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Alps Weather And Skiing Conditions


J10

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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks

33cm in Wengen and still snowing, 65cm at the top of the main ski runs

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Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne and Larnaca,Cyprus .
  • Location: Eastbourne and Larnaca,Cyprus .
Morning all

Just made my tour of snow cams in my favourite ski areas, and to complete my set it has started snowing in the Massif Central according to the webcams at Le Mont Dore, so we may be able to get a snow fix at Christmas, though there is a lot of weather to come and go between now and then. It is still snowing in the Alps, certainly in the area around Tignes and the Pyrenees in the Gourette area. The good burghers of Gourette have put up a live cam so you can see the snow falling.

Cheers

FC

I was up at Gourette with friends on Wednesday and managed to to escape before the really heavy snow arrived although there had already been some good snowfall from the night before. The conditions in the Pyrenees especially the more western parts have done very well this week, theres a slight warm up due today and tomorrow and then more snow forecast down to 1500 metres on Sunday and Monday. This is great news for building a good base up, if the conditions remain good I wouldn't be surprised if some of the resorts try and open early.

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Posted
  • Location: Bramley, Hampshire, 70m asl
  • Location: Bramley, Hampshire, 70m asl

Hi Jackone would you be able to add Russbach in Austria please. (Dachstein west ski area)

Being a small resort, surrounded by other small resorts it's in a bit of a snow forecast desert.

We're taking our boys on their first skiing holiday and snow would be useful. Given that we're going at Christmas and Russbach is not particularly high we're taking a bit of a gamble -- the gluwein, jagermeister and sachertorte will take their toll if the snow is lacking!!

Thanks. :lol:

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Posted
  • Location: Southend on Sea, London, Jarnac in France
  • Location: Southend on Sea, London, Jarnac in France
I was up at Gourette with friends on Wednesday and managed to to escape before the really heavy snow arrived although there had already been some good snowfall from the night before. The conditions in the Pyrenees especially the more western parts have done very well this week, theres a slight warm up due today and tomorrow and then more snow forecast down to 1500 metres on Sunday and Monday. This is great news for building a good base up, if the conditions remain good I wouldn't be surprised if some of the resorts try and open early.

Hi Nick

You are a lot closer than me, I'm up in Jarnac, so about 4 hours away, but its really cold here and has been for a week, what a contrast with last weekend, but its looking good for an early start, though still a few weeks to go yet, so anything could happen.

Cheers

FC

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The next forecast will be issued as usual tomorrow, are the charts fine and would you put any other charts in the line up, we are still at the early stage of this inter so I am open to making improvements as we go along.

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Posted
  • Location: Shepton Mallet 140m ASL
  • Weather Preferences: Cold, snow and summer heatwaves.
  • Location: Shepton Mallet 140m ASL

Please could you add Niederau, Austria to the resorts on your list?

Im there from 03/01 - 17/01 :air_kiss:

Slightly worried as it isnt as high as others ive been too.

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In addition to the blog lets have a look at forecast at some resorts, using the Snow forecast from net Weather.

Firstly Courchevel mainly dry until Tuesday, with a little resort rain and summit snow on Tuesday, with the chance of some heavy rain down to resort level on Thursday and Friday.

Chatel simlar to Courchevel

Tignes, will see some heavy snow down to resort level on Tuesday with the chance of some very heavy snow Thursday and Friday.

Alpe d'Huez similar to Courchevel, but the rain may turn to snow later in resort on Tuesday.

Morzine and Val Thorens simlar to Courchevel

Dolomites - Bormio Some light resort rain and summit snow over the next couple of days, with the chance of some moderate snow fall next Thursday and Friday.

Saalbach light resort rain, and summit snow tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday, with the chance of some very heavy snow Thursday and Friday next week .

Niederau some light rain over the next couple of days at times, with the chance of some heavy snow on Thursday and Friday next week, however there may

be some rain to start.

Wengen, a chance of light resort rain and summit snow for the next few days, before the chance of some heavy snow Thursday and the first part of Friday.

In light of the potential for snowfall next week, i will be doing a midweek update, to see if the snow is still on course.

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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks

this link tends to agree with you Julian

http://www.meteoblue.com/index.php?id=1&did=33&L=0

the other link I gave you has no ppn up to end of its forecast which is Monday, as ever contradictions from the same data.

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Indeed, rainfall(and snow) forecast amounts do tend to vary depending on what source used.

While the general trend is the same, the automated snow forecasts do tend to show more precipitation than the GFS charts as an example.

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Posted
  • Location: Reading
  • Location: Reading

Great update Jackone, thanks for that, greatly appreciated.

Looking at the ensembles for Tignes it looks like a cool down followed by a warm up and then it's anyone’s guess, although, precipitation does look lacking in the latter stages.

Some higher slopes might start to build up a decent base from next week though, fingers crossed.

It'll be interesting to read the mid week update, I’m sure much will change between now and then!

Ever thought of publishing a season long forecast based on the CFS output?

Keep up the good work.

post-5315-1226095985_thumb.png

post-5315-1226096480_thumb.png

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Cheers for the Ensembles, good agreement on the cool down for nest week, although looking at today's charts perhaps the snowfalls will be more concentrated in eastern parts of the Alps, however I will keep an eye on this as details are certain to change.

I haven't really thought of doing a season long forecast with CFS, but perhaps it is something to look into.

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I will be doing the update as promised tomorrow, however it seems much of the action will be happening overnight.

A cold front will bring some heavy precipiation across he Alps, and as it pushes south, the freezing level drops like a stone and snow will fall to lower and lower levels.

Forecast for Midnight

Forecast for 6am

The snow levels seems to around 1800m on the front edge of the front, but dropping to around 1200-1400m behind the front.

AIn general the event seems to have downgraded, and less snowfalls is expected than is originally expected.

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Posted
  • Location: Bracknell, Berkshire
  • Location: Bracknell, Berkshire

Hi All

Im a bit of a meteo but I tend to stay away from forums...until the winter and not because I expect sig dumps in the UK (Im accustomed to not getting excited about anything) BUT because im an avid skier and try to go 3 times a year with an added free week at my aunts chalet.

Im a been there...done that type of person & so far have not done the same resort twice. This year am doing la plagne for sure and will wait and see for the rest.

Agree mostly with what Jack forecast, is always difficult to see how much snow fell as many of the major sites dont report on snow depths until the resort opens. The webcames for many western alps resorts reveal reasonable snow cover.

I was keeping my eyes peeled on next week with the 18z & 06z showing a hefty high developing over the UK bringing very cool air down from scandinavia. I was rather hoping an airmass boundary unfolding over the alps would then bring some significant snow to the northern alps...but the 12z has obliterated that idea putting the high in a dreaded bartlett position.

The charts for a week away are still quite interesting though with the GFS, ecmwf and JMA all going for a high in the atlantic. The GFS seems to exaggerate the northerly the most with the JMA going for the least. The ECMWF going something in between. If the air coming down has enough moisture to cross France then will give the alps a good fall of snow.

For my info and yours...what setups do you think give the alps the best snowfalls. I am always inclined to go with something coming up from the med and meeting cold air for the southern and italian alps....for the french alps the classic depression is always good with northerlies and north westerlies normally bringing good falls. Austria (meteorologically) I have no idea about and rely on a friend at work.

Anyway thats my take on reading tonight...im sure the 18z will change things totally.

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A cold front from the north seems to give good snowfalls, while any North Easterly tends to be quite good.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/archive/ra/20...00120071210.gif this set gave some very large snowfall totals for the western Alps last winter, with over 1 metre of snow in places.

www.snoweye.com has a lot of webcams, whihc tend to be useful in providing information before the resorts open for the winter.

Looking at this, In France decent snowfall for Avoriaz (1800m) , with some wet snow at resort level for Meribel at 1500m.

There seems to be a little snow in Davos, Eastern Switzerland at around 1500m.while looking at the Kitzbuhel webcams the snow line seems close to the summits of the Hahnenkamm , so perhaps the snow level is slightly higher here.

Any suggestion on good web cams to see real time snow conditions would be very much appreciated.

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Posted
  • Location: Dundee
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, thunderstorms, gales. All extremes except humidity.
  • Location: Dundee

Hi Jackone,

Could you add Zermatt please? I am going there in late Jan [assuming I get the all clear from the Doc next week as I had a fairly recent op.]

Cheers

Nor.

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Posted
  • Location: Bracknell, Berkshire
  • Location: Bracknell, Berkshire

Hi Jack

I tend to use snow-forecast for the webcams....seems to provide reasonably good availability if some are but a bit broken sometimes.

Agree with your blog. Hope the cold air over the west atlantic and greenland keeps the setup strong. Im never too sure what they mean by amplification upstream or downstream when they talk about models....but if they are not toppled there is the chance for much snow. I am at least excited by the 06z forecast on wetterzentrale for next weekend.

Looking at most after that I believe the GFS is definately in FI...the size of that low over scandi doesn't bear wishing about. If by some miracle it came off...some of the alps probably wont need snow for the rest of the winter

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I did mention in the latest blog, that last weeks forecast for Wednesday and Thursday didn't quite come off, but as you say if the latest GFS came off for the end of next week there could be some very heavy snow on the way.

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Posted
  • Location: Bracknell, Berkshire
  • Location: Bracknell, Berkshire

GFS still being crazy in my opinion.

The northerly seems to be progged from about next Friday well in to FI.

In fact a check of JMA, FAX, ECMWF and even the meto has a northerly progged for next weekend.

Out of interest do you know what model the snow-forecast snow forecasting runs from...i think its prob GFS?

I think ill become an extra subscriber for the winter :doh:

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Posted
  • Location: Bracknell, Berkshire
  • Location: Bracknell, Berkshire

Still showing glorious snow. Cant believe the GFS had this progged so far out!

There does seem to be a worrying Bartlett showing up every so often in FI now though...probably the high that eventually embeds itself over the UK for xmas....as shown on latest CFS.

Right back to work....

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Skiing Blog 5

Summary

There is High Pressure to the south west of the UK, and this has linked to a surface High Pressure over Greenland, this has allowed low pressure to bring a northerly blast over much of Europe, with the threat of some heavy snow over the Alps.

The High Pressure topples, however cold weather is set to remain over the Alps until the middle part of next week, with some very widespread significant snowfalls likely in many areas.

More Details on the Blog here -> http://www.netweather.tv/forum/index.php?showtopic=50663

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Posted
  • Location: Reading
  • Location: Reading

Great update and very positive news. Hopefully the coming snow will provide a good base for the season.

Val Thorens is due to open this weekend, I see they've been running the snow cannons pretty much non stop, I guess to provide a good base for this fresh snow to fall on.

Looking at further ahead, as mentioned in the blog, there is currently no sign of any warmer weather programmed for the Alps which is fantastic as it’ll give time for the ground to cool down.

I find the Val Thorens live weather beacons a good guide to what is currently happening on the mountain,

Val Thorens Live Weather Readings

I’ll be watching the webcams this weekend with interest.

Edited by mcboz
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