The Alps Snow Thread - Season 2014/2015

[J10]

How vital are snow cannons to the livelihoods of ski resorts.

[seaside 60]

Some mixed messages over the last 48 hours about how Austrian ski resorts are coping with current snow conditions. The ‘good news’ article posted today:

“Since last weekend many ski resorts have opened the lifts and slopes. Although the large amounts of snow are not there yet, many well-known ski resorts have opened the season: Ski Openings took place in almost all provinces at the weekend…â€

 

I’ve copied the list of resorts open, with their lower/upper depths and number of lifts open, into this chart: Austrian Resort Update 15Dec14.jpg

 

Full article in Austrian http://www.wetter.at/wetter/oesterreich-wetter/Skisaion-20142015-ist-eroeffnet/168955033

 

The ‘bad news’ article on the Sat 13 Dec reveals that in the Vorarlberg region only a few resorts managed to open (mentioning Lech and Damuels).

“Only in a few places (in) Vorarlberg (were) permitted (by) the snow cover to start the ski season this weekend. In all other ski resorts Vorarlberg the plants were provisionally out of service - either too little or no snow, too warm for artificial snowmaking. Meteorologists give Vorarlberg lift operators and tourism earners no hope of rapid change: The foehn windy mountain weather holds.â€

 

Full article in Austrian http://www.wetter.at/wetter/oesterreich-wetter/Start-der-Ski-Saison-in-Vorarlberg/168767146

 

Footnote: Carinthian - nice to see Katschberg in 3rd place with snow depth!

Ahh memories of St Anton mainly, also been to Lech a few times, but my how good is the skiing at St Anton.

Went back after they moved the train station across the valley, all a bit strange.

[johnholmes]

How vital are snow cannons to the livelihoods of ski resorts.

 

 

pretty vital especially to lower resort runs.

Wengen refused for many years until the ISF (International Ski Federation) told them in no uncertain terms, provide them or the Lauberhorn will move. Snow cannons within 12 months!

[Blessed Weather]

A quick mid-week update on conditions in the Alps. The active warm front noted in J10's blog last weekend is now pushing into the mountains. I'm afraid any hopes that freezing levels might not rise as much as was then forecast have turned out to be wishful thinking. Any snow on the front edge of the precipitation turns to rain over the next 24 hours as the freezing level rises to around 3,000m in the west Alps and around 2,700m further east. 

 

GFS 850hPa shows overall picture Netweather Alps Precip chart 18.00 today

 

Euro4 for 18.00 shows snow on the leading edge

 

A look at the Netweather Alps Temperature charts over the next 24 hours shows the rapid rise in freezing levels:

 

At 18.00 hours today   At 18.00 hours tomorrow (18th Dec)

 

Finally, the weather summary chart for Wengen (courtesy of snowforecast.com) confirms precipitation expected to turn from snow to rain with freezing level rising above the top lift:

 

 

To end on a more positive note, today's GFS output shows the -5C 850hPa isotherm back over most of the Alps this coming weekend, so at the very least snow cannons will be able to operate. The GFS also signs of another plunge of cold air for the Alps on Christmas Day - fingers crossed for those heading off for Christmas. All eyes on J10's blog this coming weekend!

Edited December 17, 2014 by Blessed Weather

[J10]

A quick mid-week update on conditions in the Alps. The active warm front noted in J10's blog last weekend is now pushing into the mountains. I'm afraid any hopes that freezing levels might not rise as much as was then forecast have turned out to be wishful thinking. Any snow on the front edge of the precipitation turns to rain over the next 24 hours as the freezing level rises to around 3,000m in the west Alps and around 2,700m further east. 

 

GFS 850hPa shows overall picture GFS 17Dec14 h850t850eu.png Netweather Alps Precip chart 18.00 today Netweather Alps Precip 6pm 17Dec14.png

 

Euro4 for 18.00 shows snow on the leading edge Euro4 6pm 17Dec14.gif

 

A look at the Netweather Alps Temperature charts over the next 24 hours shows the rapid rise in freezing levels:

 

At 18.00 hours today Netweather Alps Freezing 6pm 17Dec14.png  At 18.00 hours tomorrow (18th Dec) Netweather Alps Freezing 6pm 18Dec14.png

 

Finally, the weather summary chart for Wengen (courtesy of snowforecast.com) confirms precipitation expected to turn from snow to rain with freezing level rising above the top lift:

 

Wengen outlook 17Dec14.jpg

 

To end on a more positive note, today's GFS output shows the -5C 850hPa isotherm back over most of the Alps this coming weekend, so at the very least snow cannons will be able to operate. The GFS also signs of another plunge of cold air for the Alps on Christmas Day - fingers crossed for those heading off for Christmas. All eyes on J10's blog this coming weekend!

 

Brilliant update as usual .

 

The front has brought some snow to some moderate levels.

 

Les Gets

 

At Wengen on the time lapse of today per the attached link you can see the snow level dropping during the day to reach resort level.      http://bellevue.roundshot.ch/

 

Alas at you say most of this will be washed away tomorrow.

Edited December 17, 2014 by J10

[seaside 60]

NIce to see Les Gets with snow, at the moment anyway.

Spent several trips skiing there.

[Blessed Weather]

NIce to see Les Gets with snow, at the moment anyway.

Spent several trips skiing there.

 

Hi seaside 60, welcome to the thread. It's not a good start to the season in the Alps, but looking at one of the piste front webcams at Les Gets this afternoon, at least there's snow down to the bottom. Although today's +4C and rain won't be doing it much good! If you're off skiing this season and would like a weather & conditions update before you go, please put a post in here with resort and dates and I'm sure someone will respond.

 

Les Gets piste front this afternoon

[seaside 60]

Thanks for that, not been for a while body getting past it, plus life with kids slows you down....

I remember one year we went there for xmas and there was very little snow until xmas day.

In fact one run we got to ski before even the piste bashers had a chance to get on it, pure heaven lol..

On the whole Les Gets doesn't do to bad for snow.

[Blessed Weather]

Thanks for that, not been for a while body getting past it, plus life with kids slows you down....

I remember one year we went there for xmas and there was very little snow until xmas day.

In fact one run we got to ski before even the piste bashers had a chance to get on it, pure heaven lol..

On the whole Les Gets doesn't do to bad for snow.

 

Never say never seaside 60; keep pushing against skiing retirement! I'm 62 and the youngster amongst my skiing mates! The other year I watched one of them bounce 200 yards down a black mogul run! His spectacles, goggles, poles and skis were scattered everywhere and it took me and several passing skiers on the piste 30 minutes to re-unite said equipment with my friend! Thankfully only pride seriously hurt!

[Blessed Weather]

Well you couldn't write the script!! After days and days of frantic effort to get the Val D'Isere course ready for the Ladies Downhill this weekend as a result of the poor depth of natural snowfall, today's first training session had to be cancelled because there was.......   TOO MUCH SNOW!!!  The post from the FIS today:

 

Val d'Isère, France – After a long wait, winter has finally turned up in the Tarentaise valley. Fifteen to twenty centimetres of snow fell overnight and didn't give the jury and the organisers any other options but to cancel the first ladies downhill training run on Thursday.

“With this amount of snow, we need between six and eight hours of work to get the slope ready,†explained FIS Race Director Atle Skaardal. “We will now focus everything on a great training run tomorrow. According to the forecast, the weather should play along.â€

The weather has been quite unpredictable these days. Let's hope the forecast for tomorrow is reliable.

 

Today's photo of the finish line 

[joo]

I'm at La Plagne at the moment.  It is quiet here which is good as there's just 9 runs open.  The forecast dump of snow did arrive yesterday.  And the forecast rain arrived today.

Snow cannons have been on and off all week. It's hard skiing past them as you get goggle mist and the snow can be a bit more grippy.

The pistes on the whole are reasonable and no lift queues at all.

There's been a message on the resorts website saying there'll be 30 runs and 50 lifts open from Saturday "Subject to favourable weather conditions"

Luckily we have a Sunday to Sunday holiday 

[carinthian]

Well this morning the news is not good for the Ski -resorts with high pressure in control up to Christmas and mild upper flow from the west/ southwest. Freezing levels in our part of the Alps on the rise and by the start of next week will be at about 2500m. Nothing we can do about it, presently thin cover wearing and too warm to maximise snow blowers. Worst start to the season for quite a while, just feel for all the guests due to arrive this coming weekend as they will be paying premium price.

Maybe drinking the local brew may help, it will in my case !

 C

[Blessed Weather]

Well this morning the news is not good for the Ski -resorts with high pressure in control up to Christmas and mild upper flow from the west/ southwest. Freezing levels in our part of the Alps on the rise and by the start of next week will be at about 2500m. Nothing we can do about it, presently thin cover wearing and too warm to maximise snow blowers. Worst start to the season for quite a while, just feel for all the guests due to arrive this coming weekend as they will be paying premium price.

Maybe drinking the local brew may help, it will in my case !

 C

 

A dreadful situation Carinthian. And with all the background signals back in the Autumn (e-QBO, SAI, etc) I don't think any of us would have predicted this.

 

And worryingly, the official prognosis coming out of Austria, published on wetter.at yesterday, is very downbeat. They can't even see an improvement in January, with February the first “bit of winterâ€!! I struggle to see how the UK can go into the freezer if the Alps remain in a mild regime? To me it sounds like our ‘friend’    the Azores high sticks around Iberia?

 

Here's the report, translated using Google with my ‘improvements’ in brackets:

 

Long-term projections (forecasts) indicate ready to go back to warm weather.

After the Golden October and the warmest November since measurements began, also lacks any trace of the winter in December. Months ago ZAMG (Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics) pointed out the (coming) season forecasts for the heat, they had been right. And now it's just in this key it continues: Especially in December, and certainly January will very likely (be) warmer than average, 50 and 60 percent certainty. It was not until February to be a bit of winter. So it continues trembling in the ski resort where the snow is already in short supply.

 

The warmest autumn of all time:

November was already the ninth month of this year, which was warmer than average. That it was too warm by almost 4 degrees, could best be identified by the lack of snow. Overall, the fall (Autumn) was the warmest since records began 247 years ago!

For the first time no zero temperatures:

In some regions of Austria there were for the first time since records began in the autumn without frost. At 39 climate stations of the ZAMG no freezing temperatures were measured, including in Linz, Innsbruck and St. Pölten. Normally already expect the first frost days in October in most of Austria.

 

Full article in Austrian http://www.wetter.at/wetter/oesterreich-wetter/Faellt-der-Winter-heuer-aus/169324693

[chionomaniac]

Well I am off to Morzine tomorrow  with my two brothers and two sisters and familes, half  who have travelled from Australia for a big family reunion holiday. NO snow and freezing level 3000m. Gutted. Taken years of planning as well. Ah well It's Christmas and we will make the most of it!

[Mapantz]

I just thought I'd pop in here and mention something..

I have a friend who owns 'big dreams' snowboarding shop in my town, he says that it has been the poorest start to trading since he has been open. After reading the great posts in here, I guess it could well be linked to the lack of snow?

Let's hope it changes, and soon!

[Nights King]

I have a booked ski holiday to Austria on the 3rd to Nederau with a friend and they have no snow currently with green fields on the lower and mid runs.

 

   http://www.auhof.co.uk/webcam.asp

 

I am seriously thinking of booking another ski budget trip to Borrovets in Bulgaria but the snow isn't deep there, any ideas on the weather for Bulgaria going forward?  

[carinthian]

Barren sun burnt valleys and lower slopes. Natural snow level above 1500m. This view is from the Ankogelgrupp ( 3000m) plus mountain range about 20km due south of here and looking towards Gross Glockner Range. Ski-ing today in resort is mostly on the man made stuff. Hotels may be facing cancellations over the holiday, that's if its not with tour operators package deal. Good sunbathing weather.

 C

[Blessed Weather]

To all those off to the Alps in the morning, have a great week! And here's a bit of hope that Christmas Day might actually bring something festive - Meteo France have said on their website today:

 

Thursday 25, disruption should press further south as the day (progresses), bringing with it cooler air. Slightly down, temperatures should be closer to normal. The snow could return at mid mountain.

Full post: http://www.meteofrance.fr/actualites?articleId=19565967

 

GFS 12 z today gives support to their statement: Snow over the Alps?

[seaside 60]

Well I am off to Morzine tomorrow  with my two brothers and two sisters and familes, half  who have travelled from Australia for a big family reunion holiday. NO snow and freezing level 3000m. Gutted. Taken years of planning as well. Ah well It's Christmas and we will make the most of it!

Been over to Morzine when in Les Gets, great area to ski esp with families.

However even if you have to travel to ski, I would much rather be there than here lol..

[frozencanals]

Thanks for all the updates, I am heading off to Salzburg tomorrow with no great hope of snow in the local area, we might be driving to the glaciers to get a snow fix. I will try and give some updates whilst I am there.

Cheers

FC

[J10]

hhttps://forum.netweather.tv/blog/189/entry-4856-alps-weather-forecast-20-december-2014/

 

Latest Blog now out - might change a little as one or two issues on later charts from GFS (P)

 

The general theme though is colder for a time this weekend with a little snow to start the weekend

 

Start of next week, much milder and dry

 

Towards the end of next week, perhaps turning a little colder for Christmas with a little snow more especially for Northern and Eastern areas.

Edited December 19, 2014 by J10

[J10]

Well I am off to Morzine tomorrow  with my two brothers and two sisters and familes, half  who have travelled from Australia for a big family reunion holiday. NO snow and freezing level 3000m. Gutted. Taken years of planning as well. Ah well It's Christmas and we will make the most of it!

 

I'd would definitely test out the new Express telepherique and head up to Avoriaz.

 

In any case hope you have a fab time.

Thanks for all the updates, I am heading off to Salzburg tomorrow with no great hope of snow in the local area, we might be driving to the glaciers to get a snow fix. I will try and give some updates whilst I am there.

Cheers

FC

 

Also hope you a fab time too.

Edited December 19, 2014 by J10

[chionomaniac]

I'd would definitely test out the new Express telepherique and head up to Avoriaz.

 

In any case hope you have a fab time.

 

Also hope you a fab time too.

Cheers , thanks Julian.

 

We will I am sure, no matter what the weather!

[Blessed Weather]

I have a booked ski holiday to Austria on the 3rd to Nederau with a friend and they have no snow currently with green fields on the lower and mid runs.

 

   http://www.auhof.co.uk/webcam.asp

 

I am seriously thinking of booking another ski budget trip to Borrovets in Bulgaria but the snow isn't deep there, any ideas on the weather for Bulgaria going forward?  

 

Hi NK. Lower resorts such as Niederau are really suffering at the moment. But don't give up hope for conditions changing before your trip on 3rd Jan. It only takes one good fall of snow and a resort can be transformed. If you've been watching the Mod Thread you have probably noticed that good charts keep appearing (and disappearing!) so there is still time. Take a look at this evening's GFS(P) 12z run for the 28th Dec. Lovely! That would transform the Alps!

 

 

Making a call on Borovets weather going forward is a tough call! The only pointers I can give you are firstly that on the 'reviews' page of the Ski Club of GB, the 2nd, 3rd and 4th posts all moan about lack of snow (but two were from last winter, so maybe unfair as that was a stinker?). http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/skiresorts/resortreviews.aspx/Borovets#.VJXLEVAN8Bg

 

And secondly the snow record for Borovets suggest that Feb would be the best bet for a trip there:

Chart from igluski.com http://www.igluski.com/bulgaria/borovets-snow-history_23499

[Duane S.]

NIce to see Les Gets with snow, at the moment anyway.

Spent several trips skiing there.

 

I'm off there in 2 weeks. It's quite low down but up to now I've never had a bad time there, snow-wise or otherwise!

 

They are giving refunds for the coming week but there is no doubt things are looking more promising for the following week. Hopefully it continues that way!

Edited December 20, 2014 by s4lancia