The Alps Snow Thread - Season 2014/2015

[J10]

Much as I posted in the model thread, temporary cold incursions may stop the next 2 weeks being rated poor at lower level some of the time but the links below show why Europe/Alps are not really having anything like as good a start to the skiing season as last year. For cold the upper flow needs to be at least WNW, with a ridge in the Atlantic or further north and a trough of sorts over Scandinavia/Europe to guarantee cold, low enough for snow blowers to operate when needed. Then with occasional real snow top ups. No real sign of that in the next 2 weeks. I wonder how many more races are going to be affected. The Lauberhorn may well be one with the finish area, see link, barely covered and then only in the last few days.

http://mp1.met.psu.edu/~fxg1/ECMWF_0z/hgtcomp.html

http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/predictions/814day/500mb.php

Lauberhorn race link

http://www.lauberhorn.ch/en/?langId=2

 

In the worst case scenario are there any other finishing points slightly higher up the mountain.

[johnholmes]

In the worst case scenario are there any other finishing points slightly higher up the mountain.

Not sure Julian, they could finish higher up but the trouble would be the TV site is on the left of the temporary grandstand you can see in the link. A lot of work but if it meant running it or losing it I am pretty sure they would do something temporary higher up. Not sure about the slalom as I don't think there is anything on the downhill quite as steep as the slalom run down to the finish area. In summer there is one part where it is only possible to go uphill on hands and knees and I cannot imagine any  way down it other than on your backside!

[Duane S.]

That's gutting. What a difference from a week ago when it wouldn't stop snowing. Freezing level is above Les Gets most of the week - hopefully there will still be some decent snow left, especially higher up.

 

Hi Chiono. Yep, the rain has taken its toll here, the slopes had a real spring look about them today with a lot of brown showing and slush in a lot of areas. The backedge snow duly arrived and deposited about 20 flakes on my head before stopping, so no help there. Maybe the end of the week there could be something quite meaningful but again it may struggle to fall as snow at lower levels. That said, there was still plenty of skiable snow around, especally higher up and for a Sunday it was not busy at all.

 

The old guys of the mountains (for want of a better way of describing them) are all saying here that the real snow is coming on the 20th, looking at the latest charts, they may well be on to something!

[carinthian]

Hi Chiono. Yep, the rain has taken its toll here, the slopes had a real spring look about them today with a lot of brown showing and slush in a lot of areas. The backedge snow duly arrived and deposited about 20 flakes on my head before stopping, so no help there. Maybe the end of the week there could be something quite meaningful but again it may struggle to fall as snow at lower levels. That said, there was still plenty of skiable snow around, especally higher up and for a Sunday it was not busy at all.

 

The old guys of the mountains (for want of a better way of describing them) are all saying here that the real snow is coming on the 20th, looking at the latest charts, they may well be on to something!

Funny enough, the same was said by the wise old men in the Schlossl Pub tonight. Snow will be in abundance by the last week of the month.  Hope so !

 C

Edited January 4, 2015 by carinthian

[Daniel*]

Very sad news two young men sadly no longer with us, never ever take risks & go against advisories, and always wear adequate clothing.

http://news.sky.com/story/1402717/us-olympic-ski-hopefuls-killed-in-avalanche

[Blessed Weather]

Guten Tage from the Black Forest in Germany! Well as the saying goes, "mustn't grumble". I'm enjoying beautiful sunny but cold weather by day and hard frosts at night with temps the last two mornings down to -7c. Frost has persisted all day in the shade.

 

It's been interesting that down where we are staying at Lake Titisee (860m) the day-time highs (around +3c by late afternoon) have been lower than up where we ski at Feldberg (1,450m at the top). Today I just skied for the morning and when I left Feldberg at lunchtime it was 0c, and as I drove down the mountain the temp dropped away and was -2c in Titisee. So a  touch of temperature inversion.

 

As feared, last Saturday's rain did some serious damage to lower pistes. Nevertheless there is still enjoyable skiing to be had, as long as you keep a look out for the brown patches and icy patches! My poor old skies have picked up a few scratches in just two days of skiing (the disadvantage of owning your own skis!).

 

The forecast of some snow to end my week here has now been replaced with a forecast of severe gales and rain. Yuck. No alternative - just have to find a cosy bar and drown our sorrows!

 

Webcam Piste photo Brown patch!

Edited January 6, 2015 by Blessed Weather

[Duane S.]

Guten Tage from the Black Forest in Germany! Well as the saying goes, "mustn't grumble". I'm enjoying beautiful sunny but cold weather by day and hard frosts at night with temps the last two mornings down to -7c. Frost has persisted all day in the shade.

 

It's been interesting that down where we are staying at Lake Titisee (860m) the day-time highs (around +3c by late afternoon) have been lower than up where we ski at Feldberg (1,450m at the top). Today I just skied for the morning and when I left Feldberg at lunchtime it was 0c, and as I drove down the mountain the temp dropped away and was -2c in Titisee. So a  touch of temperature inversion.

 

As feared, last Saturday's rain did some serious damage to lower pistes. Nevertheless there is still enjoyable skiing to be had, as long as you keep a look out for the brown patches and icy patches! My poor old skies have picked up a few scratches in just two days of skiing (the disadvantage of owning your own skis!).

 

The forecast of some snow to end my week here has now been replaced with a forecast of severe gales and rain. Yuck. No alternative - just have to find a cosy bar and drown our sorrows!

 

Webcam webcam-talstation-seebuck640.jpg Piste photo Feldberg2 06Jan15.jpg Brown patch! Feldberg1 06Jan15.jpg

 

Ah yes, all looks very familiar to where I currently am in Les Gets. Brown patches aplenty and a fair few runs are closed or near death traps due to the ice on thin base. I have never seen so many snow mobiles carrying the injured! :-(

 

But like you say, mustn't grumble. Thank heavens for the dumping on the 28th of December because it is that and that alone that we are still having half decent skiing on. Today wasn't bad after the cannons had done their work overnight but tomorrow looks a bit colder which in these conditions probably isn't too good. Thursday cloudier with the chance of some light snow (probably rain lower down) then Friday more of the same before rain sets in later in the day. I do fear for next week but remain hopeful the following week will see the start of the big improvement!

 

I too found solace in one of my favourite watering holes on the slopes

[seaside 60]

IMAG0081_2.jpg

Ahh yes I remember it well.

How are you enjoying Les Gets, been  there several times.

 

[J10]

This weeks blog to follow this evening, hopefully before 7.

 

However in the meantime

 

the latest snow summary courtesy of http://www.snow-forecast.com/overviews/tips_full

 

SNOW NEWS UPDATED 8 JANUARY 2015

 

INTRODUCTION It has been a glorious week across Europe, with sunny skies for most and temperatures hovering around 0C at mid-mountain level. Unfortunately the lack of new snow is taking its toll on lower resorts and slopes, especially in France, Switzerland and the Pyrenees. Austria saw further snowfall on Monday and skiing across the country is excellent as temperatures remained colder than further west.

AUSTRIA Austria's winter season is in full swing now with all of our featured resorts operating either the vast majority or all their lifts. The glaciers of Austria are in an excellent state at the moment and continue to offer the best conditions in the country. The higher resorts of Austria such as Solden (10/240cm) and Obergurgl (46/134cm) currently have excellent slope conditions with pockets of fresh powder still available off the piste. The Ski Welt region consisting of Ellmau (50/90cm), Scheffau (50/90cm), Hopfgarten (50/90cm), Soll (50/90cm) and Westerndorf (50/90cm) had a total of 85 lifts in operation and 259km of slopes open on Thursday 8th January. The temperature on the mountain was fresh with mid-mountain lying at around -3C. The pistes are being reported as very good and well packed so you can expect some excellent riding in the Ski Welt if you are heading out there this weekend.The lingering cloud across Austria is forecast to hang around over the next few days and begin to thicken, which should bring fresh snowfall on Sunday.

 

FRANCE Reports of glorious sunny weather have been flooding in from the French Alps this week, as the sunny skies remained firmly in place. Thursday started off the same and the temperature remained at around freezing at mid-mountain level.Some good skiing on well packed pistes has been available this week, especially above 2,000m as the lower slopes were affected by the strong sunshine. Ski Club Ambassadors out on the mountain have reported some icy lower slopes in places as the snow refreezes during the night, at resorts such as Les Arcs (28/80cm) and Argentiere (5/100cm). But up high the slopes remain in good condition, with some decent off piste still to be found. Val Thorens (95/135cm) continued to provide excellent skiing on well-groomed pistes, with all lifts open and some nice powder stashes still to be found on the mountain now the New Year holiday crowds have left. Avoriaz (50/80cm) is currently offering the best conditions in the Portes du Soleil, with 31 of the 34 local lifts turning on Thursday 8th January. Lower down however, the lack of new snow combine with the sunshine has reduced snow depth, but 130 slopes were still open and most of the links were complete. Elsewhere the sun has taken its toll more seriously and more snow is certainly needed. Villard de Lans (20/30cm) could only offer 10 open lifts on Thursday 8th January, Foux d'Allos (20/80cm) had 11 out of 29 spinning and Le Grand Bornand (8/30cm) was operating 20 out of 30 lifts. Piste conditions have been deteriorating and in places were very thin by Thursday.New snow is thankfully in the forecast for Sunday, with all resorts expected to see a good drop of fresh snow, even on the lower slopes. The previously forecast heavy rain for Saturday appears to have reduced significantly, but some light rain is possible below 2,500m, although this should not impact too much on the snow cover.

 

SWITZERLAND It has been a sunny week in Switzerland, with mild temperatures in place across the Swiss Alps, but some clouds began to move in on Thursday. In places, especially at lower altitude, this has impacted on the snow cover and another drop of snow would be welcome. The skiing up high remains good in most places, especially above 2,500m.Some of the best conditions can be found in eastern Switzerland as it caught lots of snow over Christmas and New Year. Samnaun (20/84cm) had all of its 45 lifts turning on Thursday 8th January, providing access to 210km of groomed slopes in the linked area with Ischgl. Flims-Laax (35/210cm) was operating 28 out of 29 lifts and the on piste conditions, particularly above the mid-station were very good. The sunshine this week softened lower slopes across the country and as they refreeze, some hard and icy pistes have been reported. But upper slopes remain in good condition, with Ski Club Leaders at both Saas Fee (34/180cm) and Zermatt (10/190cm) reporting some great skiing up high. Around Lake Geneva, at some lower resorts such as Leysin (5/40cm) and Villars (40/57cm) the slopes have suffered. But thanks to the efforts of resort snowmaking and piste preparation teams, 26/60km and 55/100km of pistes were open on Thursday 8th January respectively. There is good news in the forecast as new snow is expected across the Swiss Alps on Sunday. Some heavy rain was previously forecast for Saturday, but fortunately this is now expected to be light which is even more good news. Between 20 and 30cm is forecast for Sunday, with possibly more in some favoured spots.

 

ITALY The higher resorts in Italy are offering the best conditions at the moment as the snowfall hasn't been as substantial as the neighbouring countries. Slope conditions are still quite good though but the off piste is more limited, with some patches of powder and some rocky areas so it's advised to take extra care when heading off piste. Livingo (32/129cm) are reporting some powdery conditions just off the piste and good on piste conditions. Visibility was quite good on Thursday 8th January with mostly clear skies, but light cloud was seen at altitude. All 31 lifts were turning with what started out as a very cold morning with a temperature of around -11C, but as the day wore on it warmed up significantly to just above freezing. We're expecting more cloud to develop as the weekend approaches which could bring light snowfall to the higher resorts and glaciers; however the freezing level has risen slightly so there is a chance of light rain in some of the lower resorts.

 

GERMANY It has been a mostly dry week in Germany, with cloudier skies than the rest of the Alps. Temperatures have been mild, with mid-mountain hitting around +5C. As a result pistes have softened throughout the day and some depth has been lost. The best skiing currently is at Garmisch (30/210cm) and on the Zugspitze glacier. Elsewhere, Reit im Winkl (30/80cm) had most lifts operating on Thursday 8th January and the skiing was good on well-groomed pistes. Unfortunately for everywhere but Garmisch this will be preceded by some heavy rain on Friday and Saturday. It is expected to turn to snow on Sunday, with up to 20cm predicted, which should hopefully repair some of the damage.

 

EUROPEAN WEATHER OUTLOOK Following a week of sunshine and above freezing temperatures, a change is on the way for the Alps this weekend. Unfortunately it will start with some damp weather on Saturday. Light rain is expected up to approximately 2,500m in France and Switzerland, but the rainfall intensity is likely to be much lower than first predicted earlier in the week. Snow is forecast for all on Sunday, with the freezing level dropping right to the valley bottoms. The heaviest falls are expected in the northern Alps, with 20 to 30cm predicted for most but more is possible in some spots. There is good news too as the snow is expected to reach the southern Alps, although less is expected to fall. Small changes to the position of the storm's centre could lead to large changes in where sees the most snow, so keep an eye on the latest forecasts for the latest.

Milder weather is expected for Bulgaria and eastern Europe this weekend, with temperatures rising above freezing at all levels for the first time in a while. A colder change is expected on Monday, bringing with it some snowfall.

[Duane S.]

Ahh yes I remember it well.

How are you enjoying Les Gets, been  there several times.

Hi, it is my 3rd time here now and easily my favourite Alps resort. Despite the low snow base the skiing has been more than adequate this week although it could have been better obviously. We had a few cm above mid station this afternoon so were treated to some powder for our last session! Add to that we have had glorious cloudless skies for 4 days of the 6 and it has yet again been a great holiday all in all.

[J10]

https://forum.netweather.tv/blog/189/entry-4863-alps-weather-forecast-9-january-2015/

 

A mixed week for the Alps with alternating period of cold and mild but with the colder periods coinciding with fronts from the north a fair bit of fresh snow is possible.

[Blessed Weather]

https://forum.netweather.tv/blog/189/entry-4863-alps-weather-forecast-9-january-2015/

 

A mixed week for the Alps with alternating period of cold and mild but with the colder periods coinciding with fronts from the north a fair bit of fresh snow is possible.

 

Thanks Julian. As you say, a very mobile pattern with temps up and down during the coming week with day to day detail difficult.

 

It's been a truly awful day here in southern Germany. Gale force winds and heavy rain last night and again today. It's been +3c at the top and +6c here at 860m. In this part of the world there are lots of lower level villages (circa 600 - 800m) with one or two drag lifts which service some enjoyable (but not challenging) runs back to the bottom. They have all been wiped out and are back to green. Even here in Feldberg with pistes up at 1,450m the slopes are in dreadful condition now. I didn't ski yesterday or today - getting too dangerous in my book, with too much in the way of mud, grass and rocks. And anyway, the chair-lifts were all closed today due to high winds.

 

At least here and more widely across the Alps there's some good snowfall expected during Sunday. But we really need some sustained cold though, not this up and down pm/tm stuff!!

[johnholmes]

it looks like the Lauberhorn start area is now totally cordoned off but I did see skiers in the finish area, they might of course have been some of those working on the course. The weather still holds the key to which races will be held on which day it seems. A nightmare for the organising committee, I might have a coffee with one of them involved in 2 weeks! Probably one of the worst run ups in very early January to the race in over 25 years with not much below 5000ft even now.

http://panocam.skiline.cc/lauberhorn

[stuboy]

With my trip to Passo Tonale 2 weeks away now I am really keeping my fingers crossed. In December I thought there was plenty of time for a dumping by the end of Jan, but amazingly it's not looking great. The last snowfall was on the 1st Dec!! Webcams are showing brown patches everywhere. The only saving grace is the glacier, but for me it's still disappointing when the resort runs are so poor, especially when they end right by the hotel you booked!

[frozencanals]

Afternoon All,

 

It is looking like my trip to Austria over Christmas was not so bad, with great skiing conditions from the 26th to the 29th when we left.  Austria still looks like the place to be with great skiing still availble above 1500m they are certainly fairing better than many other countries so far this season.  I am toying with the idea of heading back to Salzburg and the Hinterglem later in the season, I loved it when I was there at Christmas.

 

Good luck to all going skiing in the near future, I hope you find some snow....   this is a great thread with excellent forecasts and 'live from the piste' reporting.

 

Cheers

 

FC

[Blessed Weather]

it looks like the Lauberhorn start area is now totally cordoned off but I did see skiers in the finish area, they might of course have been some of those working on the course. The weather still holds the key to which races will be held on which day it seems. A nightmare for the organising committee, I might have a coffee with one of them involved in 2 weeks! Probably one of the worst run ups in very early January to the race in over 25 years with not much below 5000ft even now.

http://panocam.skiline.cc/lauberhorn

 

The FIS must be having a nightmare season with regards getting through the racing calendar John. The FIS website this afternoon seems to be reporting that today's Men's Downhill from Wengen has been cancelled. Here's the link to the section of the FIS's website showing Wengen "cancelled": http://data.fis-ski.com/dynamic/event-details.html?event_id=34993&cal_suchsector=AL

 

Today's Ladies Downhill race from Bad Kleinkirchheim has also been cancelled due to the violent storms to hit the resort this weekend:

 

"Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria – After two good training runs, the fourth downhill race of the season was unfortunately cancelled on Saturday due to violent winds over the Carinthia region. Banners, safety nets, tents and even some TV commentators booths got blown away, giving the organisers and FIS race directors no choice but to cancel the race. As forecast, wind came in overnight after the rain and temperatures were also drastically increased with the föhn effect of the wind. Tthe hill looked entirely different this morning from yesterday.. The snow layer got ten centimetres thinner." 

 

Full story: http://www.fis-ski.com/alpine-skiing/news-multimedia/news/article=downhill-bad-kleinkirchheim-cancelled-due-windstorm.html

 

Here's the photo the FIS posted of the damage done to the race course:

 

And a friend living in Germany has posted on Facebook that the Zugsptize Glacier was for the first time in its' history totally shut for skiing today as the storm caused a complete failure of power supply up to the glacier! It's certainly been a wild day here in the Black Forest with trees and branches down and shop hoardings, etc, flying across streets! Temps have been a very silly +10c. And typically, I travel home tomorrow morning and the forecast is for heavy snow for me to pack the car in and get off the mountain!

[chionomaniac]

Know the feeling BW, travelling home when the snow arrives! A gutting and frustrating season so far.

[J10]

And to think I thought the heavy snow just after Boxing Day would make this season.  EPIC FAIL

 

As others have said, the foehn winds are a nightmare. With over 20c recorded in Austria, France and Italy. http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/weather/maps/current?LANG=en&UP=0&R=310&TYP=tmax&ART=tabelle&LANG=en&DATE=1420914600&KEY=euro&LAND=euro&CONT=euro&SORT=3&SI=mph&CEL=C&UD=0

 

I can imagine the blowtorch effect, these sorts of temps have on lying snow, which already was thin for the time of year.

 

As for the Wengen Downhill it still looks on for next weekend [at the moment] however some training runs were cancelled for this weekend. 

Edited January 10, 2015 by J10

[Blessed Weather]

 

 

As for the Wengen Downhill it still looks on for next weekend [at the moment] however some training runs were cancelled for this weekend. 

 

Ah!! Thanks Julian. I couldn't understand why there wasn't a press release saying Wengen had been cancelled. As you say, it was only practice runs that were cancelled this weekend. The 'race proper' is indeed next weekend. Should have checked my list of race dates I posted back at the start of the thread!

[johnholmes]

Just posting very briefly re Wengen, the races are all still on. combined, downhill and slalom. What has been cancelled are, I think, 2 training runs, probably due to limited snow and pisting availability on the lowest section. Snowfall predicted for tomorrow 20-25cm on the top part and maybe 10cm or so at the bottom which should be enough to get that last bit sirted along with snow cannons as the temperature dips.The charts don't look promising for the race days either as new snow and high winds, over 50-55mph predicted on the top of the Lauberhorn, far too strong for it to be safe to risk racers travelling in excess of 65mph even before they get to the fastest section. 2 maybe 3 years ago one of the French just very slightly exceeded 100mph over a very short section below the main tree line! The slalom should be ok as they can ski in near enough zero visibility and falling snow. Rather them than me as one section is almost like falling off a cliff .

you can see the problem they have in the finish area at about 4pm this afternoon!

http://www.lauberhorn.ch/en/?section=livecam&file=2015-01-10%2Fhour16.jpg

Edited January 10, 2015 by johnholmes

[J10]

Ah!! Thanks Julian. I couldn't understand why there wasn't a press release saying Wengen had been cancelled. As you say, it was only practice runs that were cancelled this weekend. The 'race proper' is indeed next weekend. Should have checked my list of race dates I posted back at the start of the thread!

 

Not a problem, I had to double check myself.

 

I really hope that they manage to get the race on, as it really is a classic race.

Edited January 10, 2015 by J10

[stuboy]

Watching Ski Sunday and the snow situation at Bad Kleinkirchheim in Austria looks depressing to say the least.

[johnholmes]

latest picture as it went dark of the  work going on for the Lauberhorn finish area, can't get one with 3 o4 piste machines moving up and down like you see in summer with harvesting!

http://www.lauberhorn.ch/en/?section=livecam&file=2015-01-11/hour17.jpg

[Blessed Weather]

Watching Ski Sunday and the snow situation at Bad Kleinkirchheim in Austria looks depressing to say the least.

 

Got away from the Black Forest OK this morning. Four inches of snow had fallen between 5 and 8 a.m. but was already dying out as I left, so not as much as expected. Arrived home too late for Ski Sunday, but it was fascinating to check the time-lapse webcam shots from Bad Kleinkirchheim today as they superbly show the weather developing as per forecasts, with a much needed cold front and -5c 850 hPa isotherm arriving:

 

09.00 - mild start - temp +3.8c  11.00 - front approaches - temp +2.4c

 

13.00 - front arrives - temp -4.3c  15.00 - front clears - temp -5.5c

 

Bergfex website with time-lapse webcam shots (click on time-line) http://www.bergfex.com/badkleinkirchheim/webcams/c8096/

 

One of the problems for resorts at the moment though is that these colder incursions are all-to-quickly followed by a warm sector, so unfortunately milder south westerly winds are back over most of the Alps by this coming Tuesday. 

Edited January 11, 2015 by Blessed Weather

[Blessed Weather]

Some grounds for optimism that the overall picture for the Alps is about to take a turn for the better with a lengthy period of cold temperatures and often snowy, starting later this week.

 

The Ski Club of GB have posted their 'European Outlook' today:

 

"Following Sunday’s brief spell of very cold weather (-10C at mid-mountain), the short-term outlook is for mild weather to return to the Alps, with a strong southern Föhn wind blowing. Lift operations are likely once again to be affected but with mostly sunny skies the skiing conditions should be pleasant out of the wind. A significant change, and possibly the first prolonged cold and snowy period of the winter is currently forecast to arrive on Wednesday. Some good snowfall is expected on Thursday/Friday, especially in the Central Alps. The snow is expected to reach the southern Alps for the first time in weeks, providing a much needed boost for the region. The latest 9-day forecast is calling for the freezing level to remain at around 500m with intermittent snowfall, which is great news."

 

The full outlook: http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/snowreports/overview/default.aspx#.VLQplyyzXIU
 

And the Ski Club's snow forecast makes good reading too. Anything from 18cm to 43cm of fresh snow for most resorts over the next 9 days: http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/snowreports/snowconditions.aspx#.VLQvsiyzXIU

 

Finally, a few charts from tonight's GFS 12z supporting the Ski Club optimism. Playing the whole run through, from this Fri 16th Jan through to Mon 26th Jan the 850 hPa temp isotherm over the Alps never gets above 0c and is more frequently -5c, occasionally -10c (a rare thing this winter so far!).

 

Sat 17th Tues 20th   Fri 23rd

 

Focussing in on Wengen where the Men's Downhill is set for this weekend, the Ski Club have 26cm of snow forecast (9 day total) but snowforecast.com show 20cm of this is due on Friday 16th. Let's hope that doesn't cause problems for the FIS in getting the course 'race ready'.