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Worldwide Mountain & Snow Sports Discussion 2018/19


J10

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Latest mini Guide

With winds from a mild South westerly direction of the start of next week, conditions will be similarly mild with snow loss being more of an issue than snow accumulation.

Towards the middle of the Week, the winds veer around to more of a South Easterly direction, still staying on the mild side.

tempresult_zqb4.thumb.gif.2814086a98b7f42522f77681ac72c3b1.giftempresult_vyy5.thumb.gif.b7551f2c05f6e0e4dff1a0c736b80866.gif

https://www.snow-forecast.com/maps/dynamic/alps?type=snow.next3days&over=none&symbols=snow

image.thumb.png.bae9ab8a81694c301942716038582a06.png

Edited by J10
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Posted
  • Location: Ski Amade / Pongau Region. Somtimes Skipton UK
  • Weather Preferences: Northeasterly Blizzard and sub zero temperatures.
  • Location: Ski Amade / Pongau Region. Somtimes Skipton UK

Still we wait. Not long now, our first snowfall (albeit light) to set in on Sunday night and accumulate 11cm by Wednesdays morning. Its a start ! Picture below on the Edelweissalm sun terrace yesterday.

C

45424024_1820081338089827_3059169020117778432_n.jpg

Edited by carinthian
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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks

Well well the Swiss Met Office is not totally reliable it seems. The link below shows a light covering down to village level that was not predicted.

https://panocam.skiline.cc/maennlichen1

The link below shows their forecast for Wengen, nothing until the weekends!

https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/home.html?tab=overview&date=6days

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Posted
  • Location: Shoeburyness, SE Essex
  • Weather Preferences: Cool clear sunny weather all year.
  • Location: Shoeburyness, SE Essex

Its gone from summer to winter in just 4 days.

They put on many of the snow machines over the weekend as it was plenty cold enough and now the Alps are white with natural snow, tis a sight to behold.

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Posted
  • Location: Ski Amade / Pongau Region. Somtimes Skipton UK
  • Weather Preferences: Northeasterly Blizzard and sub zero temperatures.
  • Location: Ski Amade / Pongau Region. Somtimes Skipton UK

Obertauern opens 4 lifts this Friday 23rd November after welcome snowfall over the past 2 days.

C

46513144_10155610976272407_7294177099491835904_o.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

Firast "Mini" Winter Blog for 2018/19  Season

Current Synoptic pattern

526779311_02122008Weatherpattern.thumb.png.c4a7b9d7eb518d15f3eeada7294aa10f.png

Europe – There is a “zonal” weather pattern across the Atlantic, with Low Pressure over the North Atlantic and NW Europe. with pressure of 976mb to the North East of Iceland.

The Azores High is slightly ridging over Iberia, pressure 1024mb here, with a mild and damp flow in between for Northern mainland Europe.

Further East there is High Pressure for Russia and SE Europe.

Alps – The northern parts of the Alps are currently receiving mild South Westerly winds bringing a Tropical Maritime airmass and a fair amount of precipitation.

Next week – Mild to start with South Westerly winds, this is followed by a ridge of High-Pressure edging over NW mainland Europe on Tuesday with the winds veering to the North West.  The 850HPa temperatures dropping below zero for Eastern parts of the Alps most notably for Austria.

By Wednesday, the milder South West winds are slowly rebuilding from the West, bringing in the milder weather to all parts of the Alps by Thursday and for Friday, but as if often the case always staying that little bit cooler over Austria.

Outlook – At this stage, another North Westerly blast is set to bring colder air once again over the weekend as shown in the charts, followed by a very cold blast from the North around the 11st November but this is a long way off.

208912939_021220018850.thumb.gif.0f35d9ef4ce340353e3739d1970a1aab.giftempresult_wcn4.thumb.gif.df95bcce2ef8e5ff61d06de5ab220134.gif

Precipitation –

Today – Sunday 2 December – Heavy precipitation expected over much of Switzerland, the French Alps and NW Austria at times. Snow levels very high 2500m generally, perhaps 2200m NW Austria.

Monday 3 December – Further precipitation across Central parts (north – south) of the Alps. Snow Level around 2200m.

Cold Front – Late Monday 3 December / Tuesday 4 December – heavy precipitation for Northern parts of the Alps mainly in early hours Tuesday morning, largely clearing by Tuesday afternoon. Snow levels dropping to 1800m. Patchy precipitation for NW Austria later Tuesday, snow to around 1500m.

Thursday 6 December –A warm front edging in overnight into Thursday giving, a further spell of precipitation is expected, heavy in western areas for the morning, snow down to 1900m.

Friday 7 December – Mostly dry to start, a cold front is set to bring precipitation to Northern areas with snow down to increasingly low levels by Saturday.

Snowfall –


There is set to be considerable precipitation over parts of the French Alps, Switzerland and to a lesser extent running into NW Austria. Above 2500m, 50cm of snow is expected, with over 1m in some spots. At 2000m some decent accumulations of 50cm possible, but 1500m and below, rain is far more likely.

439662166_02122018SnowForecast0-3.thumb.JPG.1885defb55aee472a92ba018ca48bb60.JPG625530646_02122018SnowForecast4-6.thumb.JPG.01e5ac77cdc6b30ad92bd703d26d91b0.JPG

Summary
With the exception of the highest slopes, snow accumulatoin this week looking mostly limited. However from around next weekend, things may well get far more promising.

Edited by J10
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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks

The weekend looks like the first large snowfall for the Jungfrau region according to the Swiss Met Office, around 75 mm of ppn being predicted at village level for Wengen, heaven knows what that equates to in snow depth, with temperatures, again at village level, roughly 4,000 ft, not above 3C from early Saturday.

link

type 3823 wengen

https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/home.html?tab=overview&date=6days

 

Edited by johnholmes
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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks

Almost comforting to discover that the Swiss Met service get forecasts wrong. Supposed to be snowing heavily in the village this weekend, the latest shows it is going to rain!

 

And just now it has updated again, more to snow than rain!

Edited by johnholmes
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Current Synoptic pattern

Europe – The Azores High is ridging across the Atlantic, allowing a cold North to North Westerly blast across NW Europe. There is also a deep area of low pressure across Scandinavia which is a feeding a very cold Northerly across Western parts of Scandinavia. 

1924473921_09122008Weatherpattern.thumb.png.f4a987eb59af6e24d368cd5041bdb900.png

Alps overview and temperatures

1961132053_09122018850.thumb.gif.03d4fe7b274077d442fcf3955ac9de50.gif950962824_09122018500.thumb.gif.da588f95fd11d4e45992e0f2de412f18.gif

The Alps is at the southern edge of the Scandinavian low pressure, and this should feed in large amounts of precipitation and with the cold air, much of this is likely to fall as snow with more detail in the precipitation part of the blog below.

Next week – A cold start to the week with northerly winds 850Hpa below freezing across the Alps moreso in Eastern parts below -5c at the end of Monday. A ridge of High Pressure starting to edge in from the West later on Monday, however precipitation is still likely for much of the Alps on Monday,

The High Pressure continues to build in for Tuesday, this slowly kills off the precipitation during the day, turning very cold across the Alps with an Easterly feed setting in, 850HPa -7c North East of the Alps and -3c to the South West of the Alps.

Wednesday - A quiet day on with High Pressure over the Alps, turning slightly less cold from the South West 850HPa -6c North East of the Alps and -3c Central parts of the Alps, and 0 to +3c far South West of the Alps.

Thursday and Friday – Low Pressure starting to edge in form the South west bringing a little bit of precipitation for Western areas on Thursday and perhaps this edging further east on Friday. Milder 850HPa temperatures edging in, above freezing for western parts, but generally -3c to -4c further East.

Precipitation –

491386108_10122008Precip.thumb.png.8e4b8d8f288aefe502dd320beb9b25ef.png1086171471_09122008Precipb.thumb.png.0ed74aad8d31596c7d3e305a5fc02446.png1504044006_09122008Precip.thumb.png.8d6ab98b02b932ff64c62e7bae97ea43.png

Today – Sunday 9 December – Precipitation over most of the Alps, with only the far SE of Austria remaining dry.   The heaviest of the precipitation over the French Alps, NW Italy, Southern and Eastern Switzerland and NW Austria. This set to continue through Sunday and overnight into Monday, with large precipitation totals expected.

Monday 10 December – Further precipitation continuing in largely the same areas as per Sunday with the heaviest of the precipitation expected in Western parts of Austria, and precipitation becoming lighter in Western areas later.

Tuesday 11 December – Patchy precipitation in Western areas to start this quickly drying out by afternoon, further precipitation continuing in Western Austria until the evening before fading away here later.

Midweek – Largely dry Wednesday, perhaps a few showers in the south West, more widespread precipitation in Western areas on Thursday, this perhaps spreading further east by Friday fading as it does so.  

Snowfall –

1200165803_09122018SnowForecast0-3.thumb.JPG.45874a1639ad2fee51fd6a16347f702d.JPG1612235717_09122018SnowForecast4-6.thumb.JPG.cdc988bb88a4ba6717a831afc23ce81d.JPG

Heavy precipitation is expected over a swathe of the Alps in the next 48 hrs coving the French Alps, NW Italy, Southern and Eastern Switzerland and Western Austria. 50cm of snow is expected widely above 1500m with over 1m locally.

At lower levels, at 1000-1250m it is more a rain to snow event with perhaps 25cm of snow possible, but exact details will depend on location.

Summary

This week may well see snowfalls to start the season off on a good note with excellent powder conditions expected around midweek.  Going forward there may some milder weather which may weaken this snow base, but a good build up to Christmas from mid station upwards.

 

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Posted
  • Location: Crathes, Aberdeenshire
  • Location: Crathes, Aberdeenshire

Stunning conditions today in Swiss Alps, Saas Fee. A couple of days of heavy snow and shut lifts followed by an almost perfect day today. Low pressure returning tomorrow but for the high resorts still around freezing to preserve perfect snow. 

D32FE021-16A3-4CDA-B666-55CB5E178ECD.jpeg

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

Hi. My daughter and her pals are off to Les Deux Alpes just after Christmas. Any feedback on conditions there now and expected in a weeks time?

I usually keep pretty up to date with the Alpine ski conditions but for some reason this year I haven’t paid any attention at all so far.

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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
2 minutes ago, Frazzled said:

Stunning conditions today in Swiss Alps, Saas Fee. A couple of days of heavy snow and shut lifts followed by an almost perfect day today. Low pressure returning tomorrow but for the high resorts still around freezing to preserve perfect snow. 

D32FE021-16A3-4CDA-B666-55CB5E178ECD.jpeg

Welcome to the Mountain & Snow Sports thread Frazzled. Great pic from Saas Fee. Hopefully colder weather to preserve snowfall for the lower resorts isn't too far off. :oldsmile:
Are you planning to head off to the Alps this winter?

P.S. When you get a mo could you pop your location into your profile details please. Thks.

@Norrance Ski Club of GB are reporting 100 cms on the upper pistes and 30 cms on the lower in Les Deux Alpes as of today, with 21 out of 49 pistes open. Forecasts going forward very volatile atm, so a case of keeping a watch on the outlook..... but I'd be cautiously optimistic.

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42 minutes ago, Norrance said:

Hi. My daughter and her pals are off to Les Deux Alpes just after Christmas. Any feedback on conditions there now and expected in a weeks time?

I usually keep pretty up to date with the Alpine ski conditions but for some reason this year I haven’t paid any attention at all so far.

Conditions generally across the Alps are very good with the heavy snowfall around a week or so ago. There have been further top-ups over recent days especially over higher slopes.

Webcams
https://www.les2alpes.com/en/webcams.html

Looking snowy at resort level and extremly snowy on the glaciers. The latest snow-forecast is for further heavy snow tomorrow afternoon/evening to resort level. But for the end of this week and into the weekend, with some heavy rain (30mm) with snow from medium slopes upwards.

image.thumb.png.50e6ff144e152549b5ad85d518fd51ec.png

 

Thereafter the latest projections are remaining mild until and through Christmas, dry to start next week, with temperatures returning closer to average and perhaps colder into the new year, but that is a long way off.

But as Malcolm quite rightly says above, the forecasts are changing a lot at the moment.

Edited by J10
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Posted
  • Location: Dundee
  • Weather Preferences: Snow, thunderstorms, gales. All extremes except humidity.
  • Location: Dundee

Thanks for the updates. I have sent her the webcam links.

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Posted
  • Location: Wallington, S London (now working from home)
  • Weather Preferences: hot sunny summers to ripen the veg and cold snowy winters of course
  • Location: Wallington, S London (now working from home)

Hi everyone - off to Fieberbruun for Christmas week - it was all looking good, but according to Bergfex now it seems it will be warm and wet in town when we arrive on Saturday - bit like Christmas at home! I'm hoping for the sudden cool down shown for the big day comes to pass and I get a white Christmas after all:). I'm sure there will still be some snow up the mountain!

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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
17 minutes ago, dubmuffin said:

Hi everyone - off to Fieberbruun for Christmas week - it was all looking good, but according to Bergfex now it seems it will be warm and wet in town when we arrive on Saturday - bit like Christmas at home! I'm hoping for the sudden cool down shown for the big day comes to pass and I get a white Christmas after all:). I'm sure there will still be some snow up the mountain!

No real idea for that area but this forecast suggests not as bad as the one you quoted?

It is part of a very large ski area so it would seem unlikely looking at the charts that snow will not be lying in many areas.

Have a great time

https://www.bergfex.com/saalbach-hinterglemm-leogang/wetter/berg/

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Posted
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
  • Location: just south of Doncaster, Sth Yorks
1 minute ago, johnholmes said:

No real idea for that area but this forecast suggests not as bad as the one you quoted?

It is part of a very large ski area so it would seem unlikely looking at the charts that snow will not be lying in many areas.

Have a great time

https://www.bergfex.com/saalbach-hinterglemm-leogang/wetter/berg/

You probably have a list of sites with web cams, here is one link

https://www.bergfex.com/saalbach-hinterglemm-leogang/webcams/c58/

 

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Posted
  • Location: Wallington, S London (now working from home)
  • Weather Preferences: hot sunny summers to ripen the veg and cold snowy winters of course
  • Location: Wallington, S London (now working from home)

I'm sure there will still be snow, just not quite so keen on skiing on it in the rain I always get a little worried if the forecast isn't perfect, but haven't ever been disappointed when I get there!

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Posted
  • Location: Crathes, Aberdeenshire
  • Location: Crathes, Aberdeenshire
23 hours ago, Blessed Weather said:

Welcome to the Mountain & Snow Sports thread Frazzled. Great pic from Saas Fee. Hopefully colder weather to preserve snowfall for the lower resorts isn't too far off.
Are you planning to head off to the Alps this winter?

P.S. When you get a mo could you pop your location into your profile details please. Thks.

@Norrance Ski Club of GB are reporting 100 cms on the upper pistes and 30 cms on the lower in Les Deux Alpes as of today, with 21 out of 49 pistes open. Forecasts going forward very volatile atm, so a case of keeping a watch on the outlook..... but I'd be cautiously optimistic.

Another great day today even without the sun. Cloud and snow. The Saas Fee forecast has been spot on all week shows the warm up on Saturday. Back to Aberdeenshire Saturday which will make up the rest of my seasons skiing. Sadly saw all the promising snow at Glenshee has disappeared. Will update profile on my return.ACC45119-C934-4600-B5C0-F4CD6F5939E3.thumb.png.d59629a159567e53f4f03349a6248958.png

B83147D4-68E3-485A-98A3-81DAA1D1ADFF.png

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Last Week

Good conditions over the Alps widely but recent milder weather has impacted the snow quality especially on lower slopes in Western areas.

Current Synoptic pattern

There is High Pressure (1028mb) centred over Iberia, on the Western flank of this there are very mild South Westerly winds. To the North of the Alps there is an area of low pressure, with the Alps in the middle of these weather patterns with mild westerly winds, and some weather fronts bringing some precipitation.

456298358_23122008Weatherpattern.thumb.png.6a925702736424a808b258c006cb5b88.png

Alps overview and temperatures

832329163_23122018500.thumb.gif.c4d390e199158d9a2e154821d3ab2b82.gif1488694702_23122018850.thumb.gif.d15574decdeb70bffe71b37bc5448cb2.gif

After some early precipitation over the Alps today, fronts will bring heavy precipitation for the Alps from the North for today. Some large precipitation totals are expected over the next 24-36 hours for Northern parts of the alps before it turns much drier later tomorrow.

For Christmas Day a few showers are likely over Austria, looking mostly dry elsewhere.

The rest of the week mostly dry under High Pressure.

Rainfall / Snowfall

Snowfall is initally likely to be restricted to over 2000m for Sunday and Early hours Monday. perhaps lower further East over Austria.

229832992_alpprec23Dec.thumb.png.43429410004ee270315a132344cb21b6.png

However as colder air edges in from the North on Monday, the snow level dropping closer to 1200-1500, with any showers over Austria later on Christmas Day likely to fall as snow to low levels.

382568707_alpprec24Dec.thumb.png.110bf560a53555cc2a9664cc2e3f0fd7.png1346131090_alpprec25Dec.thumb.png.5348e5051ae2739097bb4cc8adba998e.png

 

Edited by J10
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Posted
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk
  • Weather Preferences: An Alpine climate - snowy winters and sunny summers
  • Location: Hadleigh, Suffolk

Great to have your weekly forecasts back Julian. :oldsmile:

Some big falls of snow today and into Christmas Eve in the Northern Alps of Switzerland and Austria, but you really need to be above 2,000m to see the heavy precipitation fall as snow. Below 1,500m just rain to wash away the snow from lower pistes and resorts which is a great shame at the start of this Christmas week. But not too much precipitation for many resorts in the French Alps so probably not so badly affected. Here's how Met Man Chris Fawkes sees it:

1983247559_AplstweetChrisFawkes23Dec.thumb.jpg.7918af71ce29578246b7d97797d4c28a.jpg

As is so often the case, as colder air moves back down from the north on Monday, the precipitation will die out - but hopefully giving a dusting first, to at least make everywhere look pretty again. The rest of the week at least dry and sunny for most with overnight temps below freezing. GFS charts:

Midnight today 23 Dec 1955676819_AlpsFreezingLevel24Dec00_00.thumb.png.cff36690546947ec776c6188037d9904.png186805610_AlpsPrecip24Dec00_00.thumb.png.6259c2425a83820bf89b84cca604cf17.png

15.00 Monday 24 Dec 534164007_AlpsFreezingLevel24Dec15_00.thumb.png.efb55b5323ab7eadb3032b171f603d23.png533030164_AlpsPrecip24Dec15_00.thumb.png.1a13a4a2218bbf148738146efb28dc0a.png

Visual proof of the damage done by the rain in the last 24 hours at Ellmau in Austria:

Sat 1610787438_Elmau1550m22Dec.thumb.jpg.daf6eae4a53e29d81e74f69d44128f0c.jpg Sun 9087163_Elmau1550m23Dec.thumb.jpg.61eac02c592b332774fd3dd1158fb1d4.jpg

Here's hoping the current indications of much colder weather for Europe as we move into January are on the money! Particularly as I'm off to the Bavarian Alps in Germany on Sat 5th Jan.

Edited by Blessed Weather
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Posted
  • Location: Wallington, S London (now working from home)
  • Weather Preferences: hot sunny summers to ripen the veg and cold snowy winters of course
  • Location: Wallington, S London (now working from home)

Happy Xmas Eve from Fieberbruun! We skied to Salbaach yesterday and had sun at lunchtime which made if feel more like March than December, with soft snow on the sunny slopes but by the end of the day and throughout the evening we had heavy rain in resort. I was concerned as to how the snow would hold out, but imagine my joy at opening the curtains this morning to see heavy snow falling. I'm hoping the cold air has arrived sooner than expected?️

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