 Poster: A snowHead
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yes, that's the quote from friends of ours when discussing going away in the new year mid-Jan...... we have always gone away in January (no kids!) piste are quiet, rarely worry about lack of snow - i would rather it was cold then warm and no snow?! cheap prices - its always been a winner for us!
anybody else put off from skiing in January?!? and also - what is the coldest temperature you've skied in? i think we've skied in -12 - that's about as low as we know....
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Banff at Christmas, -30 and I prefer it cold.
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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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Coldest was -48 at the Stubai Glacier several years ago - was pretty  miserable tbh.
No problems skiing in Jan, but prefer March - tends to be either snowing and powdery, or warm sunny and slushy. Either a win in my book, and better than the wind-scoured hardpack you get in Jan if it hasn't snowed for a week or two.
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The car repeatedly refused to start last year in January, we saw -20 a few times. Normally means clear skies though so great skiing, just layer up and get a good neck+face scarf.
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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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cbowls30, best time to go for quiet slopes and cheap deals, we always used to go then pre kids and school holidays  Not too cold, just be well dressed for the conditions whatever they may be.
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If you are feeling too cold you just have the wrong kit on!
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-20 mid day one Jan at resort level in Bavaria one year (1980`s) so colder higher, saw all the lifts shut for the day. I did not mind because I don`t want to ski if its that cold. All the other times we`ve skied in Jan have been great.
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-38c Banff January. Didn't care two hoots, slopes were empty, no food queues anywhere, would cheerfully go again. 
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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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also -38 at Spruce Peak near Stowe in Vermont in Jan '93.
No feeling in arms or legs, any exposed skin very painful and we needed 10 minutes in the special heated huts they had (and needed) at the top of every lift before braving another icy descent
I wouldn't go back.
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In Breckenridge we had -40c with -65 windchill. The resort put up warning signs at the bottom to keep your face covered at all times, on the chair lift. Met quite a few peeps with windburn and frost nip. Bright blue skies and perfect firm, empty, corduroy pistes. It was fun trying to get warm.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Have always had a week in jan & also I week in march. Both different conditions wise, but both just as enjoyable. Coldest we ever had was 2nd week in jan in Canada -20 to -30c & that was before fracturing in wind chill.
I have Always found piste conditions better in jan in the mornings due to the no freeze thaw that you get in march and I also find that pistes in jan stay the same snow wise all day & also get less chopped up.
I Do enjoy the spring slush snow that you get in march towards the end of the day on pistes. Poor mans powder
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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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| depthjunkie wrote: |
| slush ... Poor mans powder |
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-33 up the Grand Motte pre Christmas 2009, before windchill. Contrast to +22 when arriving in Val D'Isere April 2011.
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You know it makes sense.
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Go in Jan, come back, get itch again, then book again for March. Did that last 2 yrs. Will prob do same this year. End up skiing twice. If you hold out till March, that's it until next year
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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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Depends where you go. Ive been at Killington in January and it was -41c, then the wind was about 10mph as well. Ive also been in Avoriaz and it was +9c!
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Poster: A snowHead
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-24 in serre chevalier, January last year! No real issues except the face, my buff kept freezing to my face!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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By far the best time to ski in my book. Stupidly quiet and cheap rates too. I'd far rather fight to stay warm than cook in salopettes and a t-shirt like I have in march before. Sking in a silk balaclava plus helmet plus everything else makes for far better holiday snaps too.
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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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January every year. As has been said, no queues, good deals and no children.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| Coldest was -48 at the Stubai Glacier several years ago |
Erm, no it wasn't.
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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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| TheGeneralist wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| Coldest was -48 at the Stubai Glacier several years ago |
Erm, no it wasn't. |
Including windchill, erm, yes it was.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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gotta say i don't mind it cold - prefer it! crisp white cold with blue skies..... i just think our friends are more into the sitting-about-drinking-eating ski holiday with very little skiing! 
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| Quote: |
No feeling in arms or legs, any exposed skin very painful and we needed 10 minutes in the special heated huts they had (and needed) at the top of every lift before braving another icy descent
I wouldn't go back.
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Neither would I. A friend who skied in New England had a similar experience. He sails a dinghy all through the UK winter, so not a wimp, but he said it was no fun. I have skied in warm sun and melting snow in January (more than once, but January 2002 I particularly remember). But we usually did January holidays because they were cheaper (took kids out of school). I've been just as cold other months. Important to have some below tree-line places to retreat to. You just can't make any hard and fast rules about weather; the truth is that you never know!
cbowls30, I'd find some other friends, if I were you.
No way would I choose to go on holiday somewhere where very low temperatures were probable.
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The first time I skied in a January, in Morzine, the first day I said 'never again' and I'd stick to my usual March holidays in the future. The rest of the week turned mild and it was fantastic- no crowds, good snow, and warm enough to happily eat outside at lunch.
Last January though saw some exceptionally cold days in the Alps, but it was wind free so it didn't impact the skiing at all, and the snow conditions were great
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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 Alpine air is dryer than the UK (maritime) air. -5 in the Uk is going to 'feel' colder than -5 in the Alps due to the extra moisture (and we always seem to have a 'wind' blowing )
This usually why if you tell peeps in the UK you are going skiing in January, they think you are MAD!
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Jan is great, I've always gone in late jan for the reason everyone has stated above, layer up and got for it.
I once skied in Canada at -70c with wind chill, when I say ski, we got out of the gondola station at the top, went outside for about 10seconds and decided to go back inside for a hot chocolate before heading back down the bubble.... to be fair they did warn us a the bottom, that it was "pretty chilly up top" it warmed up the next day to a balmy -35c... great experience and makes you understand what nutters those Arctic explorers are.
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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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I did timberline, West Virginia, last year on the 2nd January. It was the coldest I've ever been on a mountain. -25 with a bitingly cold 30 mph wind. I'm used to Scotland and thought I'd experienced it all, but this was something else. Even when very cold in the alps it's normally calm.
Breaks after every two runs for a hot chocolate, and a new face mask a necessity, but charged on and had a great couple of days in the powder anyway. Don't know how many days in a row I could have done, after two my lips and nose were a mess.
With the winter forecast we'll see how Tignes at the start of feb works out....
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You know it makes sense.
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Last season was the first time we went away in January, towards the end of the month to LDA, always preferring the back end of Feb/beginning of March previously. After a really quiet week on the slopes, and -35 with windchill towards the end of the week, would we go in January again - yes, and we are!! 5th to VDI for us.
Yes, it was cold, but what a fantastic week and the epic snowfall we had on top of tonnes of the stuff already there was the icing on the cake.
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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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I always go skiing end of Jan/early Feb and it's a great time to go, cheaper and nice quiet pistes. Can be freaking freezing though. St Anton in early Feb this year was BALTIC. Somewhere around -20 or below (depending on lift height) every day.
Coldest I remember was a couple of years ago, -35 at the top of the Aguille Rouge in Les Arcs. The last two pre-Christmas weeks at La Plagne have been hideously cold too.
I must say, there is a lot to be said for skiing in April when you can sit outside in a T-shirt at lunchtime.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| clarky999 wrote: |
| TheGeneralist wrote: |
| clarky999 wrote: |
| Coldest was -48 at the Stubai Glacier several years ago |
Erm, no it wasn't. |
Including windchill, erm, yes it was. |
Its a bit of an important distinction though, isn't it? So long as you're dressed for the airtemperature and keep everything covered by a reasonably windproof layer, windchill needn't be a grievous problem. According to this handy chart, the actual air temperature could have been a positively balmy -25! 
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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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| cbowls30 wrote: |
yes, that's the quote from friends of ours when discussing going away in the new year mid-Jan...... we have always gone away in January (no kids!) piste are quiet, rarely worry about lack of snow - i would rather it was cold then warm and no snow?! cheap prices - its always been a winner for us!
anybody else put off from skiing in January?!? and also - what is the coldest temperature you've skied in? i think we've skied in -12 - that's about as low as we know.... |
I think Janary is brilaint, best prices, quiret slopes and great colours. Been up to Lapland a few times and its cold up there worst -37 but like everywhere else, right clothes and your OK. A few Hot drink stops and back out again.
Reading the other responses I'm looking forward to skiing the arlberg area this year as its looks like its getting cold there too.. great.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I like January skiing, empty pistes, no queues, usually crisp and sunny. I have once been when it was -20, the lifts were the worst bit, the lifts had warning signsabout the cold, but it was all worth it as later in the week we had a mega dump of fresh powder. Ive been to Serre Che when it was +15 in late January, freeze thaw. You had to wrap up in the morning, but were pealing off the layers by lunchtime. Ive also been over new year where it was freeze thaw, +5 in the day, -5 at night. The time of year doesn't guarantee anything in terms of weather. Ive been in late February and had -18. I have always skied in Europe though,and never found cold to really be an issue, but I might think differently if I went across the pond where the temps really do plummet.
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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 am in the January club. It my experience you can get extreme low temps any time. Pistes being relatively empty is a big attraction.
Lowest ever was some years ago in Zermatt. The whole fortnight it never got above -15C in the village. We went up on the Klein Matterhorn one day and nobody followed us out the lift and through the tunnel at the top. We found out why. Below -30C. had a beard at the time and it froze solid in minutes. I had good kit but some people I was with did not. They suffered extreme pain when blood flowed back in their fingers. The lift was shut for most of the time we were there as the cold up there was just too extreme. It was March if memory serves
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Always preferred January for all the reasons above, Spring skiing that I have done is pants, frozen hard rubble in the morning, followed by unpredictable slush then ice then slush, followed by ton weight slush everywhere
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January is ace as it is quiet.
Early Jan, 2005 +4c at the top of the Roche de Mio, waterskiing on the Vallendry runs back to the VE. Horrendous sunburn.
It depends on the weather.
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January is terrible. none of you want to go then. Repeat after me "I hate skiing in January, I will not go then".
Now, where did I put that brochure....
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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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briand6868, sounds like the season I went!!
Stubnerkogel, Bad Gastein, January 2004, -19 on top and that was without wind chill. I remember walk out of the ski station with the snow squeaking under my feet ... but then the wind found the tiny piece of exposed skin on my face and it felt like someone was stabbing it with a knife. Quick retreat to the lift building to readjust and we were off. Great days!!
Cheers
Kersh
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One other thing to watch in very cold weather. If skiing in a group always watch each others exposed skin. If goes exceptionally white or worse blue then get inside. Frostbite is not pleasant. Had a nip of it in the Himalayas once.
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