Worldwide Mountain & Snow Sports Discussion 2019/20

[carinthian]

2 hours ago, Hotspur61 said:

Has the cold temperatures and snow arrived? Love your pictures and any would be looked at with envy again lol

Hi there, cold front just passing now with low cloud lifting. About 10 cm of new snow. Max today was -4.5c now falling to -9 c. Not as much wind as expected but could pick tomorrow. Log fire blazing, crap TV, no pub open. That means drinking too much red wine and eating. Had a good walk though.

C

 

[carinthian]

20 hours ago, carinthian said:

Hi there, cold front just passing now with low cloud lifting. About 10 cm of new snow. Max today was -4.5c now falling to -9 c. Not as much wind as expected but could pick tomorrow. Log fire blazing, crap TV, no pub open. That means drinking too much red wine and eating. Had a good walk though.

C

 

A chilly NE wind today. Classic conditions for snow showers. Bright sunshine one minute then dark clouds and snow showers the next. Just great watching the fibrous tops to the shower clouds. Nice powdery snow and cold with current temp-6c and -10c on the berg.

C

[carinthian]

Fantastic sunny morning. Yesterdays snow showers left a powdery covering. One of the coldest nights of the past few months, down to -14.6 c. We are told warmer weather on the way for Easter.

 C

[Ravelin]

Waste of good snow unfortunately. Glad we decided to go skiing at Xmas/New Year rather than wait until Easter. The weather and snow might not have been great but at least we got to ski. 

[carinthian]

1 minute ago, Ravelin said:

Waste of good snow unfortunately. Glad we decided to go skiing at Xmas/New Year rather than wait until Easter. The weather and snow might not have been great but at least we got to ski. 

Yes it would have been busy in the higher resorts with good snow conditions. Can still get out to walk in it  but have to be alone. That does not bother me though ! Some fantastic views in the mountains and so very quiet. No sound of traffic or contrails in the sky and the birds are singing, at least they are happy ! Hotels and pubs have taken a big hit with loss in takings for the Easter breaks being stopped/ cancelled but are encouraged by bookings coming in for next season. Lets hope this dreadful virus starts to wane soon.

[carinthian]

Nice winter scene last evening on approach to Zauchensee village. March /April snow ! Once the snow showers cleared, a super cold night followed down to -15c. Now brilliant sunshine for April Fools Day.

C

[carinthian]

Nice Sunday morning in the nature preserve that is the Gontal valley.  Alpine meadows coming out of winter hibernation at long last .

C

[Harve]

After a very warm and dry April that sadly went to waste because of *gestures wildly*, it hasn't really stopped raining in the last 60 hours, and there is still another 24 hours to go. Talk of 200mm in total, which isn't so unusual close to the Mediterranean but would be notable here. Snowline fluctuating wildly between 1500m and 2500m.

[carinthian]

A light covering of snow this morning and temp around 1c in village. Still plenty of snow cover above 1800m as the rather cold spring continues in the Eastern Alps. Ski-ing would have still been possible on the prepared pistes down to many of the villages above 1500m. Current temp -2.5c at 2000m level.

C

[Blessed Weather]

This occasion always cheers me up! Yes, it's the first widespread snow arriving in the Alps!!!!

Good timing as me and friends have this last week put a deposit down on an apartment in the French Alps. (I know what you're thinking, but you've got to stay positive).

So a selection of webcams this afternoon, Saturday 26th September 2020:

Feldberg, (my favourite little ski resort) German Black Forest 1,450m:

Seefeld, (the Rosschute piste) Austria 1,500m:

Solden, (looking down from middle station) Austria 2,185m:

Saas-Fee, (top station with even a piste basher out!)  Switzerland 3,500m:

Les Arc, (Arc 1950) France 1,950m:

So I'm keeping everything crossed for a vaccine, a snowy winter, and then late ski holidays to cheer us fanatics up!

Webcam grabs from: https://www.bergfex.com/schweiz/

 

[Betleyblizud]

Just to add to Blesseds excellent update above. First settling snow at village level in Zermatt on the 26th. A few cms most of which had gone by the end of the day.

Local weather indicating significant falls above 2,500m this weekend. 

 

Edited September 28, 2020 by Betleyblizud

[carinthian]

After 70cm of fresh snow cover over the weekend, The Glacier 3000 ski area near Les Diablerets and Gstaad in Switzerland is to open one month earlier. Meanwhile in our little ski village resort in the Salzburger Sportwelt Region ,a third September mornings starting with a snow cover, which in its own is rather unusual as well.

C

Edited September 29, 2020 by carinthian

[carinthian]

First day of the new ski-ing season ( picture taken on the Kitzsteinhorn ) last Sunday.

[Blessed Weather]

Some good news for skiing in the UK:

Cairngorm Ski Area Gets £20.5m Funding Boost

The Scottish ski area near Aviemore is to get more than £20 million to improve the snowsports centre. Most of it will go on repairing the troubled funicular mountain railway. The money has just been approved by the Scottish government.

Announcing the news today (Friday 9th October), the landowners, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), said the funicular would be back in service during winter 2021-22.

The UK’s highest railway was the main lift for skiers and snowboarders to the top of the mountain but it has been out of action since autumn 2018 after an inspection revealed major structural problems.

The decision to repair it rather than replace it with other ski lifts is controversial with many regular visitors and locals against it.

It means £20.51 million for Cairngorm,  £16 million of which will go on the funicular repair. The rest will go on improvements to the ski centre including the existing lifts, paths and car parking and the electrification of snow cannons.

Full article: https://planetski.eu/2020/10/09/cairngorm-ski-area-gets-20-5m-funding-boost/

[Coopsy]

No snow yet at sunshine village ski hills (Canadian Rockies) - this is one of the chairlifts at 2400m)

Can honestly say in 15 years I’ve never seen it completely void of snow with 4 weeks to go before the ski season. 

[Paul]

4 minutes ago, Coopsy said:

No snow yet at sunshine village ski hills (Canadian Rockies) - this is one of the chairlifts at 2400m)

Can honestly say in 15 years I’ve never seen it completely void of snow with 4 weeks to go before the ski season. 

I think I saw some snow on a pic a week or so back, but like you say, its a bit baron at the moment! 

Knowing that place though, a huge dump may not be far off, seems to have a knack of catching snow when it needs it.

[Coopsy]

2 minutes ago, Paul said:

I think I saw some snow on a pic a week or so back, but like you say, its a bit baron at the moment! 

Knowing that place though, a huge dump may not be far off, seems to have a knack of catching snow when it needs it.

Yeah they had a little a while back but it’s been very warm lately and above freezing. But as you say a good dumping and they’ll be well under way. Im thinking within a week for sure.

it’s a great spot. Many times it’s dumping on the hills and drive down the road into Banff and nothing 

[Paul]

5 minutes ago, Coopsy said:

Yeah they had a little a while back but it’s been very warm lately and above freezing. But as you say a good dumping and they’ll be well under way. Im thinking within a week for sure.

it’s a great spot. Many times it’s dumping on the hills and drive down the road into Banff and nothing 

Yep, they even seem to do a lot better then lake Louise, despite the relative proximity.

[Coopsy]

Finally...  What a nice Thanksgiving present

Edited October 11, 2020 by Coopsy

[carinthian]

Looks like piste machine out this morning in the high level ski resort of Obertauern. Powdery snow and temp -3.7c . Not bad for early /midde of October. Usually , one of the first non glacier ski resorts to open in Austria.

c

[HafrenLMP1]

Having watched the Mountain bike World Championships from Leogang, Austria over the weekend; the snow started during yesterday's Downhill races. I believe there was a light covering by this morning.

[Coopsy]

What a difference 24 hours makes. Lake Louise getting in on the snow action now 

[Paul]

And here comes Sunshine

 

 

[carinthian]

The snow making team out last night firing up the snow cannons. The location is at the top station of a new Panorama link , The Flying Mozart which will link Wagrian Resort via the Absolut Park to my home base resort of Zauchensee  , which will add for some awesome runs in the Snow Space Salzburg. This area is a real snow paradise and only 1 hour from Salzburg Airport.

C

[Dorsetbred]

And so it begins....Big Sky in Montana