The Alps Snow Thread - Season 2014/2015

[Blessed Weather]

Strewth!! Thank goodness the rock-fall reported below didn't land on a car. The incident must be causing great problems for cars and transfer coaches getting into/out of Les Menuires and Val Thoren (French Alps) today.

 

 

Access to Val Thorens and Les Menuires stations is closed at the RD117 after the huge rocks fall yesterday afternoon (Friday).
A rock fifty cubic meters and over 50 tons has dropped out of the cliff overlooking the RD 117. Gendarmerie Moutiers and the Departmental roads are on site. Traffic is impossible that accesses to Menuires and Val Thorens, a detour has been set up by Saint-Laurent-de-la Côte. The road reopening date is still unknown, a geologist has to go to the scene of the landslide to assess the risks involved.

 

 

http://www.ledauphine.com/savoie/2015/02/27/un-rocher-de-100-tonnes-bloque-l-acces-aux-stations

[Blessed Weather]

A very interesting post on the Oesterreich.at website today. They are suggesting that the next week will bring the last fling of winter to the Austrian Alps!

Although at least their snowfall prediction suggests it goes out with a bang! And with current snow depths plus this forecast, most resorts should hopefully be looking good until their official closing dates.

 

Last snowfall of this year's winter
By Friday in places covered up to 50 inches of new snow.
Winter has Austria for the last time under control. Rain and snow showers are announced for the next few days again, the sun will show only very rarely. To the west of the country it can be up to half a meter of fresh snow. But the East can look forward to one last time on snow.
Snow line sinks
On Wednesday it snows in the West. With continued disturbance influence dense cloud cover large parts of the country. The snow line ranges between 300 and 800 meters above sea level. Especially in Tyrol and Salzburg, we expect larger amounts of new snow, isolated, it may also in the eastern lowlands give sleet and snow.
In the next few days is no improvement in the weather in sight. On Thursday there are thick clouds, especially at the northern Alps. It is snowing and raining between the Tiroler Oberland and the western part of Lower Austria as well as in the far east. The snow line drops it on.

Climax on Friday
On Friday we expect then the climax of the lows. In many parts of the country it is snowing, in Vorarlberg and Tyrol can plus up to 50 inches of new snow. But also in the eastern plains, it should at least give some snow showers. Here also the capital may hope for snow. According to forecasts, there should be at least slightly hit the outskirts on Friday.

 

Post in full (in Austrian) http://www.wetter.at/wetter/oesterreich-wetter/Wetter-Letzter-Schnee-des-heurigen-Winters/178256414

 

And here's tonight's GFS charts for 00.00 hours next Friday that show the synoptic set-up for the end-week snowfall for Austria:

 

850 hPa and SLP Precipitation

 

 

[carinthian]

Fantastic ski-ing today in the Austrain Alps. Deep snowfall from yesterday and crystal blue skies today. Skied Obertauren circuit today with a group out from England. Great fun and conditions. Making most of the sunshine before the snow returns,

C

[Blessed Weather]

^ Sounds wonderful carinthian! But I don't think you need worry about the snow returning for too long. Looking at the GFS output over the last 48 hours I can see why the Austrian weather service is suggesting this week might be the final fling of winter proper. It looks like most Austrian resorts will receive 15cm - 20cm of snow Wed and Thurs before precipitation gradually peters out. Euro4 charts:

 

Wed 4th 06.00 Thurs 5th 06.00

 

Then High pressure builds in the vicinity of western Russia next week and it doesn't move very far right out to mid-month. The good news for the Alps is that the flow of air will generally be a cool one from the east or north east, so whilst enjoying lots of sunshine, the 850 hPa charts show the mountains under the 0C isotherm for much of the period, nudging up to +5C towards the end.

 

GFS 850hPa 8th March   17th March

 

So spring conditions look like arriving in the Alps next week with freeze/thaw conditions, but no 'silly' warm temperatures to cause any real problems (and importantly everything freezing at night). And with most resorts now in great shape after recent snowfalls, there should be fantastic skiing and relaxing lunches in the sun to be enjoyed! 

 

Wish you were here?? 

 

 

[carinthian]

hi Malcolm, you are a ski nut. Wish you could come out and join us, maybe next season. Its been a good year again for snow in this part of the Eastern Alps. Its strange how the Genoa Low produces the goods at height when most of low land Europe has been snow free for best part of 24 months. Last year, I would rate 10/10, this year 8/10. cant complain. My son lives out in Vancouver and reports a second abnormal warm season in the great divide with Whistler resort having a poor snow season. So,all in all, a good ski-ing season this year in much of Europe.

[Blessed Weather]

hi Malcolm, you are a ski nut. Wish you could come out and join us, maybe next season. Its been a good year again for snow in this part of the Eastern Alps. Its strange how the Genoa Low produces the goods at height when most of low land Europe has been snow free for best part of 24 months. Last year, I would rate 10/10, this year 8/10. cant complain. My son lives out in Vancouver and reports a second abnormal warm season in the great divide with Whistler resort having a poor snow season. So,all in all, a good ski-ing season this year in much of Europe.

 

Well thank you Carinthian. That’s one of the nicest things anyone has said to me for a long time!!

I guess I’m going to have to admit my addiction to all things mountain and skiing. Mix that in with my life-long interest in all things weather and you can see why I love this forum.

 

Here’s how sad I am. I’ve still got all my old ski jackets (all 8 of them) and have had to move Mrs Blessed’s frocks out into the garage so I can keep them and all my other gear in the wardrobe in top condition ready for them to come back into fashion.

 

I own 5 pairs of skis, from a pair of old classics (how did we turn with those?!) to my latest pair of Atomic carvers. I’ve made a ski rack in our summer house to store my old skis. Oh, and my summer house is decorated like an Alpine hut.

 

 

Right now I’m all excited as I’m off to Val Cenis, French Alps, on 14^th March.  Whilst the cold and snow of January are great, I adore the March trips for the sun, warmth and generally more relaxed holiday. We get out early for the first chair-lift up the mountain, blast around the mountain for a long morning’s skiing, then stop just before the restaurants close at 2pm to enjoy a long lunch on the balcony in the sun. And if the wine flows too freely (and at 4.50 euros for a third-litre of superb Corbieres it often does), catch the tele-cabin back down to the village. Oh what a perfect day!

 

But will I get a sunny, warm March trip this year? Tonight’s GFS is toying with throwing a large spanner into the works in the form of yet another Genoa low, but this time it slowly drifts north towards northern France, giving an unsettled spell for the Alps for the whole of my week. But that’s all out in FI and hopefully will change for the better before then!

 

Mon 16th Mar A cold N/NE'ly Spawns a vigorous Genoa low

With very heavy precipitation

[Blessed Weather]

For those who drive to the French Alps for their skiing, it looks like the French are heading in the same direction as Germany and Austria with regards making winter tyres mandatory in the mountains. The 4 MP's who cover the mountains are all keen and now the town Mayors are jumping on board. Extracts from press coverage:

 

(In a) season of excess, lack of snow to sudden falls this winter 2014/2015 has opened several debates including the opportunity to mandate special equipment in the mountains. With snowfall in recent winter holidays resulting in more traffic blocking situations, the National Association of Mayors of Mountain Resorts (ANMSM) recommends going in this direction with an obligation in mountain areas from 1 November to 30 March.

"The weather in the mountains during the winter (snow, ice, cold ...) can cause traffic problems. Winter or 4 seasons tyres are designed for these specific conditions and are already widely used by local people", says the association in a statement.

 

Full article in French http://www.ledauphine.com/france-monde/2015/03/05/les-maires-de-stations-favorables-aux-pneus-speciaux-obligatoire

 

[Blessed Weather]

Today's depression centred over Italy caused strong E/NE'ly winds over the French Alps and many resorts were forced to close lifts:

 

Val d'Isère - a wind of 150 km / h was recorded this morning (10 hours) at the top of Bellevarde massif.

Tignes - all ski lifts stopped at one stage and Grande Motte glacier closed.
La Plagne - a wind of 100 km / h at 2500m asl, access to the glacier closed.

Avoriaz - Mossettes and Lac Intrets are closed. 

Chamonix - 80 km / h gusting wind at the Aiguille du Midi (3848 meters), 50 km / h at the top of the needle Grands Montets (3275 m). Viewed as  "enough to endanger skiers". Faced with such conditions, many of the Mont Blanc massif areas have chosen to close their most exposed lifts.
Megève - Rochebrune, Caboche, 2000 Radaz Coast closed.

Saint-Gervais - Montjoly and Shoulder closed. 

Praz-sur-Arly - Lachat closed.
La Clusaz - Balme, Etale, Beauregard and Aiguille are closed.

 

The 850 hPa chart from mid-day today shows the tightly packed isobars over the Alps, caused by the pressure gradient between the Italian low and the high pressure over northern France.

 

Edit: Tigne, Val d'Isere and La Plagne update added.

Edited March 5, 2015 by Blessed Weather

[carinthian]

Malcolm, love your mountain hut in deepest Suffolk. 24 hour snow storm and still raging as I write. High winds an drifting snow prevented any ski-ing today, so my ski friends out from the UK ending up having a long party in the local pub ! Their last day tomorrow, so hopefully some plenty of powder snow to be had. Should be a good week for those coming out on Saturday with excellent snow cover and increasing sunshine. Its the best time in early March with uncrowded pistes.

c

[J10]

https://forum.netweather.tv/blog/189/entry-4877-alps-weather-forecast-6-march-2015/

 

A fairly uneventful week to forecast, with a good deal of settled dry conditions and sunshine

 

Always milder the further west.

[Blessed Weather]

Further to my post above (#408), events were even more dramatic in Val Gardena in the Italian Alps, with 200 skiers rescued from a cable car. Now that's an experience we all hope to avoid! Skis firmly on the ground please!

 

Skiers rescued from cable cars in Italy as storms wreak havoc

A dramatic helicopter rescue has taken place in the Italian Dolomites as 200 skiers were winched to safety after 80mph (130kmh) winds blew a tree onto a cable car line. The Ciampinoi cable car in Val Gardena was halted after a tree fell on the line, cutting the power supply and stranding holidaymakers in around 20 cabins. Amid fears the cable would snap under the weight of the tree, local mountain rescue and firefighters were lowered onto cabins to evacuate skiers. Nobody was injured in the rescue.

 

 

If you watch the video (link below) it's interesting how skiers continued to ski on the pistes below, whilst the rescue went on above them!

 

BFTP (Fred) is in Sauze d'Oulx this week. Hope his week hasn't been anywhere near as dramatic as resort reports suggest from the last 24 hours. 

 

Story, more pics and video: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/skiing-news/11454337/Watch-Skiers-rescued-from-cable-cars-in-Italy-as-storms-wreak-havoc.html

 

 

 

[J10]

Further to my post above (#408), events were even more dramatic in Val Gardena in the Italian Alps, with 200 skiers rescued from a cable car. Now that's an experience we all hope to avoid! Skis firmly on the ground please!

 

Skiers rescued from cable cars in Italy as storms wreak havoc

A dramatic helicopter rescue has taken place in the Italian Dolomites as 200 skiers were winched to safety after 80mph (130kmh) winds blew a tree onto a cable car line. The Ciampinoi cable car in Val Gardena was halted after a tree fell on the line, cutting the power supply and stranding holidaymakers in around 20 cabins. Amid fears the cable would snap under the weight of the tree, local mountain rescue and firefighters were lowered onto cabins to evacuate skiers. Nobody was injured in the rescue.

 

Val Gardena cable car incident.jpg

 

If you watch the video (link below) it's interesting how skiers continued to ski on the pistes below, whilst the rescue went on above them!

 

BFTP (Fred) is in Sauze d'Oulx this week. Hope his week hasn't been anywhere near as dramatic as resort reports suggest from the last 24 hours. 

 

Story, more pics and video: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/skiing-news/11454337/Watch-Skiers-rescued-from-cable-cars-in-Italy-as-storms-wreak-havoc.html

 

I saw that earlier my heart sunk even thinking about, I'd probably have a panic attack.

[Blessed Weather]

Guys, a question about what's happening with the temperatures in the Alps this coming weekend please. (I'm driving up into the French Alps on Sat 14th March for a week in Val Cenis, south of the Savoie, right on the border with Italy).

 

The GFS freezing level charts for mid-day on Saturday and Sunday are showing what appears to be a temperature inversion, with the temps higher up in the mountains than at the lower levels surrounding them. It's clearly not the 'temperature inversion' set-up that results from a settled spell of weather under high pressure conditions, where valley bottoms are colder than at altitude, as the weather for the weekend is unsettled with spells of rain/sleet/snow.

 

Here's a series of charts for next Saturday & Sunday. From left to right it's the GFS 850 hPa, the freezing level, and the precipitation. At 06.00 in the morning the 850 hPa shows the 0C isotherm over both the mountains and surrounding lowland and little sign of temps over the mountains being higher (maybe a fraction on Sat morning but certainly not Sunday morning). By mid-day on both days the 850 hPa shows a finger of warmer temps has developed over the mountains (but not surrounding lowland). The freezing level charts show this in more clarity. The precipitation charts show the weather is cloudy with rain/sleet/snow falling, so no clear skies.

 

So my question. Assuming this is the fohn (foehn) effect from a low pressure near northern Italy and a moist airstream of Mediterranean origin hitting the Alps, why doesn't the effect hold good at night? It seems to kick-in powerfully by day and disappear by night? In such a synoptic set-up (cloudy/windy), I wouldn't have thought there would be a big diurnal temp range between day and night? Any views most welcomed. Cheers.

 

Sat 14th 06.00

 

Sat 14th mid-day

 

Sun 15th 06.00

 

Sun 15th mid-day

[J10]

Guys, a question about what's happening with the temperatures in the Alps this coming weekend please. (I'm driving up into the French Alps on Sat 14th March for a week in Val Cenis, south of the Savoie, right on the border with Italy).

 

The GFS freezing level charts for mid-day on Saturday and Sunday are showing what appears to be a temperature inversion, with the temps higher up in the mountains than at the lower levels surrounding them. It's clearly not the 'temperature inversion' set-up that results from a settled spell of weather under high pressure conditions, where valley bottoms are colder than at altitude, as the weather for the weekend is unsettled with spells of rain/sleet/snow.

 

Here's a series of charts for next Saturday & Sunday. From left to right it's the GFS 850 hPa, the freezing level, and the precipitation. At 06.00 in the morning the 850 hPa shows the 0C isotherm over both the mountains and surrounding lowland and little sign of temps over the mountains being higher (maybe a fraction on Sat morning but certainly not Sunday morning). By mid-day on both days the 850 hPa shows a finger of warmer temps has developed over the mountains (but not surrounding lowland). The freezing level charts show this in more clarity. The precipitation charts show the weather is cloudy with rain/sleet/snow falling, so no clear skies.

 

So my question. Assuming this is the fohn (foehn) effect from a low pressure near northern Italy and a moist airstream of Mediterranean origin hitting the Alps, why doesn't the effect hold good at night? It seems to kick-in powerfully by day and disappear by night? In such a synoptic set-up (cloudy/windy), I wouldn't have thought there would be a big diurnal temp range between day and night? Any views most welcomed. Cheers.

 

Sat 14th 06.00 GFS 850 Sat14Mar15 06.00.png GFS FreezingLevel Sat14Mar15 06.00.png GFS Precip Sat14Mar15 06.00.png

 

Sat 14th mid-day GFS 850 Sat14Mar15 12.00.png GFS FreezingLevel Sat14Mar15 12.00.png GFS Precip Sat14Mar15 12.00.png

 

Sun 15th 06.00 GFS 850 Sun15Mar15 06.00.png GFS FreezingLevel Sun15Mar15 06.00.png GFS Precip Sun15Mar15 06.00.png

 

Sun 15th mid-day GFS 850 Sun15Mar15 12.00.png GFS FreezingLevel Sun15Mar15 12.00.png GFS Precip Sun15Mar15 12.00.png

 

The theme of freezing levels being higher for a swathe running from SW Austria, through much of S Switzerland, and across the France Italy border is quite a common one, particularly in late winter and with NE winds.

 

As to why this is or the cause of the temperature inversion, I am not sure, hopefully John may be able to help.

Edited March 9, 2015 by J10

[Blessed Weather]

The theme of freezing levels being higher for a swathe running from SW Austria, through much of S Switzerland, and across the France Italy border is quite a common one, particularly in late winter and with NE winds.

 

As to why this is or the cause of the temperature inversion, I am not sure, hopefully John may be able to help.

 

Thank you for taking the time to reply Julian.

Certainly for the start of next week (Sat thru Tues) the general set-up looks like a cold NE'ly flow to the north of the Alps with a shallow low pressure to the south of the Alps trying to feed milder air from a SE'ly direction. The result is looking like a lot of precipitation for the southern French and Italian Alps and (unfortunately) with a fohn effect on temperatures, freezing level above most resort heights by day. 

 

I've marked a chart for Sunday from tonight's GFS to illustrate my point:

 

Anyway, that will teach me to 'twitter on' a few posts back about long lunches in the sun! At the moment model output is suggesting my week will be a rather unsettled affair. But never mind. As they say in belle France, c'est la vie!!

[johnholmes]

sorry only just seen this

will put my thinking cap on, it may take a while!

 

a quick comment fohn effects occur on the leeward not windward side of hills/mountains. So with a SE flow it is ski resorts on the northern side of the Alps that are affected?

Edited March 10, 2015 by johnholmes

[Blessed Weather]

sorry only just seen this

will put my thinking cap on, it may take a while!

 

a quick comment fohn effects occur on the leeward not windward side of hills/mountains. So with a SE flow it is ski resorts on the northern side of the Alps that are affected?

 

Hi John. Thank you for putting the thinking cap on! Yes, I agree that you expect to see the fohn effect on the leeward side of mountains and that was the problem with the charts I put up in post #413, as it seemed the fohn effect was happening actually IN the high Alps. Then when the air finally descended after clearing the last of the Alps it cooled down, and that didn't seem right. 

 

Tonight's GFS run has kindly given me two charts that show what I would have expected to see. The first chart shows a mild S/SE'ly flow hitting the Alps. Then as the airstream finally clears the Alps and descends on the leeward side of the range (in this case Swiss and Austria Alps), the air warms considerably as it moves into lowland France and Germany. The 850 hPa chart clearly shows the yellow blob (+10C isotherm) immediately to the north of the Swiss and Austrian mountains. The Freezing Level chart illustrates this even more vividly, with the 'reds' (higher temps) very clear as the air descents after clearing the Alpine range.

 

GFS 850 mid-night Mon 16th March Freezing Level

 

I think we would agree, these two charts show a very good example of the fohn effect!

[johnholmes]

A nice example that you show-been really busy with other things so still not able to give any in depth comments but you seem to have a good understanding anyway. The Alps are a bit of a minefield re basic meteorology (for example fohn winds) due to the complexities of ridges and valleys, I once talked to a forecaster from the Jungfrau institute many years ago, mainly about avalanche ideas but of course fohn effects are part of it and he said how difficult it was at times. The 2 charts you show are the classic fohn. Anyway at sometime I will try and make a post in here. 

[Blessed Weather]

Good grief!! It's normally skiers who have lost control that you need to look out for, not airplanes!!

 

A unique accident occurred this morning on the ski slopes of Avoriaz.
Around 9:30 am, a light aircraft, type Jodel, was taking off from the track dedicated to aircraft. But then aborted takeoff and the aircraft glides to the ski area, where it struck a skier. Very seriously wounded in the hand, the fifty year old Polish national was transported to hospital in Geneva. An investigation was opened by the gendarmerie.

 

 

Story in French: http://www.ledauphine.com/haute-savoie/2015/03/12/une-skieuse-percutee-par-un-avion-qui-venait-de-rater-son-decollage

[J10]

http://www.snow-forecast.com/overviews/tips_full

 

SNOW NEWS UPDATED 12 MARCH 2015

 

INTRODUCTION Spring has made its first prolonged appearance in the Alps and Pyrenees this week, providing some beautiful sunny skies and mild temperatures. Powdery, winter snow can still be found at altitude and on some north facing slopes but elsewhere spring snow is to be found. Some of the lowest slopes are wearing slightly thin but on the whole the base remains decent at most of our featured resorts. Some heavy snow is on its way from Sunday onwards for the southern Alps.

 

AUSTRIA It seems the recent spring time climate has been pushed aside over the past few days, which is great news for the slopes as they were starting to get a little slushy. With this, fresh snow fell over many resorts, more so in the east, with the west and central regions of Austria having a light dusting. One of the resorts that picked up a significant amount of fresh snow was Saalbach Hinterglemm (60/125cm) with up to 20cm being recorded. This has brought about fresh pistes and powdery conditions off the piste. The drop in temperature has helped with the snow pack on the slopes, which has ensured the conditions remain excellent. It was still very cloudy and cold on Thursday 12th March but with the weekend just around the corner, it has been timed nicely for those enjoying the remaining days of their holiday and perfect timing for the next arrival of guests. As the weekend approaches, we can expect similar weather patterns as Thursday, with clouds in central and eastern Austria, with the west seeing more sunshine.

 

FRANCE The sunny theme continued on Thursday 12th March, providing some great skiing across the country. South facing and lower slopes have very spring-like conditions and even some upper areas were experiencing softening during the day. Some of the best conditions in the country at present are in Val Thorens (125/210cm) and across the upper areas of the Three Valleys. Softer pistes have been reported on the lower slopes of Meribel (83/149cm) and Courchevel (100/157cm), but up high there are still some wintery snow conditions to be found. The southern French Alps, with resorts such as Isola 2000 (130/180cm) and Risoul (65/130cm), have struggled with snow in recent weeks, but conditions are still pretty good  especially on the upper slopes. The good news is that these resorts are set to be in the firing line for some of the heavier falls of snow early next week. Spring has been in full flow this week in the French Pyrenees, with mid-mountain temperatures hitting +5C all week. Spring snow is to be found across the mountain, but with base depths above three metres on the upper slopes of resorts such as Cauterets (320/420cm) and Bareges/La Mongie (160/340cm), bare patches are not an issue. Snowy weather is forecast to move in during Saturday and potentially remain in place well into next week for some. The heaviest falls at present are set for the south and east of the Alps and also across the Pyrenees.

 

SWITZERLAND The sunny weather continued this week in Switzerland, providing some lovely skiing conditions across the country. Pistes generally set up firm in the morning before softening throughout the day as the sun gets to work. Great skiing has been reported this week from the Jungfrau region, with some excellent spring snow at Grindelwald (8/167cm), Murren (72/210cm) and Wengen (20/115cm). Murren's upper pistes in the Birg ski area are still offering some powdery conditions, but elsewhere the lovely spring snow has been skied all week by the resort's Ski Club's Leader. Similarly, the Leaders in Davos (56/171cm) and Klosters (56/171cm) have enjoyed excellent conditions all week. With the perfect visibility and great grooming, the piste skiing is fantastic and if caught at the right time, some nice spring off piste is also on offer. Some lower resorts, such as Les Mosses (40/65cm), Lenk (20/70cm) and Champery (20/120cm) are beginning to suffer slightly from the mild conditions and strong sunshine. A few worn spots have been reported on the lower slopes, but conditions remain pretty good on the upper slopes. Cloudier weather is set to move in over the weekend, bringing snow to all of our featured resorts. The north and east of the country may only catch some light falls, but those in the south (such as Zermatt and Saas Fee) could catch up to two metres of fresh snow by the middle of next week. Other snowy spots are likely to include St Moritz and Grimentz/Zinal.

 

ITALY There have been reports of massive amounts of snow falling in Italy recently but it was more in the central Appenines rather than the Alps. So sadly this didn't really affect the major ski areas, so it is currently still spring time conditions, particularly in the East. The slopes are getting a little slushy in the afternoon and the off piste is quite varied at the moment. If you're a fan of spring time skiing then Italy would appeal to you right about now, it is expected to change quite soon but at present it's nice and sunny. All of our featured resorts were offering clear blues skies and amazing views, perfect for a hot day when enjoying a nice drink. Speaking of nice days, Arabba (38/125cm) had a cracker. The sun was shining, the skies were clear and all 27 lifts were open for some great skiing. It was a little colder than the majority of Italy, with a mid-mountain temperature just under freezing, which meant the slopes were holding up quite well. With the weekend approaching there's good news on the horizon as Italy is expecting a huge dump of snow across all regions, perfect timing for the new arrivals. It should continue right through into next week, bringing with it fresh slopes and powder for all to enjoy.

 

GERMANY Light dustings of snow were picked up on Wednesday at all of our featured resorts in Germany, aside from Feldberg which retained some warm spring sunshine. This nicely refreshed the pistes, which were becoming a little worn in place at resorts such as Lenggries (50/115cm) and Spitzringsee (50/132cm). The Zugspitze Glacier above Garmisch (40/365cm) again proved itself to be one of the snowiest places this season, picking up a further 10cm of fresh powder. A return to spring sunshine is expected for the weekend ahead, so remember your sunglasses and sunscreen.

 

EUROPEAN WEATHER OUTLOOK

A significant change, especially for the southern Alps, is forecast for the coming weekend. During Saturday, snow clouds are set to spread in from the southwest and may remain in place for some well into next week. The only place set to miss out is northern and eastern Austria, where mostly sunny weather is expected. Southwesterly snowstorms are notoriously difficult to predict as lots of warm and unstable Mediterranean moisture is incorporated, and hence predicting snowfall totals is difficult. The latest forecasts suggest around 20-30cm for the northern Alps Switzerland & northeast France), increasing to 30-50cm for the central French Alps. But it is the southern French Alps, northern Italy and the south of Switzerland that are set to see the heaviest falls with up two metres possible. This is certainly subject to change so keep an eye on the very latest forecasts.

[J10]

https://forum.netweather.tv/blog/189/entry-4878-alps-weather-forecast-13-march-2015/

 

Mostly mild(ish) over the alps this week. But the big story is the amount of snow for parts of Northern Italy, with over 1m of snow possible by mid week next week. giving the chance of  heavy snow for the Alps but also some flooding at lower levels.

 

Just a heads up, there will be there will be 3 more blogs this years, with the forecast on Good Friday being the last of the season.

Edited March 13, 2015 by J10

[Blessed Weather]

Hello from the Val Cenis (1,440m) in the French Alps. Arrived Saturday afternoon with an expectation from GFS model output (also Netweather and snowforecast.com forecasts) of sleet, turning to snow by early evening. Instead the sun was out, with a few clouds producing the occasional flurry. In the evening it was clear and starry.

 

Today (Sunday) we have had a reasonable day's skiing in persistent light to moderate snowfall and a stiff breeze blowing the snow around. This afternoon lower slopes have turned very soft with temps in the village of +4c. A couple of photos of conditions at around 2,300m show how poor the light and visibility were:

 

 

 

The forecasts of recent days suggesting a big fall of snow for here are looking overstated. This afternoon's Euro4 charts show why. Whilst the Italian Alps get a pounding, very little is making it over the border into the French resorts.

 

Sunday 15th mid-day Monday 16th mid-day

 

The good news for me is that forecasts are now suggesting a much sunnier second half of the week, Weds thru Fri. Hopefully I'll still get my long lunch sat in the sun whilst enjoying spectacular views of the surrounding mountains!

 

Edit: Typo with the resort altitude - corrected to 1,440m.

Edited March 15, 2015 by Blessed Weather

[Blessed Weather]

Third day of really good skiing above 2,000m. The difference in weather from village level at 1,440m and the slopes at 2,000m and above has been quite remarkable. It's not stopped snowing above 2,000m (mainly light but occasionally moderate) with maybe 30cm accumulating on upper slopes, but very little has been making it down to the village. In the mornings there is just a dusting (2 to 3cm) in the village and this has melted by late morning. Today the temp at village level was 7C.  

 

The avalanche "cannons" have been booming every morning to trigger slides before they build up too much. Nevertheless, today the avalanche risk has been increased from 3 to 4. And to prove the point, today we were skiing down a blue run on a quiet part of the mountain and we had to stop (and then find another route down) as the piste was blocked by an avalanche.

 

The advance team from the resort piste security patrol had not long arrived and were starting the obligatory search to ensure no-one had been caught-up in it. The photo I took shows the team member on the right using what looked like a heat scanner to locate anyone, the member in the middle probing the snow, and the member on the left with a sniffer dog. We had already skied this run several times over the 3 days and we were very surprised to see the avalanche on what is not a particularly steep slope. That's the second time in 3 years I've seen a piste closed by an avalanche!

 

[Blessed Weather]

Truly wonderful day in the French Alps. Clear blue skies and fantastic skiing to be enjoyed. Pistes are perfect at height but warming up down in the village reaching 12C this afternoon so the lower slopes turned into a mass of slush!

 

Some photos of the 'bowl' up at 2,000 to 2,800m.

 

Oh, and my lunch

 

 

[johnholmes]

Truly wonderful day in the French Alps. Clear blue skies and fantastic skiing to be enjoyed. Pistes are perfect at height but warming up down in the village reaching 12C this afternoon so the lower slopes turned into a mass of slush!

 

Some photos of the 'bowl' up at 2,000 to 2,800m. 20150318_094946.jpg 20150318_095005.jpg

 

Oh, and my lunch 20150318_133141.jpg

 

little sign of 'food' there?

lovely snow and ski scenes