The Alps, Current and Future

[Red Raven]

Val Gardena/Alta Badia

Season opens today - at least it should but has been postponed to the 6th. That date is looking very doubtful as the only frost allowing the canons to work was in the valley.

[Kaaren]

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

I am driving to Le Grand Bornand, (www.legrandbornand.com), in 13 days time and staying 3 weeks !! Apparently the snow is one month late this year, (the exact opposite of this time last year). There was almost too much snow last season and managed to wangle 5 weeks out there and was skiing in late April.

I'm registered for powder snow alerts from the resort and was wafting round the web last night looking for reassurance on the liklihood of substantial snowfall, and soon otherwise the cannons will have to be wheeled out. There is a Ski Weekend there on 9th-10th December and fingers crossed the locals have the snow siituation sussed this year.

[West is Best]

Big report about all this in today's times. You can read it free here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13...2482390,00.html

Not good really, but perhaps this coming week will deliver something.

[Kaaren]

Big report about all this in today's times. You can read it free here: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,13...2482390,00.html

Not good really, but perhaps this coming week will deliver something.

Dang!! :blush:

Nevertheless, thankyou Mr. West for that link to TOL. Fingers crossed that the real cold is heading for The Aravis Range and they get a huge dumping. Soon.

[Red Raven]

Val Gardena is currently below freezing and the webcams seem to show the canons have been working hard - still lots of grass though.

[connlach]

Hi there

I am driving to the Biathlon world cup in Oberhof, Germany which is on from the 3rd to 7th January. Doesn't seem to be any snow yet and I am getting rerally worried about it being cancelled.

Anyone know the chances of any snow soon?

Many thanks for the help.

[carinthian]

Hi there

I am driving to the Biathlon world cup in Oberhof, Germany which is on from the 3rd to 7th January. Doesn't seem to be any snow yet and I am getting rerally worried about it being cancelled.

Anyone know the chances of any snow soon?

Many thanks for the help.

Hi Connlach,

I too am off to the Alps in early part of the New Year. We are all in the same boat. No snow base at present below 2000m throughtout most of Europe, so its a bit of a worry. The temperature profile for the next 7 days continue to show temperatures far to high for snowfall anywhere below 1500m in Germany, although there is a hint of some colder air early next week into the Bavarian Alps that may produce some of the white stuff,although this seems likely to be a temporary affair. Mild starts to the winter seem to have a "turn around " in the last week of December. So don't give up on snow yet. I have not.

C

[connlach]

Hi Connlach,

I too am off to the Alps in early part of the New Year. We are all in the same boat. No snow base at present below 2000m throughtout most of Europe, so its a bit of a worry. The temperature profile for the next 7 days continue to show temperatures far to high for snowfall anywhere below 1500m in Germany, although there is a hint of some colder air early next week into the Bavarian Alps that may produce some of the white stuff,although this seems likely to be a temporary affair. Mild starts to the winter seem to have a "turn around " in the last week of December. So don't give up on snow yet. I have not.

C

Thanks for the quick reply. Going by the forecast at http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/reports/o...iew/default.asp things look a bit better but I dont know how accurate they are.

Fingers crossed!

[Snow Man]

Some snow today up on Alpe Dhuez, not a huge lot looking at it, but at least theres a bit! lol B)

[Snow Man]

Alpe Dhuez is getting a real pasting today! It's looking good for getting some base snow down, I dont know how long it will last for, hopefully this might stick around, and not melt, be about time to get a good base really, then build on top of it, lets hope so!

Update: 80cm at 3330m The webcam is situated at around 2000m and thats is a whiteout at the moment, its a pitty we're going to have to wait until the morning to get a good view of it there, although the weather could be sticking around for a few more days yet!

Edited December 6, 2006 by Snow Man

[Red Raven]

It snowed last night in the Dolomites but only above 1800m below that it rained! Currently it's -1.6 on Seceda and 3.3 in Selva

[Snow Man]

The current snow level at 1860m on Alpe Dhuez is now 20cm. With Quite a bit more due this coming Friday. Up at the top at 3300 its now pushung 90cm, Im jsut hoping its going to stick around long enough for another nice dump and really start packing this in. I just hope we don't get rain <_<

[carinthian]

Morning,

Surprise snowfall this morning about 10cm at 1600m. Temp around freezing. Rain below 1200m. A bit of a circulation developing with warm front pushing up from Italy/ Slovina meeting a pool of colder air currently over the Eastern Alps. Can see snow turning to rain and back to snow. Anyway better than none.

C

[carinthian]

Morning,

Surprise snowfall this morning about 10cm at 1600m. Temp around freezing. Rain below 1200m. A bit of a circulation developing with warm front pushing up from Italy/ Slovina meeting a pool of colder air currently over the Eastern Alps. Can see snow turning to rain and back to snow. Anyway better than none.

C

hI,

Yesterdays snow has turned to slush with the return of warmer air again. My wife reports a large stockpile of cinders to keep the mountain road open. The local authorities have been put on standby for a severe cold spell during the Christmas and New Year holiday. Perhaps they know something in Austria we don't know about !

C

[Red Raven]

I hope you're right Carinthian. It's very sad seeing the few skiiers in Val Gardena skiing down a narrow path of slushy white stuff surrounded by brown savanah like grass. It is actually below freezing above 2000m.

[Snow Man]

The French Alps finally seem to be getting somewhere now, quite a bit of snow expected over tonight and the following couple of days, I've gotta hope that it all doesnt melt away. If the pattern change that looks possible for us in the UK occurs, we may open the flood gate to some cold on the continant, that will actually stick around!

[Bilz]

I'm off to the Austrian Tyrol for 5 days over the Xmas week, departing on the 22nd and returning on the 28th. I think we're staying somehwhere the Kitsbuhl Alps, probably near Salzburg or Zell Am See. Does anyone know the current conditions for the region, if any snow is due soon and the likely weather for the Tyrol over Xmas?

[J10]

I'm off to the Austrian Tyrol for 5 days over the Xmas week, departing on the 22nd and returning on the 28th. I think we're staying somehwhere the Kitsbuhl Alps, probably near Salzburg or Zell Am See. Does anyone know the current conditions for the region, if any snow is due soon and the likely weather for the Tyrol over Xmas?

latest conditions are looking poor with not much if any snow about.

Turning much colder by the end of the weekend with soems now at all levels, but probably turning milder again next week.

http://www.snoweye.com/?page=at-salzburg for webcams in the region.

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Zell-...e.0to3top.shtml

[strauch67]

Good news from the Dolomites. Snowing on the slopes above 1000 mt. 40 cm of new snow above 1800 mt, 20 below that level. This will be a good base for the artificial one that is going to be "shot" next days. At the moment it will keep snowing untill tomorrow afternoon so I will imagine 50/60 cm in the skiing areas

Ciao

[johnholmes]

better late than never - here is the main street of Wengen, 20cm overnight with 40+cm on the ski runs. How long it will last is open to doubt though.

John

[Snow Man]

Thanks for the pic John! Makes me want to go right now! Alpe Dhuez is currently at -11C at 2000ish meters, (I can't remember the actual height at where the webcam is based, lol) 95cm up at 3000m 60cm lower down. More snow expected today and overnight, I hope we get no warm fronts and we keep the snow that is there, it will provide a very good base for the rest of the winter.

[Red Raven]

The Dolomites are now actually looking like the post card they should. Currently snowing and good base already laid. All we need now is for it to stay cold. Thankfully 06z GFS doesnt show any night without frost for a while, although daytime temps could do to be a few degrees cooler to make me less anxious.

[stratus]

Here a useful link to watch weather conditions in the Dolomites...

It's a friend of mine weather station situated in Pedraces (Alta Badia) at 1340 m. asl

Webcam links:

http://www.starrylink.it/webcam/pedraces/index.htmlClick on the image to obtain a large (beautiful) view

Upper level webcam (1850 m. asl)

http://www.starrylink.it/webcam/santacroce/index.html

Weather station link:

http://www.starrylink.it/webcam/pedraces/pedraces.html

In the western Italian Alps yesterday up to 1 m of fresh snow; that sounds good!

Ciao

Edited December 10, 2006 by stratus

[johnholmes]

that first web cam is a stunning panorama.

at long last Wengen has a decent snow cover from the valley bottom(Lauterbrunnen) with 10cm to Wengen itself(30cm) and the two top stations from Wengen, Mannlichen and kleinne Scheidegg, both with 50cm.

I'm just hoping that there is not too much melt occurs. It now looks as if the Lauberhorn Downhill should be able to be held 12-14 January, all things crossed!

[Red Raven]

Here a useful link to watch weather conditions in the Dolomites...

It's a friend of mine weather station situated in Pedraces (Alta Badia) at 1340 m. asl

Webcam links:

http://www.starrylink.it/webcam/pedraces/index.htmlClick on the image to obtain a large (beautiful) view

Upper level webcam (1850 m. asl)

http://www.starrylink.it/webcam/santacroce/index.html

Weather station link:

http://www.starrylink.it/webcam/pedraces/pedraces.html

In the western Italian Alps yesterday up to 1 m of fresh snow; that sounds good!

Ciao

Thanks for the links Stratus. Im staying in Corvara so will be skiing most of the time in Alta Badia. Temperatures look much better than they did a few days ago - lets just hope they stay low.