No, this isn\u2019t a glitch! I\u2019m using my website about Fiesch to host details of the meteo links which I find useful for anticipating skiing conditions in the area around Andermatt.\u00a0 It’s optimised for viewing on a decent sized screen, so if you’re looking at it on a smartphone……hard luck!\u00a0 I\u2019ve divided this page into three sections: sites which I use some time in advance, those for the evening before, and links to check in the morning before going skiing.<\/p>\n
Forecasting the weather here is notoriously difficult due to local quirks. Andermatt sits on the border between the north and south sides of the Alps, and could be considered to belong to either. The observation that it experiences f\u00f6hn in winds from the south supports the view that its allegiance is to the north. However, the really big dumps of lovely powder occur most frequently when storms arrive from the south side, particularly with south-westerly winds, because in those conditions the snow tends to spill over the main ridge and settle on its lee side. When there is heavy snowfall on the north side, Andermatt usually gets its fair share, but if the precipitation is only scattered, much of it may be shed on lower areas to the north before the clouds reach the Urserental.<\/p>\n
Another key local feature is that on the first day after a cold front has delivered great powder, cool moist air forced to rise over Gemsstock by a north wind often keeps the upper section foggy all day, leading to frustrating conditions. In these circumstances, the N\u00e4tschen side may provide much more fun due to significantly better visibility, and north f\u00f6hn often produces sunny conditions in Airolo (where the snow conditions may also be excellent). On the other hand, south f\u00f6hn sometimes produces unexpected sunny conditions in the Urserental when all the forecasts have predicted unbroken cloud all day.<\/p>\n
Finally, it\u2019s worth remembering that the snow is much more easily spoiled by wind and sun on the routes on the back side of Gemsstock (such as Guspis and Gafallen \u2192 Unteralp) than on its north-westerly and north-easterly flanks (e.g. Felsental, Giraffe and Hans im Gl\u00fcck).<\/p>\n
The overlap of links in this section which show the same parameters helps not only to circumvent the occasional unavailability of certain sites but also to assess the range of possibilities and level of uncertainty in the forecasts.<\/p>\n
Looking ahead<\/span><\/p>\n For general synoptic charts (not to predict the weather myself but to improve my understanding of the experts’ forecasts!) I favour the UKMO\u2019s<\/a>.\u00a0 There are isobar+precipitation charts at Weatheronline<\/a> which extend much further into the future (with increasing unreliability!), but I only use them as a starting point for forming a positive or negative opinion of the general prospects in a week or two, certainly not for trying to identify good or bad days that far ahead.<\/p>\n The meteo page on the Swiss TV\/Radio website<\/a> provides a simple general overview of the weather situation over the next five days, and a link to the latest TV forecast.\u00a0 In my experience, their general chart of Switzerland tends to predict much more cloud and precipitation than actually occurs, but the forecasts for specific locations, e.g. Gemsstock<\/a>, showing a projection of conditions every three hours for forthcoming days, are more accurate.<\/p>\n For snowfall predictions for the week ahead, I look at Meteoblue<\/a>, although the amounts of snow which actually arrive are often much less than expected.\u00a0 Likewise, while Snow-forecast<\/a> is user-friendly, it also seems to over-promise but under-deliver.\u00a0 However, neither of these takes into account the local features (e.g. wind direction) which can have an important effect on the amount of snow which is likely to fall in particular places.\u00a0 For short-term snow forecasts over the next couple of days, the SLF<\/a> is unbeatable.<\/p>\n Very detailed wind forecasts for different altitudes are available at XCTherm<\/a> (which is more accurate than any of the others which I know with regard to valley breezes) and on Meteoblue<\/a>, where I consider the 3,000m (700mB) level is best for getting a feel for the general character of the day.<\/p>\n Although not a meteo site, the Federal Office of Topography<\/a> deserves a mention here for its high resolution maps, which can be overlaid with a huge variety of useful layers, e.g. ski touring routes and slopes over 30o<\/sup> (as in this link).<\/p>\n The evening before<\/span><\/p>\n Once again, starting with the synoptic chart<\/a> and Swiss TV\/radio forecast<\/a> helps to put everything else in context.\u00a0 A translation of the SRF forecast into English<\/a> may help if you are unfamiliar with German weather terminology.\u00a0 Predictions for the evolution of cloud cover, precipitation, temperature and wind strength at Gemsstock over the course of the day are shown on the SRF<\/a> and Meteoblue<\/a>, though the latter often seems to forecast more cloud and precipitation than actually happens.<\/p>\n I check out the White Risk general avalanche bulletin<\/a> and the SLF danger map for Southern Urseren<\/a> at this stage.<\/p>\n Charts at XCTherm<\/a> and Meteoblue<\/a> provide a similar range of predictions of wind speed and direction at various heights over the course of the day; as 3000m is the altitude of Gemsstock, I find this level the most relevant.<\/p>\n I check Profiwetter’\u2019s chart of the north\/south pressure difference<\/a> across the Swiss Alps if concerned about f\u00f6hn or the likely strength of any wind blowing through the Gotthard area.<\/p>\n If there\u2019s unsettled weather around, charts at Search.ch are (in my experience) the most reliable at predicting when and where precipitation<\/a> or cloud<\/a> is expected to arrive or clear through.<\/p>\n On the day<\/span><\/p>\n I usually revisit key \u201cevening before\u201d sites to make sure nothing important has changed.<\/p>\n If wind could be a problem, a chart of observations from weather stations<\/a> shows actual wind speed and direction values throughout Switzerland.\u00a0 Clicking on individual arrows brings up the history at that location and other parameters such as temperature and humidity.\u00a0 I consider observations from G\u00fctsch<\/a> to be most relevant to the area around Andermatt.<\/p>\n Unless heading elsewhere, I check the SkiArena dashboard<\/a> showing which lifts and pistes are currently open, to see if any variations to the usual schedule are shown, e.g. due to a mechanical breakdown or overnight snow.<\/p>\n When there is fog or low cloud around, the local webcams<\/a> may give a better view of its extent than one can gain from the village.<\/p>\n Looking at the weather station in Andermatt<\/a> could be helpful if you\u2019re travelling from elsewhere; I sometimes check out recent air temperature history, particularly when there has been precipitation overnight, because whether it’s been above or below zero may have an important effect on the snow quality at lower levels.\u00a0 This parameter may also help to predict the altitudes at which snow quality is likely to change.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" No, this isn\u2019t a glitch! I\u2019m using my website about Fiesch to host details of the meteo links which I find useful for anticipating skiing conditions in the area around Andermatt.\u00a0 It’s optimised for viewing on a decent sized screen, … Continue reading