World Snow News 33
Welcome to the latest roundup of worldwide snow
conditions for members, together with weather prospects for the week
ahead from www.snow-forecast.com
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Website News
A drawback
with providing such a large selection of user configurable maps is that it
is time consuming to navigate to a particular combination of layers
and symbols of interest. We have added a tool to the map navigation to
enable members to add any selection to their on-site favorites. For
example, I frequently refer to a
map of live weather symbols
displayed on a pressure chart of all of Europe and now its possible to bookmark that
selection. We have also made a member page showing a summary of long range (6-9
day) prospects around the world
We have just included reports 5000+ additional live weather stations from around the World, bringing the total to almost 15,000. There are many more weather observations than we can display on a map without overcrowding and so only a subset of symbols are ever shown on maps. Even so, the additional observations in our database mean that for most ski resorts, the current weather menu of the nearest five weather stations now tends to show live observations from closer by than before, especially in North America where coverage has improved most. We are presently working on building dedicated web pages for each of these global weather stations so that users can click through to see exactly what the local weather has been like over the past few days, usually in 1hour or 3hr steps (depending on the reporting schedule of the particular station). More about this next time.
This week, we suspect that everyone is much more interested in any prospects for fresh snow in three areas that currently really need it: the Alps, Pyrenees and Scotland. Prospects are good and last weeks concern that high pressure would dominate the rest of winter in central Europe are looking unfounded. It was just a blip in what is certainly the most globally reliable ski season for very many years.
Summary:
- The Alps
have not seen significant snow for two weeks and sun has made for
spring skiing
- Conditions
should improve dramatically once Atlantic weather fronts return in a
week
- Conditions
should improve dramatically once Atlantic weather fronts return in a
week
- Pyrenees,
and especially Andorra, have had a dry ski season
- Showery snowfall has improved things a little but heavier snow is forecast at last
- Sierra Nevada has seen welcome fresh snow last week and next week delivers more
Scotland suffered a mid-week mild and wet spell as expected with a thaw even at the summits- Snowy conditions will return. Blizzards at times
Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel have fantastic conditions - as good as anywhere- So much snow fell at Mount Hermon in Israel that lifts were closed for a day
- Snow caused widespread disruption caused in Greece and Turkey. Athens was briefly snowbound
- A sunny week ahead for Greece and Bulgaria but another big snowfall for Lebanon
- Unusually heavy snow has also fallen at resorts in the Caucuses - many roads blocked
Great skiing conditions at most North American resorts as yet another snowfall records falls- The current storm will drop up to 30cm-60cm (a foot or two) of snow at Tahoe resorts
- Heavy snow has caused disruption in Ohio
- Strong
weather contrast between often mild south Appalachian resorts and very
wintry ones further north
500cm of snow has fallen so far this season at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec - a new record
Conditions in Scandinavia are very good once again- Another snowy week ahead, especially in Norway
- Eastern Greenland is another region
that has experienced an exceptionally cold and snowy season. It is reported
that for the first time in a generation it is possible for Inuit people to
dogsled across fjords to visit neighboring communities due to extensive sea
ice.
We were slightly over-optimistic last week when we predicted that a light mid-week snowfall would bring some relief to western Alpine resorts. Although the French and Swiss weather radar images showed some snow falling in the expected places on Wednesday, snow reports suggest that it was only a dusting at best and that made no real difference to conditions. Alpine snow conditions remain spring-like as a result of repeated freeze-thaw; resorts in Italy faring best but nowhere escaping altogether. The huge European anticyclone that has kept the Alps dry and sunny for more than two weeks (at some places for three weeks) is showing signs of slipping away. The return to westerly Atlantic air, already across Britain, should eventually mark a return to snowy weather. Initially, northern and western parts of the Alps will see any snow, but we are growing confident that unsettled conditions will spread further south and east as pressure falls over north west Europe in a week. The Atlantic westerlies will not be especially cold to begin with, so there will be some rain rather than snow at low elevations at first (below 2000m) but by the end of next week a cold front should introduce much lower freezing levels and heavy snow to low levels; not just in the Alps but in peripheral ranges like the Vosges, Black Forest, Jura and the Massif Central. Indeed not for the first time this season, these areas will probably see more of the snowy weather than the Alps. Our current concern is that any really heavy snow is not forecast for another eight days and requires an Atlantic low to deepening dramatically. Previous experience cautions us that the model may have overcooked things a bit and that it is still a little too far out to be confident in the model - a less deep low will not direct weather fronts as far south. Watch the forecast charts closely over the next couple of days to see if each successive model run looks similar.
Pyrenees and Iberia
The Pyrenees, the Sierra Nevada as well as lesser ski areas in Spain have all seen some precipitation last week but the showery nature of it did not bring about a dramatic improvement anywhere. A dusting of snow in Andorra on Monday still leaves pistes there hard and much thinner than usual for the time of year. It does look as if a much more significant snowfall will bring a marked improvement to all areas in about a week. Meanwhile, mostly fine in Andorra apart from a very light snowfall this weekend. For the Sierra Nevada, mostly cloudy skies, often with light snow for 6 or 7 days.
Scotland
Westerly winds have swept mild air across Britain displacing the dry and frosty conditions. In Scotland, there was some preceding snow but the local equivalent of a Föhn wind pushed temperatures as high as 14°C in eastern coastal parts on Thursday afternoon. More worryingly it briefly reached 6°C at the summit of Aonach Mor ski station and the cobination of rain and strong winds mean that the only skiing available on Thursday was served by a single lift at the Lecht. Thankfully, the forecast is much more encouraging. The Atlantic air turns steadily colder and there will be periods of snow showers and even blizzard conditions as polar air sweeps down across Britain in a week to nine days.
Scandinavia
It continues to be a good ski season in Scandinavia. Oppdal received 30cm of snow on Monday and conditions at Voss have improved following 10cm of snow on Thursday morning. Snow will continue off and on for several days. In Sweden, snowfall has been lighter because of the shelter from the westerly winds. The next week or so sees quite a lot of fresh snow in the forecast but this will initially fall as rain at low elevation little resorts in Southern Sweden. If you are heading here from Germany and Denmark this weekend, it will certainly be worth driving that bit further north and west.
Eastern Europe
Bulgarian ski centre Pamporovo has announced plans to extend the ski area to link the existing village of Stoikite to the resort’s network. A three kilometre long six-seat chairlift will be installed to make the connection upwards. Two new ski runs, seven kilometres long will be cut for skiers to use to reach Stoikite. Bulgaria has spring like conditions with the snowpack refreezing overnight then softening as the day warms up. Although Bulgaria and Romania have seen modest snowfalls of late, the real weather action last week was once again further south with very heavy snowfall in eastern Greece, Turkey and Cyprus. This subsequently spread into Lebanon and Israel. As forecast last time, despite its low altitude, stunningly scenic Mount Pilion , near the city of Volos, was especially hard hit because its slopes are exposed to easterly winds off the Aegean. Even Athens saw 10-20cm of snow falling in the higher suburbs and on the big island of Evia, mid way between here and Pilion, many villages were cut off by snow drifts. We would love to hear from any locals who took advantage of what must have been epic powder conditions on nearby 1745m high Mount Dirfis, an undeveloped summit that offers some great descents through open pine forest after a dump. In northern Greece, where the previous system had already delivered great conditions, temperatures fell as low as -20°C at Mt-Voras-Kaimaktsalan. This resort has a reputation for the being the best place in Greece to look for powder, and given the low temperatures and easterly winds of the last two weeks, no doubt it delivered. Mostly sunny there, but slowly warming up over the forecast period. Such low temperatures are not nearly so unusual for the interior of Turkey and conditions here have been at least as severe in Greece with rare snow right to the coast. The lastest dump was just the latest in an excellent ski season and most resorts now have 2m+ bases. Unlike the Alps temperatures have recently been low enough to keep the snow in great condition between falls. Following the heavy snow of a few days ago, a fine week of weather is forecast but with steadily rising temperatures bringing freeze-thaw conditions for a change.
Middle East
Last week we forecast that Mount Hermon a very popular resort in Israel would see a big fall of snow. In the event, so much snow fell that on Tuesday they closed the resort. Snow fell on Monday night on all of the Israel's mountains above 600m in the north and centre of the country, accompanied by some very strong winds. The weather soon cleared and presumably there has been a brief window of wonderful skiing conditions. The forecast if for several days of quite mild weather, except for a distinct cold snap with further snow on Monday. Tuesday looks like it will be another good day on the hill before the snow becomes soft again on Wednesday. Being that much higher, colder resorts in Lebanon will fare better - heavier snow on Monday and staying in good condition for longer. According to our hindcasts, Monday's Mediterranean weather system even caused snow to fall on the not especially high mountains of northern Libya west of Tobruk.
Canadian Rockies and West Coast
Just light to moderate snowfalls, and even some sun for a change at Whistler for a few days, before another snowy weather system arrives in the middle of next week. Whistler has a healthy 2.5m base of snow, but for the deepest snow base in Canada, Fernie wins with 3.5m (12 feet). They have received an astonishing 8m of snowfalls so far this season but the recent weather has been quite mild and sunny both in Alberta and British Columbia. The $500m Peak to Peak Gondola lift that will link the summits of Whistler Blackcomb will commence in month and should be up and running in December 2008, well ahead of the 2010 Olympics. This is a very audacious project that will transform the resort next season. You can watch the progress on the Construction cam Even though the Alps, along with many minor ski areas are having a great 2008 ski season, we can't help wondering if investors in snowsure Canadian temperature resorts like Whistler and Revelstoke, believe that the demise of Alpine skiing is a done deal (at Revelstoke they are spending a cool $1 billion and will soon offer the biggest vertical in North America, together with direct flights to Britain and Europe). It certainly seems they are counting on seeing a lot more European visitors in the less snowsure decades to come.
American Rockies and California
Heavenly Heavenly and Squaw Valley in California received 5cm of fresh snow on Wednesday leaving a soft layer of powder on their packed trails -they have an ample 2.5m to 3.5m of base already. It's snowing there right now too and it will get heavier. Expect a very heavy snowfall in the Tahoe area this weekend as a series of storms roll through. Heaviest on Saturday night, and with strong winds too. Something like 2 feet or more (60cm +) of snow falling at high elevations from that system alone, and about half that depth at resort elevation where temperatures are close to freezing. These storm systems will clear away quickly to be followed by low temperatures, light winds and glorious sunny weather next week. In short, perfection. In a season of remarkable snow records, here is yet another one: with more than 24 feet of snow, most of it falling since December 1st, Vail has already received more snow than any other season in its history. It snowed 24 of the 31 days in January the highest number of January snow days in seven years. Staying cold and often snowy for several days, heaviest snow on Sunday night. Clouds clearing by Wednesday.
Appalachians
Last week we mentioned that there would be enormous variability in weather conditions along the mountains of the Eastern seaboard. This is still the case and is typical for the time of year because the Canadian interior is at about its coldest but down in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico temperatures are already climbing. During spring, as warm air pulses north and cold fronts head south, often spawning tornadoes, it becomes nearly impossible to summarise the weather prospects over a week in just a few sentences because the temperature varies a lot over very small distances and short periods. In the far north of this region, where the warm air rarely reaches in winter, describing the forecast is more straightforward. For example, 500cm of snow has fallen so far this season at Mont-Sainte-Anne in Quebec - a new record and a vast improvement on the 200cm recorded in all of last season. Just a dusting of fresh snow here on Thursday morning and temperatures of a chilly -12°C here, -14°C at Tremblant. Staying bitterly cold here with mixed weather (some sun, some light snow) before a band of quite heavy snow crosses Tuesday when it will at least be briefly milder, but certainly not mild. Mount Snow in Vermont reported 13cm of fresh snow on Wednesday and has powdery upper slopes with excellent skiing conditions although temperatures have dropped below -10°C. Thursday night look like being snowy, then a perfect sunny weekend to follow. Snowy again on Tuesday. Looking much further south along the Appalachians, Beech Mountain Resort in North Carolina is typical of those places that are under sub-tropical air one day and polar air the next. Take a look at the forecast freezing level graph and temperatures on a forecast page and you will see exactly what we mean.- We hope you enjoy our weekly member
editorials. You can browse the entire archive of weekly editorials here
if you missed any.
The snow-forecast team
