The Alps, Current and Future

[Snow Man]

Hi everybody, its been a while since I last posted, probly March time I reckon, but its coming up to that time again where, hopefully, we shall start getting some snow here , we'll see!! Anyway, I was having a look around the messageboards for any threads about the current and future weather happening in the Alps. I am going to the French Alps (Alpe 'Dhuez to be precise) and things haven't really kicked off there yet, so I would like to start this thread for anybody to give me and anybody who's interested updates, forecasts etc on what is happening.

Cheers

Snow Man :lol:

[johnholmes]

best you find the local web site and use their forecasts. They are usually the best for their area. Better than I could do from here.

John

[carinthian]

Hi everybody, its been a while since I last posted, probly March time I reckon, but its coming up to that time again where, hopefully, we shall start getting some snow here , we'll see!! Anyway, I was having a look around the messageboards for any threads about the current and future weather happening in the Alps. I am going to the French Alps (Alpe 'Dhuez to be precise) and things haven't really kicked off there yet, so I would like to start this thread for anybody to give me and anybody who's interested updates, forecasts etc on what is happening.

Cheers

Snow Man

Hi Snow Man,

Good idea. I think there are a few ski-bums on this forum. My wife currently living out in Austria reports no snow where she is based at 1670M asl. Snow level seems to be at 2000m plus at the moment. So not a good start to the season anywhere in Europe. Better now than at Christmas ?

C

[Snow Man]

Thanks guys! yea, its not really been a good start to from what I've seen, Tignes has had a decent snowfall, and a couple of pistes are open, but the majority don't open untill December anyway, I dont think there'll be much skiing going on unless something changes soon, lol, although I myself am a snowboarder, (I class myself at a higher level as skiiers, lol, if you would like to know why just ask, lol) but Im going on Jan 14th there will be snow by then, I just hope a nice decent ammount, and we get some powder.

The trouble about looking for local forcasts is that they are in French! lol, I do know quite a bit of french but not too much, lol. I'm trying to learn more though, so it might help actually using those sites! lol.

Again Thanks

Snow Man

[johnholmes]

click on this site like I said

http://www.alpedhuez.com/

then click on English

[Snow Man]

Yea cheers John, I have used that before, its not the best of websites for HCI, it doesnt really explain much, lol, and it makes me sad when I look at the Webcam, haha, heres hoping theres a dumping there soon!!!

Cheers

[johnholmes]

HCI !!

means what please?

[johnholmes]

this where I shall be skiing, I HOPE!!

I cannot remember seeing it like this at this time of the ever before, apart, from 1989-90. That year there was no snow below about 7,000ft, although everywhere was frozen solid.

[J10]

www.snow-forecast.com and www.snoweye.com tend to be good the first at forecasting the weather the second at giving webcams.

I know a couple of other websites but they cover the Portes de Soleil area with English weather forecasts, as opposed to Alpe D'Heuz.

[stratus]

My forecasts are for few snow on Alps untill the second part of december. Something more on the northern side; Switzerland and Austria, but not cold temperatures and not too good to ski. High pressure on the east are keeping dry conditions, it's the worst start of season I ever seen.

I'm looking for some past situations, for example I'm analizing december 1953, similar to this 2006, with strong HP, southern winds or weak westerlies and high temps.

I'll consider only January to ski on Alps this year, hope again in some changes around Christmas not before.

Sorry for errors

Luca

[Red Raven]

I'm starting to worry now about my skiing holiday now! 28 Jan in Corvara, Italy. They have had snow and also have 100% snow making facilities but its been just too warm to keep or make any snow. The web cams look very sad at the moment.

This is a good cam -shows how warm it is at 2450m! http://www.val-gardena.com/eng/page208.html

[strauch67]

Good idea. I will take care of the Dolomites area (NE Italy). At the moment the situation is almost depressing. We had no any perturbation in the last two months. Only few centimeters that, with the first sun, disapper. Also the temperature do not helps. Only above 2300 mt there is just few centimetres of snow which aren't enough for the ski slopes.

Here you can see the situation in one of the snowiest place in the Dolomites: the village down in the valley is at 1200 mt and the mountain on the back is the Civetta (3280 mt). No snow!

[carinthian]

Morning from Katschberg,

Beautiful sunny skies. Light frost. No snow in the Lungau region. Some retained above 2200m. Another mild still day expected.

Info from Mrs C.

[strauch67]

No good news from the Dolomites. If we want to see some good snow we must go sown to Sicily , look at how is Etna now

[Red Raven]

No good news from the Dolomites. If we want to see some good snow we must go sown to Sicily , look at how is Etna now

If only the Dolomites had that much! I see Seceda has still not had a frost for about 10 days now - there may be one tonight but it's looking dire for the season start on saturday.

[smich]

Hi Snowman, good idea for athread for the skibums!

If you haven't been to Alpe D'Huez before, check out the Sarenne Glacier run over the back of Pic Blanc. It's not always open early in the season, but if it is...it's one those runs that goes on forever!

I'm off to Courchevel on 6th Jan, and I must admit I'm getting worried. One year, 1990 I think at Les Deux Alpes, it was just awful. Brown grass all the way down into the valley, straw being laid out on the upper runs to try to keep them together. Only the glacier was worth a look - the chair lift there had queues all day

smich

[ukmoose]

Hi Snowman and fellow ski bums,

Well, not looking great at the moment is it? High temperatures and no snow to speak of as far as I can make out. Lat season wasn't the best either actually (the year before was better when we went). It's all a bit worrying.

We're off to La Plagne in February - just hoping that things begin to turn around in December to get a good base down. Temperatures need to drop pdq.

Will keep watching the website and ski forecasts and hope for a turn around soon.

Moose

[J10]

Some snow high in the French Alps at 2500m.

http://www.trinum.com/ibox/avoriaz/webcam/panoramiqueHD.htm , even here though it is thawing a bit after last weeks heavy snowfall.

[Snow Man]

Hi again guys, been missing for much of the day on here lol, but glad to see this threads got people talking! and thanks for all the info!

John HCI means Human Computer Interaction, lol, I work with it a lot at Uni, its basically how websites (well general computer realated stuff, lol) interact with the users, how things are layed out, colour coordinated etc, some websites are really poor for this, just thought I'd let you know!

Yea, Im actually going on the 15th of Jan, Im hoping that winters got in to gear and we've got some nice levels of snow compacted down and some nice fresh powder. There is supposed to be a dusting I think at some point this week, what will last of it, we'll have to see!!

I don't know how many of you do ski or do board, but have you realised how many times your board gets run over by skiiers, and poked witht their sticks, lol, just thought I'd point that out after a very friendly French geezer nicely skiied straight over my nice new board and the bottom of Palafour in Le Lac last Season, nice of hime, I have a nice scratch there too this day! lol

Snow Man

[Red Raven]

Frost down to 2300m in the Dolomites last night, which possibly gave a few hours of snow making. Temperature at 1.6 at 2300 and only 100m lower already up to 4.5.

[carinthian]

Frost down to 2300m in the Dolomites last night, which possibly gave a few hours of snow making. Temperature at 1.6 at 2300 and only 100m lower already up to 4.5.

Morning from Katschberg,

Another sunny day. Light frost last night. Some snow retention in the pine glades on the northern slopes in the area. 4C high today expected but bit of a stiff easterly blowing under the big Euro High.

Report passed on from Mrs C resident out there.

C

[carinthian]

Morning from Katschberg,

Another sunny day. Light frost last night. Some snow retention in the pine glades on the northern slopes in the area. 4C high today expected but bit of a stiff easterly blowing under the big Euro High.

Report passed on from Mrs C resident out there.

C

I/12/06

Another clear start under Euro High. Temp down to -1C . No snow forecast over weekend. Will be quiet up here over the weekend with no skiers. The service business is now getting very worried indeed about the lack of snowbase for Christmas. Had 2 feet of snow at this time last year and the base lasted all season with excellent conditions and regular top ups of snowfall.

C

[Red Raven]

No frost last night on Seceda. And season will not start tomorrow in Val Gardena or Alta Badia. This is not looking good and the long term forecasts are not giving me any confidence!

Dolomiti say:

Thanks to the man-made snow 7 uphill facilities with 4 slopes are open at Kronplatz. At 02/12 and 03/12 will also open the cabin lift Piz La Ila and the chair lift Bamby (with slope). According to the weather forecast there will be snowfalls the 6th and 7th of December. Several uphill facilities will open starting from the 06-07th of December 2006.

[strauch67]

That's what we were looking for. Hoping the forecast will remain like this!

[Snow Man]

Lets Hope So!