Latest posts for the topic "The best start to winter in many many years....."

The best start to winter in many many years.....

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 15:19:16 GMT

There are bold predictions being made about this snowy start bringing the best winter seen in a long long time, some saying that it will be the best December and January seen as well for ages.

Is it right to be getting particularly excited or are these people just hyping it up. Strangely enough one of the people who has made a very public statement was the chief exec of inghams, so maybe he's just desperate to get people to book.....?

I have to say its looking particularly epic at the moment, but then what's to stop it all melting in a heat wave in the next few weeks??????

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 15:29:11 GMT

I'm off in 17 days and counting and I'm getting particularly excited. Always a relief early season when the web cams no longer show green fields. Last year was very hairy up to a week to go. But I know what you are saying. There are many websites with hyped up comments and I sometimes question snow depths. I've noticed in the past Morzine is good at quoting Avoriaz snow depths and calling itself Morzine Avoriaz. But the live web cams cannot lie, can they? Where are the snow depths taken from? Anyone know?

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 15:32:10 GMT

Go on Facebook and like the inghams page. And look at the video of snow in les arcs where the chief exec has made his little speech. I don't think that's lying.

The best start to winter in many many years.....

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 15:45:57 GMT

Tony_H wrote:best December

Well it's certainly off to a good start, but the forecast models are not indicating anything unusual snowfall-wise for the next couple of weeks. It is going to stay cold though.

Last December was epic by the end, and I'd be (pleasantly) surprised if December 11's record snows were beaten TBH.

Tony_H wrote:January

Nobody knows. Really. They don't. IIRC December 2010 was very snowy and then it pretty much didn't snow in France until February half-term.

Tony_H wrote:Is it right to be getting particularly excited

It is always right to be getting excited about going skiing. Even in July. This is a universal truth known to the ancients. 8)

Tony_H wrote:or are these people just hyping it up.

Yup.

Tony_H wrote:I have to say its looking particularly epic at the moment

It most certainly is.

Tony_H wrote:but then what's to stop it all melting in a heat wave in the next few weeks??????

Nothing. Although probably all those nice people going on the train are cooling the planet and bringing on the next ice age... so the skiing will be fine... :wink:

The serious answer...

We've had a week and a half of really good snow, and it's cold. Once it stabilizes / has been bashed, the pistes will have a superb base for the whole season. There's currently no indication in the forecasts of significantly warmer temps in the next couple of weeks - so not much chance of it melting anytime soon.

There are concerns about the initial layer of snow forming a season-long weak layer (see last winter for details) under the off-piste snow but an imminent lack of snow seems a very remote possibility right now.

So, return to being excited! :thumbup:

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 15:48:52 GMT

What makes anyone "nice" because they travel by train?????

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 19:21:23 GMT

Tony_H wrote:What makes anyone "nice" because they travel by train?????

I knew he'd pick up on that comment :lol:

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 22:10:42 GMT

NellyPS wrote:

Tony_H wrote:What makes anyone "nice" because they travel by train?????

I knew he'd pick up on that comment :lol:

I knew you knew that

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Thu, 6 Dec 2012 22:20:37 GMT

Knew it!!

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 05:16:55 GMT

I travel by train when I can, it's got nothing to do with me being an all round good egg and everything to do with wanting to squeeze 8 days skiing into a weeks holiday! It's definitely doesn't have anything to do with wanting to reduce the size of my carbon footprint.

I've skied in early December most seasons in the last decade or so, this is a normal start. December is the month of the snowstorm, I've seen similar snowfall on several occasions.

Unfortunately fatalities at the start of the season are all too common too, seen a few near misses too.

I just hope it keeps coming throughout the season, a good start by no means ensures a good season.

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 07:27:30 GMT

Snow at the start of the season always fills us with excitment, but unless resorts continue to recieve
regular top ups of the white stuff conditions throughout the season will be average

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 10:30:45 GMT

Don't care. I am on holiday in 15 sleeps :-)

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 10:58:07 GMT

I'm going by train in February and I'm lovely.

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 14:26:06 GMT

NellyPS wrote:I'm going by train in February and I'm lovely.

Being lovely does not make you nice, however I do possess both qualities -)

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 15:41:31 GMT

Iceman wrote:Don't care. I am on holiday in 15 sleeps :-)

An excellent time to go :wink:

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 15:53:14 GMT

Well CEO of a travel comapny is not exactly a meteorologist, so he can't make any predictions. It looks good so far, and those who booked for Christmas have nothing to worry about. Epic season? I'll tell you in May. P.S. Gentianes were tall this summer so I am keeping fingers crossed:)

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 17:49:16 GMT

Ian Wickham wrote:

Iceman wrote:Don't care. I am on holiday in 15 sleeps :-)

An excellent time to go :wink:

Always wanted to ski with the whole family on Christmas day. It will be EPIC :thumbup:

Re:The best start to winter in many many years.....

Fri, 7 Dec 2012 18:22:54 GMT

brooksy wrote:

NellyPS wrote:I'm going by train in February and I'm lovely.

Being lovely does not make you nice, however I do possess both qualities -)

Me too!