Chamonix Historical Snowfall

[klar]

(this is annual precipitation in mm)

I love TGR most when experts discuss skiing in Europe

[comish]

Yeah, there is only 9k vert from town to the top... No snowfall variation over the 9k feet

[PNWbrit]

Alpental is superior and we can talk about it in real life @17BBI.

Don't go full retard Bob.

[FluffyLilKitten]

(this is annual precipitation in mm)

I love TGR most when experts discuss skiing in Europe

So according to that the absolute deepest color anywhere near Chamonix is 70".

[FluffyLilKitten]

Yeah, there is only 9k vert from town to the top... No snowfall variation over the 9k feet

Snowfall variation due to elevation is a lot a wetness thing instead of a precipitation thing. And even when it is not it is not to the tune of a %1200 difference. Jackson Hole base snowfall right now is 148" and their summit snowfall is 217". That's a %46 difference over 4,000 vertical feet which is about half of the Chamonix difference. So even if we assume %100 more snow at the top those numbers are still very pathetic.

[abraham]

(this is annual precipitation in mm)

I love TGR most when experts discuss skiing in Europe

What's the cause of the blob near Tarvisio?

[Cosmic Suncloud]

What's the cause of the blob near Tarvisio?

shhhhh....






jalovec baby

[ClarkleberryFinn]

(this is annual precipitation in mm)

I love TGR most when experts discuss skiing in Europe

So according to that the absolute deepest color anywhere near Chamonix is 70".

And then convert those mm of water into snow...

[klar]

What's the cause of the blob near Tarvisio?

All the blobs are due to lifting effects at the local/regional topography that cause increased precipitation during certain flow patterns. That particular one is the Triglav range/ Julian Alps, an island of comparatively high mountains surrounded by otherwise not so high mountains/hills. That area gets a lot of precip from storms that form in the Adriatic, because it is the first higher thing in the way of those storm tracks.

here's one for the us, mean annual precipitation in inches, i.e. water equivalent of total precipitation not snow:

[peds]

I'd like to thank Klar for bringing this thread to my attention, and for covering the complicated meteorological side of things. I'll just say a few words about the skiing in Chamonix instead.

Chamonix is home to some pretty weird people who put skiing higher on the list of life's necessities than things like eating or showering or regular social interraction. Regardless of how much snow we've got, we will always go out and ski it, at any time of the year. I was lucky enough to enjoy a few powder turns from the Midi back in early September, as did a handful of similarly-strange individuals.
It doesn't matter if it's a low snow year (like this season so far) or a bumper crop, there's always something exciting to do here. Just this last week has seen at least three brand-new ski descents put up in the Argentiere basin, despite the questionable conditions. If anything, these slightly-drier times might actually encourage people to think outside of the box a little more, as the conditions on some of the big classics just aren't up to scratch.

I quite like low-snow. It keeps the crowds away, which means there are fewer people heading to the same lines, which means you can be a little more patient and let things sit for a while. Conditions are, for the most part, settled, stable, and safe right now. It's awesome! Sure, it's a shame that there isn't any nipple-deep to go with that, but hell, can't win them all.

When the snow does come, I think I'm going to stay indoors for a couple of days, or just take my dog on a few forest ski tours. Things are going to be brutal up there when it does finally arrive. Hordes of powder-starved freeriders racing to get to new snow on an old base... bad times ahead.

[rob stokes]

Hey that's where the Chamonix "snow observation station" is at. If you know of snow measurements higher up then let me know. It is still 10m higher than the bottom of their main tram. And the vast majority of resort's the world over report their base lodge snowfall not their summit (or even mid-mountain). In the case of Chamonix with the world's longest vertical I do see the problem of base snowfall vs top, but somehow I don't think 27" of annual snowfall at where you get on their tram is really 400" at the top of it. I mean this is not Whistler where the bottom means rain and the top means snow, this is the middle of the Alps, it's about is their any freakin precipitation and if there is then the top might have a bit more than the bottom.

Please listen to what I am saying.

The base of the midi is is not ski terrain. You rarely ski down there as its always thin!

The midi is not a ski resort, it is a gondola that take you up about 2800m vert to the top of a massive mountain. If you ski a lap to the valley you often walk the last bit.

Most resorts measure snow at mid mountain, so for chamonix that would be about 2000m

[FluffyLilKitten]

It doesn't matter if it's a low snow year (like this season so far) or a bumper crop, there's always something exciting to do here.

Fair enough.

[digitaldeath]

Me? Oh god I'm nothing. I know a girl who collects unemployment in CA, unemployment in NV, gets something like $1500 a month in disability for having "backpain", pays $1 a month for $1500 a month health insurance by way of Obamacare subsidize, and then makes a couple grand a night as a "dancer". She drives a $100k Mercedes. I know another woman in FL just like that.

You are the dumb fuck Democrats who create that system. You are the immoral one not me. I vote against that shit. You vote for it.

only 100k mercedes, must be old and shitty

[splat]

Here' the forecast:

Originally Posted by Angry Whelk:

a more stupid motherfuck does not exist.
Big Balls is worst asshat kind.
kind that wear bukkake from above.
with warm drown he gurgles final death, for one time not worried about his misplaced import known of african american social standing and prominent community members. for he is only drown, as is the way.

[Buster Highmen]

I love TGR most when experts discuss skiing.

FIFY

[FluffyLilKitten]

a more stupid motherfuck does not exist.
Big Balls is worst asshat kind.
kind that wear bukkake from above.
with warm drown he gurgles final death, for one time not worried about his misplaced import known of african american social standing and prominent community members. for he is only drown, as is the way.

That from the bible?

[hutash]

Snowfall variation due to elevation is a lot a wetness thing instead of a precipitation thing. And even when it is not it is not to the tune of a %1200 difference. Jackson Hole base snowfall right now is 148" and their summit snowfall is 217". That's a %46 difference over 4,000 vertical feet which is about half of the Chamonix difference. So even if we assume %100 more snow at the top those numbers are still very pathetic.

Chamonix does not get any snow, that is why nobody skis there and all the hardcore rippers like you go to Vail. Please stay away from Chamonix and leave it to the posers like Klar who don't know anything about European snow conditions. Core brobrahs like you know all there is to know about local conditions.

[peds]

Chamonix does not get any snow

To be fair, we haven't had any snow for about a month now.

Still got to rip the guts out of this one today:

[TAFKALVS]

To be fair, we haven't had any snow for about a month now.

Still got to rip the guts out of this one today:

Looks marginal and unfun.

[whitekingsalmon]

Hey that's where the Chamonix "snow observation station" is at. If you know of snow measurements higher up then let me know. It is still 10m higher than the bottom of their main tram. And the vast majority of resort's the world over report their base lodge snowfall not their summit (or even mid-mountain). In the case of Chamonix with the world's longest vertical I do see the problem of base snowfall vs top, but somehow I don't think 27" of annual snowfall at where you get on their tram is really 400" at the top of it. I mean this is not Whistler where the bottom means rain and the top means snow, this is the middle of the Alps, it's about is their any freakin precipitation and if there is then the top might have a bit more than the bottom.

Just shut the fuck up already... fucking stupid americans

[FluffyLilKitten]

Just shut the fuck up already... fucking stupid americans

But dude, you get no snow.

[hutash]

To be fair, we haven't had any snow for about a month now.

Still got to rip the guts out of this one today:

That's what I mean, leave Cham to you posers, that looks like it really sucked

[mall walker]

Snowfall variation due to elevation is a lot a wetness thing instead of a precipitation thing. And even when it is not it is not to the tune of a %1200 difference. Jackson Hole base snowfall right now is 148" and their summit snowfall is 217". That's a %46 difference over 4,000 vertical feet which is about half of the Chamonix difference. So even if we assume %100 more snow at the top those numbers are still very pathetic.

I realize you're just trolling so there's not much point arguing but you could look at eg the base at Collins (56") and compare to 3000' lower in the valley where there is 0" (or maybe 2" on sheltered N facing). It's pretty silly to take one random example case and try to extrapolate it to a place I'm guessing you've never been. Also a fresh protip: those precip #s in that chart tend to be measured in liquid, not snow.

[FluffyLilKitten]

^^^ Come on man, comparing the "valley" of the SLC desert and the "valley" of a small town between two huge mountains in the middle of the Alps are two completely different things. The city of SLC is not in the mountains, it is in the desert, the town of Chamonix IS in the mountains.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot]

.........there isn't any nipple-deep to go with that..........

thats tits-deep