How good is Verbier Switzerland?

[Scottish_Skier]

From various sources I have read the Valais region does appear to have it own, slightly drier, micro climate. Any area which boosts 300 days sunshine per year isn't gonna be mega mega snowy.

Though no resort is ever going to be perfect. And it seems that Verbier's snow record is generally pretty decent.

Planning some road trips, on days off, if the main resort gets a little busy.
Super St Bernard and Arolla both look like lots of fun - and I am a big fan of smaller locals resorts.

[Ripzalot]

From various sources I have read the Valais region does appear to have it own, slightly drier, micro climate. Any area which boosts 300 days sunshine per year isn't gonna be mega mega snowy.

Though no resort is ever going to be perfect. And it seems that Verbier's snow record is generally pretty decent.

Planning some road trips, on days off, if the main resort gets a little busy.
Super St Bernard and Arolla both look like lots of fun - and I am a big fan of smaller locals resorts.

not trying to dash any hopes here - you will be in verbier so there no chance you will have a bad season.

super st - TeleAl and I are big fans. tricky spot as it usually gets ripped by wind. but a great setup, probably my favorite of all resorts.

we should plan some hookups this season!

[Scottish_Skier]

That would be great - I need to meet some ski buddies!
Though I am sure things will work out once I am actually there.

The wind in Super St Bernard will be tame compared to my local resort, Glencoe in Scotland

[TeleAl]

On the snowfall in a-matt, I agree with what was written above:
Big storms come across from wherever, and then get congested in the Alps.
A-matt sits inside the Alps, in a high altitude region, letting that congested storm dump away on it.
On the perimeter, like in Alpes Vaudoises or Italy, it can turn sunny while inside the storm continues to pump snow,
protected by the wall of mountains keeping that high pressure from pushing in too deep.

Thats my observtion over the last years.

As for Verb snow, all I will say is this:
If there isn't enough, expect to blow an edge on a rock, or stay on piste.
It is the only place I have ever blown an edge. And I know others that have too.

More importantly: there is great lasagna at 2900m, top of FuniSpace.

[TeleAl]

super st - TeleAl and I are big fans. tricky spot as it usually gets ripped by wind. but a great setup, probably my favorite of all resorts.

we should plan some hookups this season!

He is converted. He has seen the light.
He used to call it Super Self Arrest.
And with good reason.

Hit SSB when it is on. And beware the wind.

More importantly: They have great apple pie!

[Snowhead]

i think the difference may be that engelberg and andermatt are the first high mountain in line-of-sight from a north approaching storm. verbier is surrounded by 3000+m mountains. as the storms approach eberg (and over the top to amatt) the weather pushes up the mountain and what may have been rain up to that point gets hit with snow. alternatively in verbier, this scenario has already played out with the surrounding mountains in all directions.

EDIT: i will also add - on the arlberg, same situation as eberg. first big mountain line-of-sight from a north approaching storm. and because AT and the east always get colder quicker and earlier than the west - badabing - more annual snow.

on a side note, i think a v61 spanced tour of verbier is in order soon!

This means that the snowline is always lower, why the cold air lasts more than in exposed places, but this supposed lack of snow is a myth I think

[Snowhead]

We can estimate the snowfall in both places using meteoswiss data.

The most nearby station to verbier is Grand St Bernard, so data (1961-1990 serie) from this station situated at 2500m is:
Amount Mean temp
Nov-241mm -4,5ºC
Dec-241mm -6,7ºC
Jan-223mm -7,8ºC
Feb-222mm -7.9ºC
Mar-252mm -6,7ºC
Apr-244mm -4,5ºC

We suppose that 90% falls as snow, total snow amount is 1280,7m per season.!!!! In inches= 502.3

In resort level at 1400m the total amount is only the 40% that falls in higher elevations!!


Now we can estimate the amount of snow in Arlberg with the Säntis station, at 2500m.

Amount Mean temp
Nov-212mm -4,4ºC
Dec-248mm -6,7ºC
Jan-234mm -8,0ºC
Feb-196mm -8,1ºC
Mar-200mm -7.1ºC
Apr-223mm -4,5º7

Now we consider that all falls as snow because in this location the precipitation comes from the north, with lower freezing levels.
Total amount is 13,13m. In inches 515!!!
One consideration, I think the snowfall is higher in Voralberg. Santis has summer maximal precipitation peak, and Voralberg has the peak in winter!!!, so this numbers could surpase the 550inches per season mark in higher elevations

wowwww Conclusion, in higher elevations fo Alps snows A LOT, in the same numbers as North american snowiest resorts.

[Snowhead]

From various sources I have read the Valais region does appear to have it own, slightly drier, micro climate. Any area which boosts 300 days sunshine per year isn't gonna be mega mega snowy.

Though no resort is ever going to be perfect. And it seems that Verbier's snow record is generally pretty decent.

Planning some road trips, on days off, if the main resort gets a little busy.
Super St Bernard and Arolla both look like lots of fun - and I am a big fan of smaller locals resorts.

This is Shadow in precipitation (i don't know the exactly word), it occurs too in central valleys of coastal mountains in the NW USA or W Canada. Valais lies at 400-500m surrounded by 3500-4000m mountains. This mountains literally dries the storms at bottom of valley, where the sun shines while in higher elevations probably its snowing or raining.

[Ripzalot]

This is Shadow in precipitation (i don't know the exactly word), it occurs too in central valleys of coastal mountains in the NW USA or W Canada. Valais lies at 400-500m surrounded by 3500-4000m mountains. This mountains literally dries the storms at bottom of valley, where the sun shines while in higher elevations probably its snowing or raining.

i would call it a "hole" in the precip. i don't have an in-season map, but looking at the leftover map from SLF from last season reveals these shadows or holes in the precip.
http://www.slf.ch/swiss-snow/hsrdc.html

you can see the lower valais (arolla, zinal, to zermatt) has a pretty big gap.
but the flanking mountains to the north (ovronnaz, les diablerets to crans montana) are the high spots, just a valley away and within sight.

i think you are right about the higher elevations having similar snow. but the problem lately is that everything lower than say 2500m tends to burn off before the next snow. the snowfall levels might be similar but the amount on the ground (base) at any given time is much much lower.

btw, i wouldn't use grand st bernard as a proxy for verbier. i would reckon the verbier gets much more actually since there are fewer south approaching storms nowadays. it's really amazing how in the alps that the next mountain over can be so different. i've seen it dump 50cms in verbier and arrive at GSB to find 10cms of dust on crust!

good discussion!

[Snowhead]

Yes the proxy contains errors, but we don't have meteorologic data from Mont Fort jeje.
The vertical drop of 2000m has this problem: lots of snow in upper elevations, and lack in lower!!

[gamma]

I think we should have a summit in verbier this year.. any seconds?


in all seriousness.. verbier is one of the best places I have ever been for skiing.. great terrain, friendly folk, good raclette and fun places on the mtn and in town..

and if you get bored and want some russian cougars, theres always the farm at 2 am!!!!

[subtle plague]

precip data

well well. that can be very fickle. the gr.st. bernhard is further west than verbier and has one major advantage: The grand combin which creates some sort of Barrier and increases snowfall before it. (coming from W/NW).
And, like andermatt it sits right on top of one major alpine ridges.


i could throw in zermatt (the village) which is as far from verbier as st. bernhard (circa).
and it gets only 611mm of ANNUAL precip. so comparing alpine precip over a distance is dangerous.

[Arno]

I think we should have a summit in verbier this year.. any seconds?


in all seriousness.. verbier is one of the best places I have ever been for skiing.. great terrain, friendly folk, good raclette and fun places on the mtn and in town..

and if you get bored and want some russian cougars, theres always the farm at 2 am!!!!

I wouldn't take much persuading assuming dates work for me...

[Snowhead]

The rhone valley opens the Valais to North an NW winds in the position of Grand St Bernard, Verbier is only few km to east and 30km to north. Zermatt, is far to the west and Dent Blanche-Weisshorn (4500m) barriers the front from N-NW

[verbier61]

I drive through the gran san bernard at least twice almost every weekend from november to may..... it does not represent valais in any way. It is exactly on the rigde between areas hit by south or by north storms (this explains why it's so windy... like the matterhorn area, which is even more windy given the wide flat plans between matterhorn and breithorn).
As correctly written before (ripz or teleAl), when it's snowing in verb the GsB is frequently dry, and vice-versa.

[hemas]

I wouldn't take much persuading assuming dates work for me...

Ditto...

[Tectonically_Neglected]

I wouldn't take much persuading assuming dates work for me...

I'd sure as hell like to try to make up for last year which was weak sauce.

(this year will probably be the same as we're expecting little one no.2 in a few weeks)

[Snowhead]

I drive through the gran san bernard at least twice almost every weekend from november to may..... it does not represent valais in any way. It is exactly on the rigde between areas hit by south or by north storms (this explains why it's so windy... like the matterhorn area, which is even more windy given the wide flat plans between matterhorn and breithorn).
As correctly written before (ripz or teleAl), when it's snowing in verb the GsB is frequently dry, and vice-versa.

It's opened the Pass during the winter??

[TeleAl]

It's opened the Pass during the winter??

It's a tunnel.
The pass is closed to cars in winter, pisted, and frequented by ski touring people.

[verbier61]

the Pass usually closes in mid october and opens again in early-mid may. But the entrance-way out of the tunnel are at about 1800 meters of altitude so when driving you have a clear perception of how is the whether-temperature etc

[Snowhead]

ok. It is what I thought, the same as Iseran, or Galibier

[Mr Brightside]

Hi guys n gals first time poster here, great to have found such a comprehensive blogging community for adventure sports.
In response to original thread posting I havent gone skiing at Verbier in Switzerland but one resort I visit often is Zermatt which is wicked. I went their last year with some friends of mine who often ski in Whistler and Banff in Canada and their were pleastly surprised at the resort. we did stay in some really nice accommodation though which we found through the Scott Dunn holidays website. They cover skiing resorts all over the French and Italian Alps and some of the hotels are pretty breathtaking.

[Arno]

Hi guys n gals first time poster here, great to have found such a comprehensive blogging community for adventure sports.
In response to original thread posting I havent gone skiing at Verbier in Switzerland but one resort I visit often is Zermatt which is wicked. I went their last year with some friends of mine who often ski in Whistler and Banff in Canada and their were pleastly surprised at the resort. we did stay in some really nice accommodation though which we found through the Scott Dunn holidays website. They cover skiing resorts all over the French and Italian Alps and some of the hotels are pretty breathtaking.

f off spammer

[IridePow]

FUCK OFF WITH YOUR SPAM !!!

....

[philippeR]

Yes, that's 3 PAGES of viral marketing for Verbier ! Enough already !