Most pow in Yurp?

[Rusty Nails]

Any esteemed Euro-expert want to tell me what areas get the most snowfall every winter? Also, what places in Italy/Austria get the most snowfall every winter? I cannot find hard data anywhere over here and my Italian sucks.

[le dog]

Rusty, I am from Treviso, North Eastern Italy so next to the Dolomites. here you can find some details (I am afraid in Italian). so far this winter has been of the worst here in North Eastern Italy, we got some snow in December and beginning of January and that was it. some new snow the past week but it lot of places there is no base so you might destroy your skis easily. great groomers skiing though (it had been very cold and snow has held up very well).

[Tectonically_Neglected]

Snowfall depends on weather systems and from which direction they hit the alps. The former two years where good for the southern alps. This year again has just over average cummulative snowfall but isnt stellar (to say the least)). That said, there are a few 'snowholes'.

There are a few that spring to mind but maybe not the most snow.
Tauplitz - E Austria
Obertauern - E Austria
Bregenzerwald/ Balderschwang - N Austria/ Germany
Andermatt - Central Switz
... are a few that spring to mind

[vendul]

Don't forget that the Alps are much smaller than American mountain ranges, but work the same way, the further you go from the plains and oceans and the less snow they get, but usually of much better quality. The places that get the most snow are usually the north Voralpen, the biggest dumps are in south Voralpen, especially in southern Piemonte. The good news is that being the Alps pretty small, you can allways get something. The Swiss have a grat site : www.slf.ch, there you can find accurate 24h and 3 days snowfalls yearly average and much more about the Swiss Alps, the mesuraments are millimetrical, so if in one spot it marks 30cm it is 30 cm, and you can also write them asking about datas.

[vendul]

By the way, where I ski they just got 45 cm of freshies, I'll be there on tue and wed, still wayting to meet you.

[sqikunst]

Its different every year. I think that is a pretty bad comparison that the Alps are a small mountain range. They are dense as when talking peaks and have a greater vertical profile when compared to American ranges besides perhaps the coastal range in Canada. If the storms come in from the south i.e Mediterranean then it dumps in Italy but dies out before it gets to Austria/Northern Switzerland. If the come from the west then France gets hammered. From the north and north west then places like Arlberg in Austria get hammered. In dry years its not really about the temps. This year was warm but it was just the lack of percipitation all round. There are a couple of places in the Alps that get snow from both notherly and southerly systems but all in all íts a crapshoot. 2008/2009 snowed buckets in Italy in Dec and Jan but there was barely enough snow to cover the piste in Northen Austria but then Febuary came and it was an entire month of faceshots. The Alps are difficult to predict where/when and how much. Its one of the many problems of a mountain range that runs from south to north then west to east.

[vendul]

When I said small I didn't mean low, I just meant that they cover a relatively small surface.
For the rest I can quote everything you said.

[Scottish_Skier]

I thought that Andermatt / Dissentis area got some of the highest average snowfall in the alps ? Apparently something like 13m a year...

Though measuring snow fall & depth is one of these things that is very subjective between geographic areas. Primarily because there is no scientific standard between different sites (i.e calibration for altitude / aspect / terrain / wind etc). Plus the actual answer for any given winter will be very dependent if the storm cycles come from the N,S, E or W...

Seeing as we are talking Europe (and not just the alps) I suspect that some years the west coast of Norway can also get massive snowfalls ?

[ClarkleberryFinn]

Pretty sure Stuben am Arlberg has one of the highest historical snow depths in the alps, can't remember where the data was from though.

[Roo]

If I was looking for quantity of snow, the higher reaches of the Arlberg would be tough to beat.

In all fairness though, for an American to come to the Alps in search of powder is like a European going to the Rockies and looking for massive vert. You'll get better at home.

[sqikunst]

I agree with the Arlberg comment. Nord stau effect. I think the biggest thing about the Alps is the huge variations in yearly snow depth. Its always nice when we get more cause then tree skiing is an option when its whiteout in the alpine but there have been a couple of years with soo much snow that the alpine stuff was not really skiable becuase of high avy danger. 2008/2009 was a heavy snow year and 25 degree was ripping out left and right. I dont know if this would be a very accurate thing to say but what sucks in the Alps are the regular small dumps that throw a buch of layers in the snow pack. But its the Alps so who really cares, even if the snow is shitty its crazy beautiful and there is huge vert to be had. 1500m vert of variable still kicks it if there is no pow.

[Rusty Nails]

verdul - where you skiing? Would be nice to meet up. I have a 4 month old baby girl, so my ski season has been largely lost (but worth the sacrifice).

Thanks for all the input. Just trying to hedge my bets a bit and figure out where I can increase my odds for finding fresh.

[Scottish_Skier]

If I was looking for quantity of snow, the higher reaches of the Arlberg would be tough to beat.

In all fairness though, for an American to come to the Alps in search of powder is like a European going to the Rockies and looking for massive vert. You'll get better at home.

FWIW the average annual snow fall in Europe (say Verbier) is usually higher than you find in interior North American resorts (Lake Louise / Colorado etc).

Always amuses me... euros drool about north american snow. yanks drool about euro terrain.

[powder11]

I have a 4 month old baby girl, so my ski season has been largely lost (but worth the sacrifice).

"don't worry little Astrid, mommy is going to take real good care of you while daddy goes to play with his friends"

[verbier61]

andermatt, engelberg, st.anton.