Is it on its way??!!

Hey Guys

Due to be going away on the 9th December, and looking at the forecasts, there could be some good dumps of snow towards the back end of the week which would be fab!!

We have shortlisted Obergurgl, Val Thorens, Val D`Isere and Saas Fee.....Can anyone offer any reports from the ground at these resorts?? We`re not going to book until the very last minute anyway but just got my hopes up when I was surfing around snow forecasts!!!

Please please let it snow!!! :D

Think I may answer my own question here and say YES the snow is on it`s way!!!

Happy skiing guys!

jobster wrote:Think I may answer my own question here and say YES the snow is on it`s way!!!

:D

This mornings update to the forecast looks even better. Some good snowfalls toward the latter half of the next week look to be on the cards - with falling temperatures to bring the snow line down too... :?:

Fingers crossed!

Thank god for the snow! http://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/Austria/Lofer_snow.html

I'm skiing in Austria, Lofer, in 15 days time and I didn't think there was going to be any snow :-(

Not alot but its a start...

Note to self Book a later skiing holiday next year and save yourself a few sleepless nights worring about it...

Just checked my resort of interest - Davos - which is predicting 80cm of snow (top) during next week.

That's a nice dump and should provide the much needed base - no matter what the weather does over the coming weeks.

I'm due to go to Davos 6th January and I was beginning to fear the worst. Usually, in Davos it snows quite a bit between Christmas and New Year. That'll do (if it comes true).

Also, I sigh with relief at the news that it's due to snow next week as a serious lack of snow for the period 22nd Dec to 5th January (when people are on the Christmas break) results in future 'disinclination' for people to pay the peak season prices over Christmas - which in turn leads to the resort having to up its prices throughout the skiing season.

Furthermore - a lack of snow - which restricts the number of runs open results in over crowded runs now that they've sorted out the lift queueing system - so no queues for lifts which means more people on the run itself causing congestion to the point where you can hardly turn!!!!

There's more..... closed runs which lead to restaurants cause the few restaurants which are reachable to be very crowded.

There's no doubt that European winters are not producing the snow that we used to see in the 60's and 70's.

Lower resorts are going to really suffer and, if the economies of France, Italy, Switzerland and Austria which rely heavily on this lucrative income do not devise ways of making access to snow guaranteed - I fear that the skiing population is going to be squeezed higher and higher into smaller areas *unless* the ski resorts take the daring and expensive gamble of building new ski areas which are as yet undeveloped.

That'll go down like a lead balloon with the Swiss who already complain that their beautuful mountains are being destroyed by lift systems.

I know that in Davos -the main ski area - Parsenn - is millions and millions of Francs in debt and they are unable to recoup their losses by increasing lift pass prices as they would then cause many tourists to divert to France or Austria.

Their other source of income - mountain restaurants - is also under heavy pressure as there are many young snow boarders who do not use restaurants but rather take a packed lunch with them - or at most buy a Bratwurst and a piece of bread.

This has resulted in the restaurants doing away with the more expensive menus as they cater for the masses and not the big money items. This in turn causes those who *do* want to eat well on the mountain to give up lunch on top and instead have lunch down in the village where it's cheaper and better quality.

It's a catch 22 - and I'm not sure what the answer is - but a lot of it is down to 'skiers/boarders go where the snow is' - and if you can guarantee that - you can make money easy - within reason.

There's a lot of worry in the ski resorts about 'where are we headed?'. The US and Canada do not suffer yet-indeed they may benefit from the problems in the alps. But it could change for them too in years to come as the Arctic circle withdraws.

Anyway - let's look on the bright side.... snow is on its way...... we'll be skiing in Europe this year and probably years to come with a bit of judicious planning in the resorts.

I am so pleased that I have found this website.

I was going into panic mode, found this and now happy.

Keep up the good work.

:D

Back in October, a wyly old farmer-type neighbour of mine whose family has been in the Chamonix region for many generations told me that we should expect a warm start to the winter because there was only one layer of skin on his onions!!!! At the time i thought, Onions?? is that what old french men call them??? But seems he was an astute old bugger and his prediction was bang on the money.

But dont fear, the snow is coming. Its been raining all day today and its snowing up above 2000m. More disturbances are predicted as the week progresses and temperatures should drop = snow is coming!!! And remember last season? Took a while to come, but when it did, it was magic (and of you dont remember http://www.j2ski.com/ski-chat-forum/posts/list/951.page)

Jetwife, your name seems familiar. Did you stay with us last season?

ive been looking for some snow info on pal-arinsal for the next few weeks in december. anyone know where i could get some