Messages posted by : admin
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:thumbup:
Good stuff - glad it arrived ok... 8) |
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+1 Any further wibble will be removed; +ve contributions welcome. Carry on... |
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:lol:
Well, that's me convinced. |
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Week Ending March 23rd, 2013
* Free to re-publish in whole or part so long as clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with the words "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to http://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/ Following another week in which impressive falls of snow blessed much of The Alps, there's a bit of a split in the weather coming up... but there's also likely to be more snow! The Eastern Alpine region is entering a distinct cold spell, with temperatures up to 10C below the seasonal average, whilst the North and Western Alps will be relatively mild for the next few days before also cooling into the last week of the month. Although Spring is on the calendar, snow and cold are likely to prevail as we move into April. Spring conditions are likely at lower altitude, with great skiing higher up - now likely to the end of the season. Take Care Out There Snow packs remain impressive at altitude and you should be aware of the risk of large avalanches from slopes destabilised by recent weather. There have been a number of fatalities already this month, so take particular care - and seek local advice - before venturing off-piste. This Week's Headlines - Big Snowfalls Return to The Alps as resorts in Austria, Italy and France post up to 80cm in 24hrs. - Heavy snow at Scottish areas, access road temporarily blocked by snow. - Big snowfalls in Western Canada, up to 80cm in 75 days. - A foot of new snow in New England. - Snow depth reaches 5m at Europe's most southerly mountain resort; Sierra Nevada in Spain. Europe Austria There have been big snowfalls in Austria with up to 75cm of fresh sow reported in the past seven days with the biggest falls from Sunday to Tuesday. A large number of ski areas received at least a foot of new snow on Sunday/Monday. Kaprun had that biggest snowfall, with 40cm of it falling over Sunday/Monday. Lech Zurs reported 45cm and a large number more resorts reported 30-40cm of new snow including Filzmoos, St Anton, Solden and St Wolfgang. Pitztal has had 35cm of new snow and still has the country's deepest snow base at 365cm. The snow is still falling but has slowed to 5-10cm per day. France French resorts have reported the biggest snowfalls of the past seven days, with Alpe d'Huez claiming the biggest snowfall in the world this week – 135cm (4.5 feet) over seven days and 80cm of that falling in 24 hours on Sunday/Monday. Although that accumulation was double nearly everywhere else in the country (and indeed the world), other resorts did report huge accumulations too, 90cm at La Plagne for example, 85cm at Les Arcs and 80cm at Val Thorens. But nearly every major resort in the French Alps has had 30-40cm of new snow, and the snowfall has been healthy right down to the south in resorts like Pra Loup and Vars. The deepest snow is around the 4m mark at Alpe d'Huez (420cm) with Flaine and Tignes on 390cm. Italy There have been big snowfalls right across northern Italy with Arabba in the Dolomites reporting a huge 124cm (four foot) accumulation and on the opposite side of the country, La Thuile on the French border, reporting just a few cm/inches less with 115cm over the past week. In common with the rest of the Alps, the biggest snowfalls for many resorts were on Sunday/Monday but Arabba reports another 80cm of snow on Monday/Tuesday. Other reports with big snowfalls include Cervinia (80cm over the week, 50cm of that on Sunday/Monday; Cortina 75cm over the wee k, 45cm of that on Sunday/Monday and Bardonecchia (70cm during the week, 50cm of that on Sunday/Monday). However as with the rest of the Alps, most ski areas have had at least 30cm of new snow and often as much as 50ccm in recent days. Passo Tonale has had the deepest snow in the country all year and after another 25cm this week its base is up to 4m. Switzerland Gstaad has overtaken Engelberg as having the deepest snow in Switzerland for the first time this year after receiving 70cm in the past week. Much of the new snow has fallen in the past 72 hours with Sunday/Monday a particularly snowy 24 hour period. Numerous Swiss resorts reported at least 30cm (a foot) of new snow in 24 hours to Monday and Tuesday, with St Moritz, Villars, Les Diablerets and Adelboden among those reporting big falls. Along with Gstaad, resorts reporting big snowfalls over the past seven days (although in fact mostly in the past 72 hours) Zermatt has received 60cm (two feet), Murren 65cm, Klosters 45cm and Adelboden 48cm. Scotland There have been excellent snow conditions in Scotland following heavy snow at all five areas. The snow which hit the westerly resorts of Glencoe and Nevis Range at the weekend caused some operational problems due to strong winds and then consistent heavy snowfall in the East at the other three areas from Sunday to Wednesday (and still on going) led to the closure of access roads to The Lecht and Glenshee, but once open conditions are reported to be excellent with fresh snow on the well established bases at all five areas. Pyrenees Although the focus of snowfall may have been in the Alps to the north this week, the Pyrenees have been the snowiest mountains in Europe in 2013 so far and that hasn't changed this week with resorts on the French and Spanish sides of the mountain as well as in Andorra in between reporting 30-60vm of new snow in the past seven days, albeit mostly more evenly spread through the week than the larger-falls of Sunday/Monday in particular which made up the majority of the past seven day's snowfall figures in the Alps. Baqueira Beret reported 60cm of new snow and has a 4.5m base – one of the 10 deepest in Europe, while Cauterets with a foot of fresh snow this week is still claiming the world's deepest at 5.9m (nearly 20 feet) as it has for nearly two months now. To the south-west of the Pyrenees, Spain's Sierra Nevada, Europe's most southerly major resort, is claiming a 5m base now. Eastern Europe There's been fresh snow in Eastern Europe too if not in quite the same volumes so far as in the Alps. Bansko and Kranjska Gora both reported 10cm of fresh snow and have healthy bases of 1.8 and 1.2m respectively on upper slopes. Other areas reported smaller falls and smaller bases but as these are typically still 90cm-1.2m (3-4 feet) it's not bad for the time of the season. Scandinavia Although a lot of the snow that has arrived in north eastern Britain over the past week is reported to have come down from Scandinavia, resorts in the region have not been reporting more than a few centimetres of fresh snow from northern Finland to southern Norway. Most resorts in the region do have good base depths however – typically in the 80-120cm range, so there's no snow cover shortage. Are in Sweden, the largest resort in the region with 35% of the total market, has a 115cm (nearly four foot) base and Hemsedal, Norway's biggest ski area, has a 1.1m base. North America Canada There's been some serious snowfall again in Western Canada. Fernie has had the most new powder and has the deepest snow in the country still with a 2.8m base and 75cm new snow in the past seven days. But other resorts including whistler in NC and Banff/Lake Louise and Marmot Basin in Alberta have reported 40-50cm of new snow too and also have bases well over 2m. The snow is still falling but has lessened and smaller accumulations of 10-30cm are more likely over the coming week. USA No huge snowfalls in the US over the past week, but plenty of smaller falls still, helping accumulations to build to 30cm or more. The biggest falls in the past 48 hours have been in the Eastern states where resorts in Vermont including Killington and Stowe are reporting a foot of new snow since Tuesday. It's still snowing in Colorado too where resorts have added another foot of snow too, although over a longer period – Keystone, Arapahoe Basin and Aspen have had 20-25cm in total. Mammoth's 4.8m base is still the deepest of a major US resort if down a bit on last week. |
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So you've just about managed to put a brave face on things then? :lol: Nice one Icey, look forward to more details... |
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Week Ending March 16th, 2013
* Free to re-publish in whole or part so long as clearly credited to www.J2ski.com with the words "J2Ski Snow Report" linked to http://www.j2ski.com/snow_forecast/ Following a real mixed bag of weather this past week, where many locations had a bit of everything from mild Spring days to bitter cold and high winds, the outlook promises to be rather more "normal" over the coming week. European Alpine temperatures will return to around their seasonal averages during the coming weekend, bringing typical mid-March conditions. Northern and central Alps are likely to see a fair amount of precipitation as we move into next week; snow at high altitude, rain below - with the snow line generally between 1100m and 1500m. Take Care Out There Snow packs remain impressive at altitude and you should be aware of the risk of large avalanches from slopes destabilised by recent weather. There have been a number of fatalities already this month, so take particular care - and seek local advice - before venturing off-piste. This Week's Headlines - Snow returns to the Pyrenees - up to 30cm (12 inches) in past week. - Mammoth breaks 5m snow depth mark after 80cm fresh snow in past seven days. - Fresh snow in Scotland. - Another two feet of snow for Niseko, base depth back to 4.9m. - Snow back in the Alps, up to a foot (30cm) of new snow at some resorts in the past week. Europe Austria The snow is back in the Austrian Alps and the accumulations are getting bigger. Obertauern, where The Beatles filmed the ski scenes in the movie Help nearly 50 years ago, reports 20cm of new snow in the past 24 hours, especially good news as the resort, which now has a 2.5m base, stays open to late April. Bad Gastein, Bad Kleinkirechheim and Saalbach have reported similar falls and many other resorts including Kitzbiuhel and the Skiwelt have received 10-15cm of new snow over the past week, so things are definitely looking up after last week's dry, warm period. The Pitztal glacier (open to early May) still has the country's deepest snow at 3.5m. France The French alps have also returned to snowier times after a dry and rather warm 10 day period ended at the weekend. Much of the new snow – the biggest falls around 30cm (a foot) – were reported from Sunday to Tuesday with leading beneficiaries including Avoriaz (29cm), Flaine (25cm), Chamonix and la Rosiere (20cm each) and similar falls at Les Arcs , La Grave and La Plagne. Alpe d'Huez (which got 10cm of new snow at the weekend) reports the deepest snow in the French Alps at (3.9m/13 feet) although there's a bigger base reported in the Pyrenees (see separate entry). The Grand Massif has 3.4m and Chamonix Valley 3.1m. Italy Italy too has had fresh snow, particularly in the west of the country and particularly at the weekend. Courmayeur reported the biggest fall, with 15cm (six inches) of new cover. Cervinia had a similar fall, Sauze d'Oulx a couple of inches left. Over in the East in the dolomites it was Arabba that once again posted the biggest accumulation – 12cm of new snow. Spring ski centre Passo Tonale has the biggest snowbase in the country still at 3.5m (nearly 12 feet) up on the glacier. Most other resorts have upper slope base depths of 1.5 to 2.5m (5-8 feet) so are looking good for the remainder of the season. Switzerland Zermatt has reported the most snow in Switzerland in the past week – 15cm (six inches) on Friday/Saturday and there was 5-10cm (2-4) inches reported in the Jungfrau, at Verbier and Leysin and Villars, but otherwise Switzerland has had less fresh snow than other areas of the Alps. However snow depths remain the best in the region with Engelberg (4.8m) and Gstaad (4.6m) the only two regions outside of the Pyrenees in Europe to report bases of more than 4m. Upper slope base depths remain around 2m on average at other leading resorts in the country too, so there's snow problem on the pistes at least. Scotland Scotland is continuing its good second-half-of-winter which saw it pass its total ticket sales for 11-12 a few weeks ago with, probably, at least a month of the season still to go. The country's five ski areas have been offering top to bottom skiing under blue skies and in still air for much of the past six weeks but there had been little fresh snow and slopes were therefore hard and icy first thing in particular. That has changed this week with a good covering on Sunday/Monday freshening up the slopes dramatically. Pyrenees The snow is back in the Pyrenees at least on the Spanish side where resorts in Andorra and Spain have reported up to 30cm (A foot) of fresh cover in the past week, in most cases 20cm of that in the past 24 hours – so it's getting heavier. Baqueira Beret is back up to 4.1m on its upper slopes and is looking good for its extended season to May 5th. In Andorra Grandvalira (Soldeu) has had a foot of new snow too and has a 2.4m (8 foot) base. No new snow reported on the French side but Cauterets still reporting the world's deepest snow based at 5.9m, wonder how recently they measured it as it has not changed in over a month apparently... Eastern Europe No new snow has been reported at the main Eastern European resorts since late February meaning that it's on-piste only. Bases are starting to diminish with the thaw but in Bulgaria, which is reporting the deepest snow in the region, upper slope depths of 1.5-1.8m (5-6 feet) are still good, elsewhere they're a little less substantial (nearer 60cm/2 feet) at Poiana Brasov in Romania or Kranjska Gora in Slovenia. Scandinavia Although the snow in England and the low countries in recent days has been attributed to an Arctic blast, the snow didn't bother stopping further north and it has been a fairly dry week in Scandinavia with little new snow reported. Temperatures are maintaining existing snow bases however, which remain around the metre mark at all the leading resorts of Norway, Lapland (Finland) and Sweden and conditions are reported to be good on the piste. North America Canada Canada is still looking very snowy and its resorts have been the most vociferous in the past week talking about their snow cover. said Whistler on Tuesday. Meanwhile Sun Peaks went with,
and Revelstoke added,
So there you have it. USA There have been more substantial snowfalls in Western US led by Mammoth Mountain in California which is the first major US resort to break the 5m snow depth mark this season after 80cm fresh snow in past seven days. A second Colorado resort, Squaw Valley to the north, says it has had 50cm of new snow. Elsewhere in the West, Colorado continues its late surge with many resorts adding 5-12inches (209-30cm) of new snow to their bases. Utah is also looking good with 20cm (8 inches) of new snow for reports like Purgatory and Canyons and Jackson Hole with a 2.1m (7 foot) base has had similar new snow volumes. There's been little or no new snow in Eastern North America although Sunday River posted 5cm last weekend and most have good base depths still around the metre mark. |
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Not where you were perhaps... 8) Temps this week have been all over the place thanks to strong (Fohn) winds, cold air and temperature inversions (warmer up the mountain than in the valleys, etc). Chamonix's temperatures ranged from -12C to +6C yesterday... And Pistehors offers this from the French forecast for today...
...and Icey's been in Sauze under blue skies... So, as always, check the latest local conditions wherever you are... 8) |
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Think you're safe on a Swiss train? Think again - you might arrive on time but you might have fewer possessions than you started your journey with... :shock:
Anyone travelling on Swiss trains to or from Geneva should be aware that there appears to be a major problem with (apparently) organised criminals operating on these lines. At least two J2Ski Forum regulars have been victims themselves :- - One of our members had a bag, with passports etc. stolen on a train to GVA airport. - Another of our regulars was assaulted, possibly as part of a "distraction", earlier this winter. We have also heard a number of indirect experiences and this morning I've received the following from one of our Snow Mail subscribers :-
This is clearly an ongoing problem that, for whatever reason, has not been addressed with the efficiency we expect from our Swiss friends. Anyone else with similar experiences? :evil: |
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