The Alps Snow thread Season 2013-14

[J10]

According to the EURO4 model, quite a lot of precipitation over the Pyrenees over the next 24 hrs, from noon today until noon tomorrow, with a cold NW wind, and 850HPA between -5 and 0c.

 

Turning drier later on Saturday with only the odd showers, and temps rising, 850Hpa rising well above zero.

 

Another Change into Monday, as low pressure from the North west, brings colder temps 850HPA below zero, and a lot of appreciation is excepted, for Monday, Tuesday and possibly Wednesday, temps slowly going back above 0c at 850HPA.

 

Towards the weekend high pressure pushes back in, settling things down.

 

Charts and Freezing Levels to follow. in the next 30 minutes.

 

Charts

 

850Hpa and Precipitation From Saturday 1st March to Friday 7th March

 

 

 

 

Snow Day 1-3

 

Snow day 4-6

 

Freezing Levels for Pyrenees

 

 

Saturday 1600-1700m

Sunday 1800-2000m

Monday 1300-1500m

Tuesday 1500m

Wednesday to Friday 2000-2200m

 

Summary

 

Moderate to heavy snow to resort level Friday into Saturday, and then again from Monday to Wednesday before turning milder towards the weekend with some great snow and probably sunny conditions , bring your sunscreen.

 

http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Pas-de-la-Casa/6day/bot Snow Forecasts take on things, although GFS suggest a bit more snow than this

Edited February 28, 2014 by J10

[J10]

Low Pressure generally in control until around midweek, and although winds from the west or South West, generally cool/cold  especially for Northern parts of the Alps, however High Pressure edging in just before the weekend, and turning much milder.

 

850HPa [GFS 12 Hz Saturday]

Western Alps – French Alps, Switzerland, Western half Italy and Germany Eastern Alps – Austria, Eastern half of Italy and Germany   Sunday [West]    -3c (NW) to +3c (SE) [East] -2c (NW) to +2c (SW) Monday [West]    -3c (NW) to +2c (SE) [East] +1c to +2c (General) Tuesday [West]   -4c (NW) to +1c (SE) [East] -4c (NW) to +1c (SW) Wednesday [West] -4c (NW) to  0c (SE) [East] -3c (NW) to +1c (SW) Thursday [West]   0c (NE) to +3c (SW) [East] -4c (NE) to +1c (SW) Friday [West]    +5c (SE) to +7c (NW) [East] +2c (SE) to +7c (NW)   

Precipitation

 

Some moderate precipitation for the Alps according to GFS, more especially for Eastern parts of Switzerland/ Western Austria.

 

Today into early Sunday, Heavy precipitation over northern Italy, and areas around the Switzerland Austria border, patchier for Sunday morning, before fading completely into the afternoon. Snow level 1500m daytime, dropping back to under 10000m overnight.

 

Monday sees frontal rain from the west, snow above 1000-1200m, moving east over central areas later in the day before dying out into Tuesday,

 

Showery precipitation for Tuesday, Snow levels 1000-1200m.

 

Showery precipitation for Wednesday mostly for Austria, Snow levels 1000-1200m.

 

SUmmary

 

Further snow this week over the Alps to quite low levels, but turning drier and milder before the weekend.

Edited March 1, 2014 by J10

[J10]

		    Upper Lower			   Last 7	  Piste       OffResort Name piste piste  Last snowed    days    Quality	  Piste   Lifts OpenAlpe d'Huez 250cm 135cm 22 Feb  (5cm)  65cm   Excellent  Excellent  63 out of 70Tignes	  200cm 120cm 21 Feb (10cm)  35cm   Excellent  Excellent  79 out of 79Wengen	  140cm  45cm 21 Feb (12cm)  30cm   Excellent  Excellent  19 out of 19St Moritz   208cm 160cm 19 Feb ( 7cm)  51cm   Excellent       Good  22 out of 22Mayrhofen    80cm  10cm 20 Feb (10cm)  27cm   Excellent       Good  25 out of 25Cervinia    300cm 95cm  21 Feb ( 5cm)  60cm        Hard       Good  14 out of 14

Decent snowfalls at all of the above resorts.

 

 

 

Latest Snow Depths update

		    Upper Lower			   Last 7	  Piste    OffResort Name piste piste  Last snowed    days    Quality   Piste   Lifts OpenAlpe d'Huez 270cm 150cm 28 Feb (25cm)  63cm   Powder     Powder  66 out of 70Tignes	  210cm 122cm 28 Feb (25cm)  35cm   Powder     Powder  79 out of 79Wengen	  140cm  45cm 27 Feb (10cm)  12cm   Excellent  Varied  19 out of 19St Moritz   196cm 146cm 27 Feb ( 5cm)   8cm   Excellent  Varied  22 out of 22Mayrhofen    79cm  10cm 22 Feb (10cm)   0cm   Excellent  Varied  25 out of 25Cervinia    320cm 110xm 28 Feb (10cm)  40cm   Excellent  Powder  13 out of 14 

Edited March 1, 2014 by J10

[Blessed Weather]

Well I for one am very jealous of anyone setting off this weekend for a week's skiing in the Alps. There's cross-model agreement that the Alps will enjoy a settled week with plenty of sunshine. After all the recent snowfall (particularly in the French Alps) the skiing should be fantastic and the sunshine should be perfect for enjoying lunch and a beer on the mountain restaurant terrace! And with the high pressure near the UK feeding cool easterlies across the Alps for the majority of the week, temperatures won't be silly warm to spoil the pistes. Here's the ECM 12z chart for mid-week:

 

[Tim Bland]

We got 130cm in Andora mon-weds sun is now shining and skiing is awesome!

[Blessed Weather]

We got 130cm in Andora mon-weds sun is now shining and skiing is awesome!/quote]

Wow Tim! You certainly got your fix of snow! Love the night photo of the cars completely buried by drifting snow.

[York-snow]

And with the high pressure near the UK feeding cool easterlies across the Alps for the majority of the week, temperatures won't be silly warm to spoil the pistes

11C tomorrow in St Anton where I am heading on the 29th is slightly worrying! Obviously at this time of year it's going to be warming up, but any sign of a slight cool down over next week?

[J10]

11C tomorrow in St Anton where I am heading on the 29th is slightly worrying! Obviously at this time of year it's going to be warming up, but any sign of a slight cool down over next week?

 

Full forecast to follow this evening.

[J10]

Synoptics

 

A definite change in the pattern for this weekend and for next week with High Pressure taking control of the weather for much of central and Northern Europe, this weekend sees the wind direction from the South west for much of the weekend but as the High pressure builds the wind direction will move to an Easterly for most of next week, there is mild air embedded in the High pressure so never particularly cold, however cold overnight under any clear skies.

 

 

from Saturday  8 March to Sunday 14 March SLP (left) 850HPa Temps (Right)

 

 

850HPa [GFS 12 Hz  Friday 7th March ]

 

Western Alps – French Alps, Switzerland, Western half Italy and Germany Eastern Alps – Austria, Eastern half of Italy and Germany  

Saturday  [West] +3c (E) to +7c (W)  [East] -1c  (E) to +3c  (W) Sunday    [West] +5c (S) to +7c (W)  [East] +1c  (E) to +7c  (W) Monday    [West] +5c to +7c (general)[East] -3c  (E) to +5c  (W) Tuesday   [West] +2c (N) to +6c (S)  [East] +1c  (E) to +5c  (W) Wednesday [West] +4c (N) to +8c (S)  [East] +2c  (E) to +8c  (W)Thursday  [West] +4c (N) to +8c (S)  [East] +2c  (E) to +8c  (W) Friday    [West] +6c (N) to +9c (S)  [East] +6c (NE) to +9c (SW) 

Quite often this week, the warmest air, on the Austria Switzerland border, the coldest air very much in Eastern Austria.

 

Precipitation

 

 

With High Pressure very much in control over the Alps this coming week, looking very dry all week.

 

Freezing Levels

 

Saturday 1600m over parts of Austria to 3200m over the far western French Alps.

Sunday Over 2200m generally, 1800m in the far SE Austria, 3000m NW Alps

Monday Over 2000m generally, 1400m in the far SE Austria, 2800m NW Alps

Tuesday 1600-2200m Austria, 2400-3000m Western Alps

Wednesday, Over 2000m through, 300m in Western Alps

Thursday Over 2400m (South), Over 3000m in North

Friday 2600-3000m generally

 

Staying very mild over the following weekend and into the following  week

 

Summary

 

Very Mild with a lot of settled weather

Edited March 7, 2014 by J10

[Blessed Weather]

11C tomorrow in St Anton where I am heading on the 29th is slightly worrying! Obviously at this time of year it's going to be warming up, but any sign of a slight cool down over next week?

 

Hi York-snow. As J10's weekly forecast above suggests, next week does cool off a little in the middle of the week. This is confirmed by Austrian website wetter.at that has Sunday +9c max falling to Weds +5c max, then rising to +9c again by week end.

http://www.wetter.at/wetter/oesterreich/tirol/sankt-anton-am-arlberg/prognose/9-tage

Overnight lows from Mon to Fri all below zero (with Tue & Wed coldest at -4c). In my experience, those sorts of temps won't do too much damage to pistes on North facing slopes. Great skiing in the morning, turning a little soft by the afternoon. (Typical spring skiing). So should be a good week's skiing in St Anton for anyone there next week! Your posts says you aren't there until the 29th March? Lots of twists and turns in the weather before then. For instance, tonight's GFS 12z run suggests a cold blast for the Alps around the 21st March. But that's way out in fantasy land and at this stage who knows what end-March will bring! 

By the way, the best après ski I've ever enjoyed in the Alps was at the Mooserwirt bar on the slopes 500 metres above St Anton. The place rocks from 4 pm!!

[York-snow]

Thanks for the information guys... I do hope the wintery blast materialises the week before I'm due to arrive! Would set up the week nicely

[Blessed Weather]

Well it's turned out to be a warmer week in the Alps than forecasts were suggesting at this time last week. Many resorts have seen temperatures well into double digits, with lows struggling to get to freezing on a couple of nights, e.g. St. Anton at 1,350m reached 14c on a couple of days. The cool northerly airflow forecast to come down the flank of the high pressure centred over the UK slipped too far east, missing the Alps.

 

I'm skiing in Val Cenis in the southern French Alps next week and have been watching both ECM and (particularly) GFS models toying with the idea of a cold northerly blast to bring a welcome lowering of temperatures. But looking at the latest runs today, the coldest air (-5c isotherm on the 850 Hpa charts) is once again dropping down too far east of the Alps. In fact the +10c isotherm is over the southern Alps for a couple of days next week, so I'm chucking out the thick fleeces and packing tee-shirts!

[J10]

Synoptics

 

GIF From Sunday 16 Mar to Friday 21 March [850HPa] and SLP

 

The pattern reverting to more of a mobile westerly one, however with High Pressure never too far away to the south, remaining mostly settled over the Alps this week.

 

850HPa [GFS 06 Hz  Sunday 16th March ]

Western Alps – French Alps, Switzerland, Western half Italy and Germany Eastern Alps – Austria, Eastern half of Italy and Germany   Sunday    [West] +4c (NE) to +6c (S) [East] +2c (N) to +6c (S)Monday    [West] +7c (NE) to +10c (SW) [East] +1c (Far NE) to +8c (SW)Tuesday   [West] +7c (N) to +10c (SW and E) [East] +5c (Far NE) to +10c (W)Wednesday [West] 0c (N) to +4c (S) [East] -1c (NE) to +4c (SW)Thursday  [West] +5c (S) to +10c (SW and E) [East] +5c (S) to +10c (W)Friday    [West] +3c (S) to +8c (N) [East] +4c (S) to +10c (NW)Another mild or very mild week in prospect.  

Precipitation

 

Not massively wet over the Alps, but not completely dry like last week.

 

 

Sunday - Moderate precipitation over N and E Austria currently and for the afternoon, drying out by evening, Freezing level around 2000m.

 

Monday and Tuesday - dry

Wednesday -  A front pushing down from the north  with some moderate precipitation for Northern parts of Austria and Switzerland in the morning, drying out in the afternoon for Switzerland but a few more hours of precipitation for Austria during the afternoon, it should dry up during the evening. Freezing Level 1400-1600m

 

Thursday - dry

 

Friday -  perhaps a few patchy showers

 

Freezing Levels

 

Sunday - 2000m to 2400m generally, up to 3000m far South West

Monday - 2000m ( E Austria)  to 2800m ( W Austria/ E Switzerland), 3400m-3600 W Switzerland/ French Alps

Tuesday -2700m (North) - 3000m (South)

Wednesday - 1600m ( N and E Austria)  to 2000m ( W Austria/ E Switzerland), 2400m-2600m W Switzerland/ French Alps

Thursday - 2600m - 2800m (South) to 3100m-3200m (North)

Friday - 2100m-2500m (generally), 2600-3000m ( E Austria)

 

In summary a mild week

Edited March 16, 2014 by J10

[J10]

 

Latest Snow Depths update

		    Upper Lower			   Last 7	  Piste    OffResort Name piste piste  Last snowed    days    Quality   Piste   Lifts OpenAlpe d'Huez 270cm 150cm 28 Feb (25cm)  63cm   Powder     Powder  66 out of 70Tignes	  210cm 122cm 28 Feb (25cm)  35cm   Powder     Powder  79 out of 79Wengen	  140cm  45cm 27 Feb (10cm)  12cm   Excellent  Varied  19 out of 19St Moritz   196cm 146cm 27 Feb ( 5cm)   8cm   Excellent  Varied  22 out of 22Mayrhofen    79cm  10cm 22 Feb (10cm)   0cm   Excellent  Varied  25 out of 25Cervinia    320cm 110xm 28 Feb (10cm)  40cm   Excellent  Powder  13 out of 14 

 

Forgot about this last week

Latest Snow Depths update		    Upper Lower			   Last 7	  Piste        OffResort Name piste piste  Last snowed    days    Quality      Piste   Lifts OpenAlpe d'Huez 230cm 119cm 05 Mar (15cm)   0cm   Excellent    Tracked 69 out of 70Tignes	  220cm 114cm 04 Mar (20cm)   0cm        Good     Varied 78 out of 79Wengen	  130cm  30cm 04 Mar (05cm)   0cm   Spring Sn    Limited 18 out of 19St Moritz   186cm 125cm 03 Mar (02cm)   0cm        Good      Heavy 22 out of 22Mayrhofen    55cm   0cm 04 Mar (05cm)   0cm        Good  Spring Sn 24 out of 25Cervinia    330cm  80cm 04 Mar (25cm)   0cm   Excellent       Crud 14 out of 14 

Given the lack of snow this week, conditions have taken a bit of a downturn.

Edited March 16, 2014 by J10

[Paul]

Blog update - it's a great time to be skiing or snowboarding:

 

Spring in the alps - even the mannequins are hitting the slopes

[Blessed Weather]

Mon 11th March - a great days skiing here in Val Cenis in the Savoie, French Alps. It's been wall-to-wall sunshine and temps reached +15c in the village at 1,450 metres. We get on the pistes at 9 in the morning and ski until 2 pm. Then it's a long lunch and a ski back to the village through slush. At least the overnight lows are 0c, so the pistes are in great condition again by morning. Well done the pisteurs!!

[carinthian]

Mon 11th March - a great days skiing here in Val Cenis in the Savoie, French Alps. It's been wall-to-wall sunshine and temps reached +15c in the village at 1,450 metres. We get on the pistes at 9 in the morning and ski until 2 pm. Then it's a long lunch and a ski back to the village through slush. At least the overnight lows are 0c, so the pistes are in great condition again by morning. Well done the pisteurs!!

Nice. Reached 8c at 1560m. Also wall to wall sunshine, runs down to 1000m becoming slushy also. Still lots of snow retention and great conditions above 1600m with 300cm depth at 2200m and 150cm in village.

[J10]

In retrospect, I should have mentioned that the mild settled weather, has been giving some great skiing conditions for those on the slopes, and remember the sun tan lotion.

[Blessed Weather]

Whoops. Date in my post should have been Mon 17th. Shouldn't post from the bar after a few beers!! Even warmer today at +16c. Like a summers day. But pistes holding well above 2,000m even in the afternoon. Nose very red!! I should have read J10's post about sun cream!

[Blessed Weather]

Photo from piste side bar here in Val Cenis at 4.30 today.

[carinthian]

 

Another perfect day in Katschberg, warm sunshine and great pistes. Some melting taking places during the day light hours, however, due to the highest snowfall since 1975 in this location , there remains plenty of snow base to work with. The cold front expected to deliver another 50cm later this weekend with a colder air circulation in place for next week should produce fabulous conditions for those lucky enough to have a spring break or live locally. This season has just been amazing.

 C

[Paul]

Snow incoming to the Alps this weekend - goodbye t-shirts, hello powder!

http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=news;storyid=5756;sess=

[johnholmes]

yes it looks good for the next week re snow fall and down to lowish levels.

Anyone got a few hundred quid to loan an old fella for 2-3 days in the snow?

[carinthian]

gamskogel.jpg

 

Another perfect day in Katschberg, warm sunshine and great pistes. Some melting taking places during the day light hours, however, due to the highest snowfall since 1975 in this location , there remains plenty of snow base to work with. The cold front expected to deliver another 50cm later this weekend with a colder air circulation in place for next week should produce fabulous conditions for those lucky enough to have a spring break or live locally. This season has just been amazing.

 Cgamskogel.jpg

Warmest day of the year today. Cold front upgraded on Sunday to produce 50cm snowfall and return of freezing temperatures.

Looking forward to some great spring ski-ing next week with ski party.

C

[Paul]

Last warm one for a while though!

 

John, here you go