
Longer range forecast is not conclusive, but it looks like the clear air will be replaced with cooler and possibly snowier weather from the 15th onwards. Fingers crossed 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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You'll have to explain that to me !!!
Clear as mud I'm afraid.
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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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bruisedskier, I'm not much better than you but I believe it shows a lot of snow falling. Check out the sticky guides at the top of the forum
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Wha' ?? What's a sticky guide? Where's the snow falling bit 
I must be having a bad day.
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bruisedskier, This I think: http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?t=14852
The way I read it, the bottom line is precipitation, while the middle line is temperature - I saw a note somewhere suggesting this is at around 1500m
the different lines represent different 'runs' of the forecast (maybe!).
The good news is, most show snow as they mostly show temps below freezing (maybe!).
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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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Lines in the middle around the red line (30 year average) represent temperature, and the scale for them is on the left.
Lines at the bottom represent precipitation and the scale is on the right (mm of rain not cm of snow IIRC)
Green - Operational run
Blue - Control run
Others - other runs. They do a lot of runs with slightly different inputs.
I heard it was ~1800m but ~1500m is better lol.
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Quick bit of education, do you compare green and green, or blue and blue?
The blue control shows increased precipitation, but a temperature above freezing.
The green low temperature, but shows no snow.
Am I right, or is this just a range of possabilities..........
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Compare them all really. They're all different runs with slightly different inputs. So if lots of them agree that would be the most likely. Ideally you want to see them all saying the same thing and repeated from run to run (there are 4 sets of runs a day, every 6 hours)
To me that graph says there will be a good chance of some snow from about the 16th onwards and temps will be around about zero from the 15th. Roughly.
The green is meant to be the "operational" run and has more inputs. Snow-forecast.com is based off that run, or so I heard. Someone posted what inputs each run has somewhere.
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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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If this is the suggestion for the Eastern Pyrenees, I'm heading to La Mongie around the same date- (I'm guessing thats considered to be the Western part of the Pyrenees?) any news on that area?
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dredgey, Nah! Dry 'n' warm there.  . I'm sure it will be fine don't worry 'til you are actually there. I just look at this thread to get excited.
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You know it makes sense.
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dredgey, I had a nice lunch outside in La Mongie on Sunday, but didn't ski. Coverage looked ok on the main pistes that I could see except for the Southern exposures which had lots of bare ground. Snow looked firm for the most part.
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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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| Michael B wrote: |
| dredgey, Nah! Dry 'n' warm there. . I'm sure it will be fine don't worry 'til you are actually there. I just look at this thread to get excited. |
I better take my mountain bike then! I hope it will be fine, I guess a lot can change in a few weeks. I'm the same; I look at these threads more and more the closer I get to going... only sometimes they make me nervous!
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Poster: A snowHead
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Live for the long term wigglies when they show snow and ignore them when they dont. It's the only way to do it.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| MEfree30 wrote: |
| dredgey, I had a nice lunch outside in La Mongie on Sunday, but didn't ski. Coverage looked ok on the main pistes that I could see except for the Southern exposures which had lots of bare ground. Snow looked firm for the most part. |
Glad to hear the coverage looks ok although the bare ground is concerning... this is my first time to the Pyrenees and with all the snow falling in the Alps I hope I don't end up wishing I'd stuck to what I know!
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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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| dredgey wrote: |
| MEfree30 wrote: |
| dredgey, I had a nice lunch outside in La Mongie on Sunday, but didn't ski. Coverage looked ok on the main pistes that I could see except for the Southern exposures which had lots of bare ground. Snow looked firm for the most part. |
Glad to hear the coverage looks ok although the bare ground is concerning... this is my first time to the Pyrenees and with all the snow falling in the Alps I hope I don't end up wishing I'd stuck to what I know! |
This time last year the Alps were really struggling, and if my memory serves me right some places had now snow for a month and some of the satellite resorts were at risk of shutting down. Our mountains were white - it really is the luck of the draw some years.
Baqueira has most of its runs open with well groomed pistes being maintained by snow making.
Peyragudes is about 85% open with well groomed pistes and empty slopes
Superbagneres has the fewest pistes open, but still some good skiing on empty slopes.
The overnight cold temperatures is preserving the base, and artificial is topping it up. Possibly a change to more unsettled weather by the end of next week.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I should be in Baqueira in a few weeks so fingers crossed they get some more. I've some new big mountain ski's to play on so need some fresh.
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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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| Ski Guide wrote: |
| dredgey wrote: |
| MEfree30 wrote: |
| dredgey, I had a nice lunch outside in La Mongie on Sunday, but didn't ski. Coverage looked ok on the main pistes that I could see except for the Southern exposures which had lots of bare ground. Snow looked firm for the most part. |
Glad to hear the coverage looks ok although the bare ground is concerning... this is my first time to the Pyrenees and with all the snow falling in the Alps I hope I don't end up wishing I'd stuck to what I know! |
This time last year the Alps were really struggling, and if my memory serves me right some places had now snow for a month and some of the satellite resorts were at risk of shutting down. Our mountains were white - it really is the luck of the draw some years.
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You're correct; around this time last year I was in Kitzbuhel making do with ok-ish snow whilst my Dad was in La Mongie enjoying tonnes of the fresh stuff! Its pot luck.
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Oh well, I'm putting my trust in the law of averages which states that when I pay a first visit to La Mongie on Feb 9 (a month today) there will have been a decent dump. If not that would represent a very poor season in an area which has historically had good snowfall. Went to the eastern Pyrenees last Feb (Masella) and the sun shone everyday on slopes that were topped up by the canons. The east is looking decidedly dodgy this time around though. Took a late March lads trip to Flaine and this wasn't too bad but the bottom was slush and Le Carroz and Samoens links were lousy. You can't win!!!
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I'll try and post about conditions from La Mongie when I get there in two weeks if there is wi-fi at the apartment.
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La Mongie, 12 January
Good news - the snow cannons have been switched back to Snow mode from Ice mode and things were much nicer today.
Pistes are holding up well, even down to Tournaboup (1450) and the ice sheets of Monday can now only be found just out of sight over the crests. Best run this morning either Bergers (blue) down from Quatre Termes or the black Coume l'Ayse open for the first time when we have been there.
Off piste still alarmingly glassy and hard, although lower, south facing slopes were softening up when we left at about 13.30.
Meteo France has some snow for Friday/Saturday 20th Jan as the next potential fall. Fingers crossed.
And very, very quiet...
Stella
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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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| Stella wrote: |
La Mongie, 12 January
Good news - the snow cannons have been switched back to Snow mode from Ice mode and things were much nicer today.
Pistes are holding up well, even down to Tournaboup (1450) and the ice sheets of Monday can now only be found just out of sight over the crests. Best run this morning either Bergers (blue) down from Quatre Termes or the black Coume l'Ayse open for the first time when we have been there.
Off piste still alarmingly glassy and hard, although lower, south facing slopes were softening up when we left at about 13.30.
Meteo France has some snow for Friday/Saturday 20th Jan as the next potential fall. Fingers crossed.
And very, very quiet...
Stella |
Thanks for the update! Sounds good and fingers crossed Meteo have it right 
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dredgey, The Weather Channel suggest a bit on the 18th, too, but we are only talking 30-40% chance. Need to get rid of this high pressure. Although as I'm currently sitting ouside on the terrace at 18 degrees...
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