The PlanetSKI Snow Report
28th January 2024
Last modified on February 2nd, 2024
Warm weather and blue sky are dominating in the Alps with it set to continue. PlanetSKI is currently in Turkey where things are rather different – it’s cold and snowy. UPDATED
Friday 2nd February
The warm weather continues in the Alps as February gets underway.
There is no sign of anything changing in the next few days as the snow deteriorates in some places, especially south-facing slopes at low altitude.
There remains plenty of snow in the high-altitude resorts.
“Snow depths remain healthy at higher altitudes across the northern Alps, including in the high French resorts (Val d’Isère, La Plagne, Val Thorens), the higher areas of many Swiss resorts ( Verbier, Engelberg, Davos, Laax) and the higher Austrian resorts (Arlberg, Ischgl, Obergurgl, Obertauern),” said Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk.
“Lower down, however, natural snow is much more modest or non-existent right across the Alps, including at resort level in the likes of Morzine, Gstaad, Grindelwald and Zell am See.
“The lower slopes of many southern Alpine resorts are also patchy.”
There is a hint of a change in the weather in the Alps next week ahead of the busy half-term holidays, but it is far too early to make any accurate predictions.
It is a similar situation in the Pyrenees with warm weather and no fresh snow.
We’ll keep you posted on PlanetSKI..
Wednesday 31st January
It’s looking good in Kartalkaya in Turkey as PlanetSKI wakes up.
It should be another fab ski day in Turkey…
Update:
It has been.
One of my best day’s of the season.
Here’s why:
Did we mention the views?
And the weather and snow conditions in the Alps & the Pyrenees today?
No change to report.
It’s warm, spring-like and some snow would be very welcome.
More to follow..
Tuesday 30th January
PlanetSKI’s editor James Cove is currently in Kartalkaya in Turkey.
Here’s his first report on the conditions:
Now if you are wondering why James is excited about the blue sky coming it’s because there wasn’t great visibility across the day with cloud and mist coming in at a moment’s notice.
Skiing in Turkey. Image © PlanetSKI
It happens on a regular basis and the resort even has ‘piste lights’ so people can see where they are going.
Skiing in Turkey. Image © PlanetSKI
Skiing in Turkey. Image © PlanetSKI
James will be updating his rolling blog shortly on his first impressions of skiing in Turkey.
It’s an altogether different experience:
Do do check back…
Skiing in Turkey. Image © PlanetSKI
Meanwhile in the Alps snow conditions remain generally good at altitude but are deteriorating lower down, especially on south-facing slopes.
The warm weather in the Alps has led to the cancellation of more World Cup racing – the women’s events in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Germany is the latest.
“Due to the high temperatures and therefore unfavourable snow conditions the scheduled women’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup races on 3rd-4th February 2024 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) are cancelled due to safety reasons,” said the International Ski & Snowboard Federation, FIS.
And poor weather in the Pyrenees has also led to events being cancelled with the Freeride World Tour in Arcalis in Andorra being shelved.
“Even though the mountain offered optimal conditions a few weeks ago, recent rains and rising temperatures have damaged the off-piste snowpack, making it too dangerous to meet the safety standards for a FWT Pro competition,” said a statement from the organisers.
More to follow…
Monday 29th January:
Here’s the latest from the man that knows about these things – Fraser Wilkin from weathertoski.co.uk:
“High pressure is firmly in control of the weather in the Alps, meaning lots of dry and fine weather over the next few days.
“The location of the high, centred to the east of the Alps, is also dragging up a very mild southerly airflow.
“Snow conditions are quasi-spring like in many parts, despite the relatively low sun angle, with some afternoon slush expected on lower slopes, especially on south-facing ones in the western Alps (where it is warmest).
“The absence of snow at low altitudes is also becoming increasingly noticeable, with many lower southern and western regions looking more like late March than late January.”
PlanetSKI’s Jane Peel has been in Austria for the past week or so, and her reports are lower down this article.
Sportgastein, Austria, January 2024. Image © PlanetSKI
And if you want to know what ski conditions are like in Turkey this week (who wouldn’t?), then look no further than PlanetSKI.
Our editor, James Cove, is catching the 11.30 flight from Heathrow to Istanbul on Monday and then heading off to some of the county’s ski slopes.
More to follow…
Sunday 28th January
We’re in for a dry & warm spell in the Alps this week as February approaches.
There is no snow in the forecast and it should remain sunny and increasingly warm all this week.
PlanetSKI’s Jane Peel is skiing in Gasteinertal in Austria from her base in Bad Gastein.
“As forecast, today there are clear blue skies and sunshine in this part of Austria,” said Jane on Sunday.
“I have spent the morning in Sportgastein where there are lots of lovely long, fast runs from the top at 2686m to the bottom of the gondola.
Sportgastein today. Image © PlanetSKI
“It’s not as cold as yesterday, there’s no wind and the pistes are in excellent condition. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday in late January.”
Here is Jane’s video report from Saturday with a bit more about conditions and the ski area itself:
It’s been looking rather sunny further west in Davos too.
PlanetSKI reader Helen Gillespie has just sent us these images from the Swiss resort:
Davos, Switzerland. Image c/o Helen Gillespie
Davos, Switzerland. Image c/o Helen Gillespie
The warm weather is having an impact on the snowpack.
South-facing slopes are being affected, especially at low altitude.
It has already resulted in the cancellation of some events.
📢 Breaking News: Due to the high temperatures and unfavorable snow conditions, the two scheduled Downhill races in Chamonix (FRA) on the 2nd-3rd February are cancelled.
The slalom on Sunday is still confirmed as scheduled.#fisalpine— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) January 27, 2024
More to follow…
