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Probably. 8) However... Chamonix is not the only option. You'll be much better off picking somewhere the Tour Operators don't tend to go (so cross off all the mega resorts and anywhere really popular with us Brits).
Yes, much against my gut feeling... we did half-term two years ago. And it worked fine. Do this :- - Fly (or drive) mid-week (at least, avoid the weekend); flights are cheap and roads will be clear. Also, going mid-week to mid-week means you ski on Saturday when everyone else is stuck in traffic going up/down the mountain. - Pick a proper "French" resort that's not on the TO radar. - Plan your ski days to stay away from the town and other bottlenecks. If you have a car then drive to an "out of town" lift or satellite station. - Enjoy! We booked mid-week flights to Geneva 2 weeks before (easyJet £100 return, instead of £400+ each for the Saturday) and thought we'd arrived at the wrong terminal... :lol: it was deserted! We went to La Clusaz (we do that a lot!) and stuck mainly to the slopes away from the town so barely queued for a lift all week. The town was certainly busy but the skiing was great. |
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Week Ending January 10th, 2014
Snow Report Summary It's pretty mild in The Alps at the moment, but temperatures will fall to seasonal averages by the start of next week - and enough snow to freshen the pistes will come to most parts by Tuesday. This Week's Headlines: * More Heavy Snow for parts of Western and Southern Alps and Dolomites at weekend. * Some US resorts forced to close for several days due to extremely low temperatures. * Sochi snow conditions appear good for the Olympics * Scottish areas keep operating through extremes of British weather. * Austria Needs More Snow. * World's deepest reported snow base hits 4m mark. After a wave of snow across the alps and dolomites at the weekend it has been a fairly quiet week of largely clear skies and warmer-than-we'd-like temperatures. Conditions remain 'middling' at most areas with enough snow on the pistes in most cases but not so much off. It's also important to note that the roller coaster weather conditions and temperature changes have led to unstable snowpacks away from the groomed runs in places and there have been avalanche deaths reported on both sides of the Atlantic. North America has, as widely reported, enjoyed weather extremes this week with ultra cold temperatures leading to widespread resort closures for safety reasons. Cold has not translated in to huge snowfalls however, although conditions are generally OK to good, except on the West coast where the drought continues. Sochi 2014 With the Olympics starting four weeks tomorrow it seems timely to check the snow conditions in Sochi! So far they seem to be looking better than Vancouver did this time four years ago in the run up to the 2010 Games, when the Canadians ended up with a convoy of lorries bringing snow from higher elevations to the slopes of Cypress Mountain. The snow is reported 75cm deep at Rosa Khutor, venue for Alpine racing events at Sochi. Temperatures are a few degrees above zero at the base and minus two at the top with no fresh snow recently and none expected in the next 72 hours. You can keep an eye on the snow there with our recently added Snow Report for Rosa Khutor. Off Piste Danger - Take Extra Care Critically weak and unstable layers from early season, remain in the snowpack, there have been more tragedies in The Alps since our last email, and French and Swiss authorities have again stressed the danger of avalanches. Dangerous snow slabs, even on low-angled slopes, will persist well into the season. If you're looking to leave the pistes at all; take local advice before doing so, check the avalanche bulletin in resort and take extra care on all slopes. Wear a transceiver, carry a shovel and a probe, and do not ski alone - hire a guide if you do not know the resort. Additionally, the off-piste snowpack is thinner than usual in much of the Northern Alps, with many hidden (and not-so-hidden) hazards of rocks and ice. The Alps Austria Unfortunately Austrian resorts continue to need a good top up of snow, but there is something of a fight back being staged by the tourist bodies who promote them who generally acknowledge that although conditions are not great – most runs are open and most pistes are in good shape. Some, generally higher, resorts have perfectly adequate snow cover – if not very thick cover at lower elevations. Solden, for example, has more than two metres of snow lying on its glaciers, but only a few centimetres of cover at resort level. There was quite a lot of snow on Monday/Tuesday however across many of the main ski regions. Many areas got 5-10cm with Katschberg reporting a full 25cm in 24 hours. Cover is thinnest at the Skiwelt with 20-40cm, Kitzbuhel reports 30-80cm. France After some fairly significant snowfalls in the French Alps at the weekend (Avoriaz claimed 58cm in 24 hours), when almost all resorts reported 10-30cm of new snow, it has been dry and a little too warm for most this week. Snow cover is good, particularly at altitude, at most French resorts however – the vast majority with 120-180cm lying, for Chamonix it's 1.5m and Alpe d'Huez claims the deepest at 2.1m . Down at resort it's a bit less impressive, particularly at the lower traditional resorts rather than the altitude centres with 15cm at Plagne Montalbert and 20cm in Megeve for example. Italy Italian ski areas have fared amongst the best of the European nations for fresh snow in the past week with the weekend snowfalls particularly generous on the southern side of the Alps. Passo Tonale is suddenly claiming, as it often does, the continent's (and currently the world's) deepest snow at 4m (the first 4m report of 2014-15) and Madesimo, which has been reporting big snowfalls all week, is not far behind at 3.5m. It was among resorts that reported big falls on Sunday that also included Foppolo (50cm), Pejo (40cm) which on the east side of the country Limone reported 20cm of fresh, Bardonecchia 50cm. Switzerland Swiss resorts have also reported some good snow falls in the last week. Leysin, Verbier and Gstaad all reported 20-30cm of new snow at the weekend and St Moritz said they got 25cm in the 24 hours to Monday. Andermatt has the country's deepest snow at 3.5m on upper slopes but Zermatt is only a little over a for behind at 315cm and Saas Fee and Engelberg have very healthy bases to. Pyrenees Snow depths in the Pyrenees remain among the best in Europe and resorts received a New Year top up of 10-20cm of fresh snow over the weekend. Coming on top of healthy bases built through the last two months of 2013 there were snow depths of typically around a metre at resort level and double that at the top of the slopes at all centres in Andorra. Scandinavia Conditions are better than a week ago in Scandinavia where some of the region's biggest falls this season – with Hemsedal and Lillehammer accumulating 40cm of new snow each – reported in the past week. Base depths, never a big issue in Scandinavia but still reassuring when they increase, are creeping up – Lillehammer has hit the metre mark and Are in Sweden has passed 50cm. The snow is still falling with Gaustablikk reporting 20cm in the past 24 hours. Eastern Europe It's looking rather dire in some Eastern European resorts which have seen little snow for over a month now and temperatures are in double figures at resort level in Bansko today – giving very end-of-season Spring like conditions. Snow depths are typically around 20-40cm across the region and fresh snow along with cold temperatures for snowmaking is badly needed. Scotland Britain's rapidly changing and extreme weather conditions continue to challenge Scottish ski centre operators but none-the-less all have remained open most days and closures have generally been down to gale force winds rather than not being able to offer snow sports. The winds have caused damage to power supplies, lifts, buildings, web cameras, snow fences so repairs are ongoing at some areas while what can be opened, is opened. Cairngorm has top to bottom skiing with very good cover on upper runs, patchy below and on the west Glencoe and Nevis Range are pretty much fully open. On the Eastern side of the country the cover is most marginal at The Lecht with very limited terrain skiable while Glenshee has a lot open but describers the snow as soft after the midweek rain and thaw. North America Canada The big freeze in North America brought ultra low temperatures to Canada although that's less unusual than further south of course. In terms of snowfall some of the biggest beneficiaries at the start of this week were in Ontario where ski areas including Blue Mountain and Mount St Louis reported 25cm accumulations. Out west there were big falls at the end of last week with Whistler, Lake Louise, Fernie and Nakiska among resorts reporting between 25 and 40cm of new snow (10-16 inches) in 24 hours last Friday. USA The 'big freeze' was the big news story of the past week in the USA, so temperatures, now rising, were very, very cold on Monday and Tuesday in particular leaving many resorts closed in the East and Midwest for fear of lift failure among other low temperature hazards. The cold weather has not been accompanied by huge snowfalls, but there have been moderate (typically 10-25cm) accumulations reported across the country with ski areas in New England including Hunter Mountain Stratton and Nashoba reporting 20cm -30cm falls l;ast weekend before the real cold hit. On the West Coast the drought conditions continue, which have seen precipitation levels at 20% of the norm, but they're easing further north it seems with Mt Baker (officially the world's snowiest resort) reporting 20cm+ falls on three days out of the past six including 50cm in the past 24 hours. In between there have been some good snowfalls in states like Colorado where Copper and Eldora reported 20cm in 24 hours at the weekend. |
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Not just any old drag... a T-bar! :lol: I think that's the most advanced lift in the area; didn't Tony tell you? 8) |
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Context and detail Tony... when did you check the forecast, and the webcam?
Our "max temp" forecast is for resort level, so forecasting a max of 6C in the town doesn't prevent snow on the mountain earlier/later or even at the same time (Bad Gastein having a vertical of about 1600m). I'm not sure what overall conditions we predicted but I can see that the forecast we issued yesterday morning included approx 14cm of snow to fall... and it looks like they got about 10cm. As for the next 2 weeks - no way to know, for sure, but it looks like the current mild weather (about 5C to 10C above January averages) over much of The Alps will break at the end of this week. Probably a bit of snow at the weekend and increasingly unsettled (good!) as we go into the second half of the month. Judging by the current webcams... 
...todays forecast (clear with a resort max of 7C) looks about right. p.s. is it me, or are people going both ways on that drag? :shock: |
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Snow Forecasts by e-mail - New Ski Resorts
Started by User in Snow Forecasts and Snow Reports, 191 Replies |
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Hi folks, apologies for the delays - bit busy here...
They're listed together as Saalbach Hinterglemm
Campo Imperatore is now on the list Deborah; we currently have a forecast and will be adding a snow depth report in the next day or two.
Bettmeralp and Fiescheralp are both now on the list, although we have the same report (covering the Aletsch arena) for both at the moment.
Pamporovo (note the spelling) is on the list Mark.
Alpendorf is now on the list Dale. |
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Rowan Cheshire has become the first-ever British woman to win a Ski Halfpipe FIS World Cup as she took gold yesterday in Calgary. The 18-year old delivered a fantastic first run scoring 80.40 points, sealing her gold. She produced huge amplitude throughout the run and an impressive 540 to flair to 900 trick combination. Coach Pat Sharples said: "In training we have been working hard with Rowan on new tricks and we knew she had the potential to podium. She is so dedicated and all the hard work has now paid off with this win." For full profiles of all British Ski and Snowboard athletes visit www.teambss.org.uk Fantastic result in the run-up to Sochi 2014 - well done! |
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Given that there are 5 of you, a hire car (for the week) will likely cost you less than a private transfer.
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Week Ending January 3rd, 2014
Snow Report Summary There's a fair amount of snow in the forecast for much of The Alps over the next few days, although not for everywhere. Temperatures will remain relatively mild (for January!) for the next week to ten days, although the weather systems are quite dynamic at present and that may change. This Week's Headlines: * Up to a metre of fresh snow in the Alps. * Up to 1.5m of fresh snow reported in the Dolomites. * Heavy weekend snow on New England slopes. * Scottish 13-14 ski season clocks up its first complete week. Conditions in the Alps have continued to improve over the past week with many resorts receiving at least a foot (30cm) of fresh snow over the last seven days, in some cases as much as a metre. Ski areas in the west and southern half of the region have done better than those in the north and east in most cases, and higher elevation ski areas have also reported the biggest falls. In the Dolomites falls have been bigger still with accumulations nearing 1.5m (five feet) in the last seven days reported. As a result the opportunities for freeriding off piste have increased, but inevitably so has the avalanche danger, with, sadly, a number of deaths reported. The snow cover picture remains a patchy one, with some lower areas, particularly in Austria, still heavily reliant on snowmaking and with limited cover, while bases on some glaciers have climbed back above two metres. It's been good news for Scottish ski areas which have all been open for a week since Boxing Day and for the past seven days at least seem to have escaped the storm systems they suffered for six weeks or so before Christmas and which much of the rest of Britain has been facing. Across the Atlantic there been heavy snow in New England, with more of the same expected, whereas the West Coast is suffering something of a drought. Off Piste Danger - Take Extra Care The weak and unstable layers in the snowpack that we highlighted last week are still very much in evidence and French and Swiss authorities have again stressed the danger of avalanches. Sadly, there have been around a dozen avalanche fatalities in The Alps in the past week and there are likely to be more. Current (mild) conditions should help the snowpack stabilize at lower altitudes but it is likely that dangerous slabs, even on low-angled slopes, will persist well into the season. If you're looking to leave the pistes at all; take local advice before doing so, check the avalanche bulletin in resort and take extra care on all slopes. Wear a transceiver, carry a shovel and a probe, and do not ski alone - hire a guide if you do not know the resort. We would also caution that the off-piste snowpack is thinner than usual in much of the Northern Alps, with many hidden (and not-so-hidden) hazards of rocks and ice. Europe Austria Unfortunately Austrian resorts have generally reported the least of the new snowfalls since Christas although most received 5-15cm of new snow on Saturday/Sunday, with those in the east of the country generally fairing best – Lech and St Anton added 20cm to their bases. But most areas could do with a big snowfall still after a generally dry December. Mayrhofen for example reports on 5cm on lower slopes, 60cm (two feet) at the top and the majority of Austrian ski areas likewise have a foot or less of snow cover at resort level and most still less than a metre at the top of their runs. That said, most still have all or most of their pisted terrain open. There have been some sizable accumulations reported too with higher altitude areas doing the best. Obergurgl, for example, has had about a metre of snow in the past week and has 75cm at resort level ad 1.7m (nearly six feet) of snow lying at the top of its runs, so is in great shape. France Most French resorts have reported at last 30cm of fresh snow in the last week and several as much as 70cm – leading to a dramatic improvement in conditions at most compared to the pre-Christmas December period. Most French areas have 50-80cm bases at resort level and 1-2m on upper slopes, with Alpe d'Huez reporting the country's deepest base at present at 2.1m (seven feet), moving back over two metres following 70cm of new snow falling in the last seven days. Meribel has had 30cm of new snow this week but has one of the country's smaller bases at 50-90cm, Serre Chevalier has 30 – 130cm after receiving 60cm of new snow this week – typical of the heavier snow reported in the Southern Alps compared to the north. Chamonix says it has received over 30cm (a foot) of fresh snow in the first few days of 2014. Italy Italian resorts have enjoyed some of the biggest snowfalls in the entire world (and certainly in Europe) over the past week with some areas in the Dolomites claiming up to 1.4m (over 4.5 feet) of fresh snow. Arabba reports that much has fallen, for Cortina it has been 1.2m (four feet) and for PassoTonale 1.3m. Over in the west of Italy there have been big snowfalls too – for example 90cm (three feet) at Cervinia. Switzerland Swiss resorts have also reported large snowfalls over the past week. Andermatt continues to boast the biggest snow depth in the world at 3.5m and reports 50cm of fresh snow in the last week. The biggest snowfall however was in Europe's highest slopes at Zermatt which reported 1.2m (four feet) of new snow, its neighbour Saas Fee the second most with 105cm (3.5 feet). On the west side off the country there was 50cm in the Portes du Soleil at Champery. Other big snowfalls included 55cm at Leysin and 45cm at Gstaad. Pyrenees The excellent season continues in the Pyrenees with an average of a foot (30cm) of new snow at ski centres across the region. Base depths remain among the best in the country with all centres in Andorra reporting a 90-100cm base on lower slopes alone with 1.2 to 1.m (4-6 feet) at the top of the ski areas. Scandinavia There's little change in Scandinavian ski area snow cover with average bases across the region some 30 to 60cm. Many areas have reported small snowfalls, the biggest 12cm in the past week at Lillehammer in Norway. Voss, which has had 10cm of new snow since Boxing Day, reports the deepest snow in the country at 70cm. Eastern Europe Little or no new snowfall has been reported across Eastern Europe and snow depths are now quite limited with typically only 10-30cm hard packed snow bases in Romania and Slovenia and only a little better – 30 to 60cm, in Bulgaria. Scotland Scottish ski areas have enjoyed a week long break from the near two month long cycle of violent storms, gales and thaws. Unusually the bad weather affecting most of Britain has tended to stop in southern Scotland giving some perfect still blue sky days on Scottish slopes over this key holiday period. All five areas have been open since Boxing Day and although cover is not comprehensive, there is, for example, top to bottom skiing in Cairngorm. Most centres have had periods of snowfall, with Glencoe reporting fresh snow for New Year's day. North America Canada Moderate snowfalls across Canada with, unusually, the biggest snowfalls reported in Ontario, with resorts like Blue Mountain and Horseshoe ski areas reporting over a foot (30cm) in the first 24 hours of 2014. Even more unusual the extreme west of the country – Vancouver island and BC's west coast are having a bad-to-terrible start to the season with Mt Washington on Vancouver island, often one of the world's snowiest ski areas, still; unable to start its season due to lack of snow. Whistler says its snow levels are below usual but is almost fully open with on piste skiing. In land it is more 'normal' in Alberta and BC with bases typical 70-150cm, and areas like Fernie and Revelstoke reporting 15 – 2cm (6-8 inches) of new powder in the last week. Snow fall has slowed to just a few centimetres in Quebec on the East but areas still look good after the Christmas snow with similar base depths to Westerly areas. USA The biggest snowfall in the US of the [past seven days have unusually (although not for the first time this season) been reported on the East Coast where many resorts in New England reported up to a foot (30cm) of snow in 24 hours on Sunday/Monday – good timing for the New Year holiday. Among areas reporting big falls were Cannon Mountain and Waterville Valley with 20cm each and Okemo and Attitash 25cm each. In the main destination resorts of Colorado and Utah conditions are more 'average' for the time of year (Winter Park reported 20cm of new snow in 24 hours over the weekend) although further West in California more snow is needed after a warm dry month that has left Mammoth's base at 30-60cm, thanks in part to snowmaking, although the resort is keen to stress that 85% of runs are still open. |
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