 Poster: A snowHead
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The GFS 00Z today takes away the chance of anything significant snow-wise in the next 2 weeks and shows a cold plunge early next week. No real agreement across the ensemble beyond the milder, sunny weather until the 6th though.
Clearly there's a struggle to shift the blocking high which is hovering around Biscay and affecting S Britain, most of France and N Spain. It's ridging East into France which is cutting off the cold Northerly flow into Andorra and allowing the slightly milder weather currently enjoyed, but maybe it slips far enough away again to allow the cold Continental flow to return early next week, that's still up in the air.
The jet stream is currently being forced over the top through Scotland, across the North Sea and down into the E Alps. Some parts of Austria are currently getting blasted.
Maybe if the High were to slip NE twd Britain/Scandinavia more, it would let in some moisture to the Pyrenees. If I'm reading it right, I think that's the hopeful scenario.
https://www.wetterzentrale.de/en/show_diagrams.php?geoid=10&model=gem&var=201&run=00&lid=ENS&bw=1
https://wepowder.com/en/forum/topic/287407
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Bergfex are now showing a small amount of snow (4-6cm) with a cold plunge for Mon/Tues/Wed next week, not much, but might help freshen things up a bit if it comes to pass.
https://www.bergfex.com/grandvalira/wetter/prognose/
It looks like the current Biscay High drifts NE to Britain over the weekend, this changes the flow across the W Med to Easterly and draws moisture towards the Med Coast of Spain along with cold air from Central Europe. How far North any moisture hits the coast will affect the extent to which the Pyrenees are affected on Mon/Tues.
By midweek, the High continues to ridge E into Germany & Poland and the flow turns to SE into Spain which will bring slightly milder temps and give more chance of moisture into the E Pyrenees on Wed.
By next weekend it looks like the Azores High might reassert itself with a drier, cooler Continental flow for Andorra, but we are getting towards a low reliability of forecast in that time frame.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The calm before the half term storm here too. It's mega quiet.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Anyone got any experience of Pal Arnisal during half term? Just got an email from school saying my son has got on the ski trip for half term 2024, and wondering what he can expect? He’s a decent skier (we’re actually in Les Gets as I type and if my calcs are correct this his 10th ski trip), so it’s more out of interest rather than anything.
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| Timmycb5 wrote: |
| Anyone got any experience of Pal Arnisal during half term? Just got an email from school saying my son has got on the ski trip for half term 2024, and wondering what he can expect? He’s a decent skier (we’re actually in Les Gets as I type and if my calcs are correct this his 10th ski trip), so it’s more out of interest rather than anything. |
Based upon current conditions, a lot of it will be hard pack and icy in the mornings. If we get more than 10cm of snow before then, then hopefully there will ber some fun bits between the trees again.
Pal's best area for accomplished skiers is the Pic de Cubil area. One main lift serves this area and there are a couple of button lifts around, which are are good to avoid the crowds.
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I noticed today's update on Bergfex dials back the amounts expected early next week to 1-2cm on Monday, that's just a dusting! 
Keep an eye though as it's clearly up in the air a bit between the different forecasts.
There is moisture about in the W Med that should get pushed into Spain next week and fall as snow at altitude, but looks like it may make landfall too far S to affect the Pyrenees significantly.
Valencia may be in for a bit of a wet week though!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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10cm would be a lovely touch. Arcalis was pretty decent today.
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| ysb33r wrote: |
| 10cm would be a lovely touch. Arcalis was pretty decent today. |
Good to hear! I'm wondering whether to do a day up there next week.
I switched accommodation to a place near Ordino and have a car, so can travel to any resort.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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A welcome return of snow to the Les Angles webcam- looking like today and tomorrow may include a decent top up- going away in 2 weeks time so fingers crossed!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@luigi, definitely worth a day up at Arcalis. I love it up there.
There was a little bit of snow around first thing this morning and the forecast for the next couple of days is showing around 10cm.
@Timmycb5, Pal can get quite busy at times during school holidays. It's very popular with school groups. It's a good fun area though and the instructors are mostly young so they're happy to do lots of silly stuff with decent skiers.
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@hammerite, cheers for that. That sounds like it suit my lad to a tee.
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You know it makes sense.
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@hammerite, yeah Mrs L likes the look of the Megaverda long green down from the top at Arcalis as an easy start. Can you buy a half-day (afternoon) ticket at Arcalis? I can't see the option on the website.
Looking good on the latest forecast, a bit of a freshen up this week (7-11cm) with cold temps preserving it and milder, sunny weather from Friday into next week, couldn't have planned it better!! 
https://www.bergfex.com/grandvalira/wetter/prognose/
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Orange weather alert for tomorrow in the Pyrénées Orientales. Snowfall forecast at low altitude and up to 40cm above 1000m. That's the pre half term top-up sorted there
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It's been snowing here at a reasonable rate for the last hour with the added bonus that it seems to be falling rather than being blown sideways at 100kph like we've had quite a bit this season.
@luigi, what pass are you planning to get? Arcalis is included in the Grandvalira pass that covers the whole of Andorra. The other option is the Nord Pass that covers Arcalis and Pal/Arinsal. There doesn't seem to be a 1/2 day pass any more but I know no more than you do from using the website. They might offer a half day if you turn up at the ticket office but it doesn't look like you can online.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@luigi, I've no idea about the price of day passes or the multiday passes unfortunately. All my family and friends who ski have season passes.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Snowing on the La Molina webcams! That must be at least 15cm so far this year...
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Been snowing for a fair few hours on the Les Angles webcams- fingers crossed the top up will be sufficient to open up the right hand side at last!
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@8611, 
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The snow falling here was a bit weird today. It fell nearly all day but didn’t seem to settle very much around where I work. Jnr was on the mountain and he thought there was probably 6-10cm so in line with the forecast. It was cold too so the snow cannons we’re going all morning.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| luigi wrote: |
| hammerite wrote: |
It's been snowing here at a reasonable rate for the last hour with the added bonus that it seems to be falling rather than being blown sideways at 100kph like we've had quite a bit this season.
@luigi, what pass are you planning to get? Arcalis is included in the Grandvalira pass that covers the whole of Andorra. The other option is the Nord Pass that covers Arcalis and Pal/Arinsal. There doesn't seem to be a 1/2 day pass any more but I know no more than you do from using the website. They might offer a half day if you turn up at the ticket office but it doesn't look like you can online. |
The passes are a bit of a minefield with the dynamic online pricing. Sometimes cheaper per day with a day pass than buying a 3-day ticket! 
Do the online discounts dry up as you approach the day in question?
We were only planning on skiing 3 days, so can't get the discount of a 6 day pass. We might add on a 4th day and ski the last day and head to Barcelona after that. If we get there early enough on Sunday we could ski that afternoon as well, so could extend to 4.5 days total.
Grandvalira have online prices for morning/afternoon passes, but not the Nord resorts individually.
Then there's the complication of whether everyone will want to ski every day. Also, buying a GV pass is overkill if you were skiing a lot in Arcalis or Pal Arinsal, which are cheaper per day.
Then the 4+ day Nord Pass includes one day in GV
Then Caldea offer a hefty discount on a day ski pass if you book it along with a spa visit, which everyone seems very keen on.
Simplest would be to book 5 day GV passes and be done with it!
But I think I'll just book day passes the evening before once everyone is decided who's skiing and where, then pick up at the ticket office/dispensing machines in the morning!
As long as I end up spending less than the €57 per adult per day and €48 per junior that the 5 day GV pass currently costs, I'll be quids in! |
Maybe you can get some better deals, but in general I recommend getting the GV+ passes. You pay full price the first day and the more you go the cheaper it gets. It is also more flexible w.r.t to ski days. You only pay once you pass through the first gate. If you don't go on day 2, then you don't pay for day 2. You can order them on plus.grandvalira.com and pick them up at the first ski station you go to.
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| hammerite wrote: |
| @luigi, I've no idea about the price of day passes or the multiday passes unfortunately. All my family and friends who ski have season passes. |
No difficult decisions there! Only how to pay for it!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| ysb33r wrote: |
Maybe you can get some better deals, but in general I recommend getting the GV+ passes. You pay full price the first day and the more you go the cheaper it gets. It is also more flexible w.r.t to ski days. You only pay once you pass through the first gate. If you don't go on day 2, then you don't pay for day 2. You can order them on plus.grandvalira.com and pick them up at the first ski station you go to. |
Thanks, I'll look into that! 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Sorry for the diversion from the weather, but just looking closer at the 'pay-as-you-go' GV+ pass...
There's a €5 per person upfront charge for admin.
You then pay the full retail price for the 1st ski day in EACH of the 3 ski areas (GV, Pal-Arinsal & Arcalis), before you then get the 2nd and subsequent days with 15% discount.
They talk about family discounts if 4 or more all ski together, but no exact details on this.
The advantage would be just visting the tills once to pick them up, but I still can't work out if it would work out the best deal for us on such a short stay trying to ski different resorts
It probably would work for someone staying a week or two and skiing one area like GV, perhaps not sure if they will be skiing every day, as after paying €5 plus €60 for the first day, you get all the other days for €51, which seems to be less than the per day rate on the multiday passes.
I've never encountered such a complicated price/marketing structure anywhere else though. Normally it's fixed prices (whether you buy online or in person) that just get a bit cheaper per day on multi-day passes until it's worth buying a season pass, which you might get cheaper if you buy it early. Sometimes a difference between high and low seasons.
There must be a Machiavellian internet marketing guru headhunted from Ryanair and now tucked away in the bowels of the Grandvalira Resorts office devising ever more fiendishly complicated ways of marketing the product, maximising revenues and harvesting client data
Last edited by And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports. on Wed 8-02-23 9:03; edited 1 time in total
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| luigi wrote: |
| hammerite wrote: |
| @luigi, I've no idea about the price of day passes or the multiday passes unfortunately. All my family and friends who ski have season passes. |
No difficult decisions there! Only how to pay for it!! |
Even that’s easy. €375 split over three months - 40% upfront and 30% each at the beginning of Jan and Feb by direct debit.
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You know it makes sense.
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| hammerite wrote: |
| The snow falling here was a bit weird today. It fell nearly all day but didn’t seem to settle very much around where I work. Jnr was on the mountain and he thought there was probably 6-10cm so in line with the forecast. It was cold too so the snow cannons we’re going all morning. |
Aww damn that's a pity- I did notice it didn't seem to be collecting quite as expected- although having said that the webcams, particularly in Font Romeu and C'Ambre D'Aze look pretty snowy but I guess we will have to see how it pans out once they update the snow reports.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Chance of a little more white stuff today and tomorrow (4cm) as the last of the Med moisture is wrung dry, then a lot milder and sunnier for the weekend and into early next week as the Azores high ridges across into France and then into C Europe. Any Atlantic Lows are forced up twd Iceland.
https://www.bergfex.com/pal-arinsal-la-massana-vallnord/wetter/prognose/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/3041563 (pressure map is helpful here to get overview)
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 8-02-23 11:01; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The Andorra weather service say some weak snowfall possible this evening, particularly in the S of the country.
Tomorrow cloudy, but still chilly.
From this Friday 10th, the high pressure influence takes over and they see it sunny and mild till the end of the forecast the following Friday 17th.
Temps hitting 16C in Andorra la Vella over this weekend and pretty mild on the hill too.
http://meteo.ad/en/forecast
Slightly more info on Catalan version:
http://meteo.ad/previsio
They even include a Catalan refrain 'Amb les febres del febrer, el metge no hi pot fer rés' 'With February fevers, the doctor can't do anything', so traditionally a month of cold when people might catch a fever and going against the forces of nature is seldom fruitful.
http://elrefranyer.com/ref/amb-les-febres-de-febrer-el-metge-no-hi-pot-fer-res
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I’ve just been into town and it was absolutely pelting it down with snow for well over an hour (it’s still falling but a lot lighter now). Just got back and looked at the traffic cams and the roads look completely dry in Soldeu and up near Arcalís.
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| hammerite wrote: |
| I’ve just been into town and it was absolutely pelting it down with snow for well over an hour (it’s still falling but a lot lighter now). Just got back and looked at the traffic cams and the roads look completely dry in Soldeu and up near Arcalís. |
Well, Andorra Meteo were right, they did say most likely in the South of the country!!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| luigi wrote: |
| hammerite wrote: |
| I’ve just been into town and it was absolutely pelting it down with snow for well over an hour (it’s still falling but a lot lighter now). Just got back and looked at the traffic cams and the roads look completely dry in Soldeu and up near Arcalís. |
Well, Andorra Meteo were right, they did say most likely in the South of the country!! |
Just looked at the cams before going to bed, and it looks like there’s been a bit up near Pas. The road looks covered.
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Actually perhaps I was doom and gloom a bit prematurely Snow Forecast seems to have updated its snow depths with a bit of a lag- now recording an extra 21 cm snowfall for Les Angles, and around 25cm for Font Romeu and C'Ambre d'Aze that is more in keeping with the cams- with change in the upper depths on Les Angles to 120 cm. Fingers crossed runs will continue to open.
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FAQ
). It's warm but the pistes are looking very good. I'd expect it to be a bit stony at the top of the Cubil because that gets wind scoured even in heavy snow but apart from that 
