Messages posted by : admin
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Triangle is a requirement in Switzerland too, so should (!) always be one in a Swiss hire car.
High vis and breathalyser thingy I think you'll need to bring yourself. Good question though; we didn't think of this when we hired last year! :oops: |
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J2Ski Snow Report - January 22nd 2015
Started by User in Snow Forecasts and Snow Reports, 12 Replies |
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Possibly... but even if you have a bit of a slog to get there; that's only because it's likely to be off-the-scale epic when you do! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: Forecasts showing no signs of backing off. :shock: |
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J2Ski Snow Report - January 22nd 2015
Started by User in Snow Forecasts and Snow Reports, 12 Replies |
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Er, looking like Thursday thru Sunday at the moment... :lol: You'll be fine for tyres then (hired from Swiss side?), but do keep an eye on the forecast. This morning's updates are pushing the amount of snow UP and it will be cold. Quite possible they'll have a lot of snow to clear off the runway on Saturday morning, but... You're unlikely to be worrying about lack of snow next week... :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: |
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J2Ski Snow Report - January 22nd 2015
Started by User in Snow Forecasts and Snow Reports, 12 Replies |
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As an eminently sensible J2Skier... I trust you'll have winter tyres and chains to hand? 8) If the current forecast sticks, you will need them (and a shovel)! |
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J2Ski Snow Report - January 22nd 2015
Started by User in Snow Forecasts and Snow Reports, 12 Replies |
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J2Ski Snow Report - January 22nd 2015
Snow Report Summary More good news this week, and an early heads-up on something interesting in the forecast... This Week's Headlines - Up to three feet of fresh snow in the Alps. - Heavy snow forecast for the Alps over the coming week. - Scottish slopes swamped at weekend as pent up demand unleashed. - Pyrenees looking better than ever with fresh snow. - Some small ski areas in California close due to too little snow. It has been another snowy week in the Alps with resorts reporting as much as three feet of snow in the last seven days. For many resorts there remains a problem however that the big snowfall figures are for upper runs, whilst lower down cover is more limited and the temperatures sometimes too warm - a pattern that has continued all season. Forecasters are currently projecting some of the biggest snowfalls of the winter coming up, the most optimistic saying up to six feet of new snow could land on the French Alps in the next 10 days, although all areas are promised significant snow. Elsewhere most areas are looking good - The Dolomites have had the snow they needed, the Pyrenees, already in good shape, have had fresh snow too and there's been moderate snowfall in Scotland, Scandinavia and in most of North America; although a few small areas in the extreme west have had to close for lack of it. In the forecast The good news is that it's all cold, at least in Europe, with regular light snow in the East and a little more to the West and North in the immediate forecast... and... Next week's report just might be a bit more dramatic; the weather models (GFS and ECM) have been repeatedly pushing the possibility of a major snowstorm to end the month. That's at the edge of the reliable timeframe of the forecasts, but if it comes off then it could be a biggy for the Northern Alps (French and Swiss in the firing line at the moment). Check the J2Ski Forecasts regularly for the latest updates! The Alps Austria Most Austrian ski areas are in relatively good shape despite the fact that typically they are home to some of the lower ski areas of the big four Alpine ski nations. Most areas have at least a foot (30cm) of snow at resort level and three feet (90cm) or more on upper runs. Not much snow has fallen in the last three or four days in the country although very heavy snow – up to a metre or more – is expected across the country in the coming week. The biggest snowfalls, at the start of this week, were 30—40cm at Bad Gastein and Zell am See. Bad Gastein now has the deepest snow in the country of a non glacier resort with a metre on lower runs, two metres on higher slopes. France French resorts have reported some of the biggest snowfalls in the Alps in the past week, but again the best of it is up top – Les Deux Alpes, for example, says it has 60cm of new snow, but at resort level there's only a miserly 10cm base depth. Argentiere in the Chamonix Valley reports the same lower slope depth but even greater 7-day snowfall – 72cm. Although a few others are a little thin in the valley (20cm at la Plagne and Serre Chevalier for example), up top the bases are indeed building and there's plenty of terrain open. Avoriaz has some of the most impressive stats in the alps with a metre at resort level, 1.5m at the top, and Flaine, which had trouble opening for the season a month ago, has almost identical stats, just 20cm less at its base. Italy Italy has had the snow it has been waiting for since the start of the year over the past week, and it hasn't stopped yet, with powder alarms for 20cm of fresh snow coming in today from Cervinia, Courmayeur and the Milky Way, 30cm at Madesimo and 40cm in Monterosa and much more forecast. The snowfall, which has added up to as much as 85cm in the last seven days at Bormio (and 40-609cm at many other resorts), has been right across the north of the country from the Western alps to the eastern Dolomites and gone right down the Apennines down the spine of Italy too to areas close to Rome. Snow depths are as high as 4m, the deepest reported in the world at present, as Passo Tonale, after 50cm of new snow in recent days. Switzerland Swiss ski areas have had their share of the recent big snowfalls too, with Grindelwald recording 87cm of fresh snow – the largest fall in the world this week, around half of it recorded on Sunday/Monday. But like many low-moderate altitude resorts its resort level snow remains thin at just 8cm. A few other famous name areas including Crans Montana and Zermatt have quite thin cover at resort level – 10 to 15cm, although no problems on higher runs where its lying metres deep. Most resorts have relatively healthy 30-60cm bases at resort level though and much more up top with pistes in great condition higher up. Scandinavia It continues to look good in Scandinavia with a repeat of the usual weekly pattern – 30-50cm on Norwegian slopes, 5-15cm on the typically less snowy Finnish and Swedish centres, where the snow tends to last and stay powdery longer as it stays sub zero. Cover is good across the region with more Norwegian areas hitting the 1m base depth mark, and coastal Voss claiming the deepest still with a few inches less than 2m. Pyrenees The Pyrenees are looking good on and off piste after some healthy snowfalls in the last 48 hours. The area was already in good shape thanks to autumn 2014 snow build up but hadn't seen much fresh since the turn of the year. Most areas typically have 50cm+ in resort and double or triple that higher up. French and Spanish area are looking good too. Eastern Europe Little or no fresh snow reported in eastern Europe this week but thanks to falls earliest this month most areas remain in good shape with typically 50-100cm bases, so on piste conditions are generally good. Fresh snow is expected here too next week. Scotland Scottish ski areas have been enjoying great conditions thanks to fresh snow and very low temperatures, coupled with little wind and often sunny skies – a rare combination after the eight days of storms that battered the region prior to last weekend. As a result another Scottish skiing phenomenon – too many skiers and boarders for the centres to cope with – descended at the weekend causing problems at Glencoe, Glenshee and the Lecht as traffic tried to reach the centres, the latter two having to be evacuated later in the day by police who deemed the situation unsafe. North America Canada The snow has returned to Western Canada and continued in the West so the snowiest resorts – receiving around a foot of new snow in the last seven days – are located on each side of the country. Big White in BC reported 25cm of snow, but so did Mont Ste Anne in Quebec. Overall conditions remain pretty good across the country with Whistler reporting the most fresh snow – 43cm. USA The US has – in many areas – been snowier this week than last. Jackson Hole has had a couple of 20cm+-in-24-hours days in the last week and there was a foot of snow across Vermont at the weekend. Jackson hole in fact reported nearly two feet off new snow in recent days and has moved clearly ahead of other resorts after falling behind Utah areas when they got big snowfalls a week ago. It's currently the only US area claiming more than a two metre base at 208cm – less than an inch short of seven feet. It's not all good news in the US though, California is suffering with yet another less than wonderful season and two small areas including badger pass in Yosemite National Park have had to close this week due to inadequate snow cover. Nonetheless the bigger resorts like Heavenly, Squaw and Mammoth are reporting healthy depths of 80-100cm on upper slopes although there's been no new snow for them this week and there's none in the immediate forecast |
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Hahnenkamm World Cup Race Weekend in Kitzbühel
The world's most legendary and demanding downhill race for men was first held in 1931 and this weekend will celebrate its 75th anniversary. Take a look at Tirol's latest video snow report from Kitzbühel, taken on Tuesday as preparations begin for the weekend. VIDEO: Snow Report Kitzbühel from 20th January 2015 10 things you may not know about the Hahnenkamm: 1. The inaugural 1931 race was won by a Brit! Gordon 'Mouse' Cleaver scooped sixth place in the downhill and second place in the slalom becoming the first combination Hahnenkamm winner. 2. During the race weekend, over 25,000 people book into hotels and B&Bs around Kitzbühel. 3. 85% - the gradient at the start of The Mousetrap; the race's steepest section. 4. In 1935, a cable car joist failed, meaning racers were hoisted to the top of the course by rope. 5. Over the years, the race has only been cancelled a total of three times due to lack of snow; in 1964, 1988 and 1993. 6. In 1953, the Kitzbühel Section Committee ruled that all shops in Kitzbühel had to close during the race. A great boost to audience figures and a nice break for hard-working shop assistants in town. 7. 1:51.58 – Franz Strobl's winning time of the 1997 Hahnenkamm downhill has yet to be beaten. 8. With a time of 1:57.72 minutes (and an incredible 0.98 seconds ahead of USA's Bode Miller), Switzerland's Didier Cuche won the Hahnenkamm downhill for the fourth time in 2011 (he'd won previously in 2008 and 2010 and scooped the Downhill for the first time in 1998). With five wins he is the undisputed master on the Streif, followed by Karl Schranz and Franz Klammer with four wins each. 9. During the race of 1977, 592 journalists – including 14 television crews – were registered in attendance. It was a new record; 20 years earlier in 1956, just 40 reporters covered the race. 10. In the initial years after World War II, details and events of the Hahnenkamm race became clouded in mystery. Even the names of all the top five finishers remain unknown to this day. Source: My Tirol magazine (October 2014-March 2015) |
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Great write-up; thanks Ally. Well done for making the most of the conditions and for managing to sample so many resorts in the week!
Sounds like you were well looked-after by the hotel which is always good to know... although you might have all put on weight by the sounds of it... :lol: |
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Hi OE, and welcome...
Dolomites would be a good shout; look at Cortina (long transfers and can be pricey) and Arabba? Otherwise, Courmayeur ticks all those boxes - skiing with Mont Blanc as a back-drop doesn't get much better for views. Very good restaurants too. The skiing there would suit the rest of your family well by the sounds of it. You might find the immediate ski area a bit compact BUT you have the option of taking a guide and skiing down the Italian side (Helbronner glacier) of Mont Blanc if you want to stretch your legs. You could also hop on a bus and ski a day in Chamonix. Cervinia for the mileage (ski to Zermatt and back); views of the Matterhorn although the town itself isn't the prettiest. And Champoluc's worth a look; authentic feel, good ski area and the chance to cross into the neighbouring valleys. HTH for some starting points. |
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