Weekly report from HAT - 23/01/08
Since we last wrote there has been another 10-20cm. The season rides on.
Weather:
There were big winds and a little snow on Tuesday. (See Andreas report below) The bulletin points out that there may be some wind slab especially higher up.
There is a huge high pressure (1040MB) dropping in now and it looks to be settled for all of next week. Any snow or rain will be confined to the Eastern Alps and Austria.
So welcome to an early spring. Lots of sunshine mild afternoon temperatures, Snow re freezing at night. We could see spring like conditions next week. Cold powdery snow where it is high and north facing. Sun transformed snow on South ish facing slopes.
Next week offers the prospect of beautiful skiing, but you will have to hunt intelligently for good off piste - there will be plenty to be found.
If you believe long term weather models, they show winter returning from 4th or 6th February. If they are right there will be lots of fresh snow for the half term school holidays.
Safety
The snow pack seems to be stabilising (see Henry's comments below). But look out for slides on the south side is the sun starts to have a big effect (wait and see).
Look out for wind slab on the North sie following the big winds on Tuesday as per the bulletin, but they say this is limited in scope. As always you need to apply judgement at all times.
Looking for the best snow
We gave this advice last week, but it seems even more relevant given the weather forecast for next week, so I left it in. With the warmer weather that is forecast and a lot of sunshine next week. It will be more important to look at slope aspect when you are judging where to find good snow.
At this time of year south east to south west slopes catch the sun and this will change the snow as the temperature goes up. Slopes from north east to north west remain largely shady and it is here that you will find more powdery snow. This is very apparent when you ski down gulley's and the character of snow changes as you ski from side to side. Remember that is is not just slope angle but also slope aspect that affects how the snow responds to the sunshine.
Steep North facing slopes get no sun. Low angle north facing slopes get oblique sun, Low angle south facing slopes get some sun, but steep south facing slopes get intense solar radiation. You can observe the effects of this by noticing the different types of snow you encounter as you ski around.
So be careful, study the bulletins (on our web logs.) and read ski diaries from Andreas, Henry and Wayne Watson of Alpine Experience. Future ezines will be on Wednesday evening or Thursday - next one on 30th January.
Regards, Chris Radford: HAT ezine editor
Tignes Snow Report - 23/01/08
Hello again. Well this past week certainly started out warm,... then windy,... then a bit snowy and windy then very warm again. The end result is a stabilization of the snowpack. It's true that when it gets really warm on a slope the snow becomes more and more unstable the closer it gets to its melting point (like just about any solid I think!). But after, if it gets colder again it becomes more stable than it was before the melting. This is what happens in springtime and well, seems to be happening now.
So the snowpack is getting more and more stable in areas that have been subjected to warming - and then to colder temps. But I'm still tempted to go to places that still have colder snow. These are places where there hasn't been much settling and I'm going there because the snow might be better in these areas (e.g. high and north'ish'). In these higher areas I'm remaining vigilant especially on steeper slopes with lots of snow (slopes that were 'wind loaded' in the last storms).
There could be the odd unstable layer of snow lurking around up high: close to ridges, passes, on steep slopes and probably on the north'ish' side of the mountain... again in the places we want to be riding.
Tip of the week:
Some slopes can avalanche even when there is a very low avalanche rating. In fact, I was taken in an avalanche on a rating of 1. Stupid? Yes.
Ride Hard Ride Safe! Henry
PS Check out our beeper training programmes in Val d'Isère (and soon to be coming to other resorts). Call Chris for more info: 020 8144 5202 or send an email: [email protected]
