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SNIPPETS OF INTEREST
The Rossignol Junior Race Series - Whakapapa 25th August
The Rossignol Junior Ski Race Series is aimed at 6 – 16yrs who would like to give ski racing a go.
Athletes who hold a SRNZ National Points license (K1-J2 who are part of a Competitive Race Programme) are not eligible to enter.
The races will be Dual Slalom.
This Series is designed for developing skiers.
Come and have some fun!
Dates: 25 Aug 2007 - 26 Aug 2007
26 August is a contingency day
Location: Whakapapa
Category: Kids
To register your interest please contact
SMC Junior Ski Racing & Training Coordinator Clive Saleman 7527140 racingandtraining@skitaranaki.co.nz
or Coach Christina Binsbergen 7524424.
email snow alerts from Metservice...
click below and follow the "click to register!" link.
You can register for as many fields as you like.
Avalanche.net newsletter 14 August
Taranaki Region
WEATHER
The passed week has been mostly dominated by westerly winds with cool temperatures for the first few days. These first few days brought snow down to 1300m on the mountain. The end of the week has seen cool temperatures return with scattered snow showers down to 1400m with moderate southwesterly winds.
SNOWPACK
20-30cm of snow has fallen this week down to 1300m. Larger pockets of new snow exists on easterly and northeasterly aspects. This has bonded well to the old snow surface. Below the new snow the snow pack isothermic and well bonded.
AVALANCHE OCCURRENCES
No avalanches observed.
DANGER RATING
The danger rating has been at moderate for most of the week with the new snow and moderate winds loading leeward aspects. The currant danger rating is at LOW.
TRAVEL ADVISORY
Large pockets of wind drift snow exist on easterly and northeasterly aspects and care will be needed around these aspects, especially as conditions warm up. A thin rime crust has formed on the new snow.
www.avalanche.net.nz
Snow Report from SnowForecast.com 11/08/07
check out below - Manganui Ski Area gets a mention - even if they refer to us as Stratford!
Welcome to the latest review of snow conditions together with the prospects for the week ahead.
The second week of August is usually the optimum time of year for many Southern Hemisphere ski fields. Most resorts in Australia and New Zealand are at a modest altitude and they are closer to the Equator than many northern resorts which means that the spring thaw tends to arrive just before the spring equinox compared with Northern Hemisphere resorts where snow tends to continue to accumulate into early April. For less snow-sure Antipodean resorts, a typical winter season would normally end in about 4 weeks time but since some New Zealand club fields have barely got going, let's hope that September is better than average. Turoa and Whakapapa are obvious exceptions and conditions there should continue to improve for another 6 or 8 weeks - often at their best just as most Kiwi ski areas are closing for the season.
New Zealand
A low pressure system crossed Aotearoa through early last week and a few resorts benefited much more than most. The big winners were Stratford, Rainbow and Ruapehu resorts with up to 50cm of fresh snow making for classic mid-week conditions once the clouds lifted. I was lucky enough to be at Rainbow when the lifts opened on Tuesday at noon following a morning of avalanche work. Everyone waited patiently and the afternoon was one to remember. I don't think I can ever recall so few people tracking our so much off-piste terrain in such little time - I guess we were all a bit frustrated by the long wait and had 3 hrs of studying the steeps to figure out what lines looked best. Located near the top of the South Island, Rainbow benefits from localised snowfalls that miss other fields. Although on this occasion Statford, on the slopes of Taranaki, caught the same line of heavy and thundery snow showers. Ski seasons at Rainbow tend to have little correlation with other South Island areas and some seasons this can really work in its favour with much more snow at Rainbow than at more well known resorts further south.
Last week, the same disturbed westerly flow also brought a welcome dump to Temple Basin at the the head of Arthurs Pass too, but not much snow got over the main divide so there were only modest falls at other resorts, say 5-15 cm. The predicted Southerly flick that followed the low was less snowy than we had hoped with just light falls at most South Island resort which leaves a couple of smaller Canterbury club fields still struggling to open. Meanwhile, as is so often the case, Ruapehu fared rather better from the Southerly and the upper field depths are fast approaching 2m - the best in NZ, as usual. Southern Lakes areas have decent bases but mostly just had light snow last week. Right now, all NZ resorts are affected by very strong Westerly winds ahead of another front. Weather-wise, it is a real mixed bag now with 2000m freezing levels and very blustery showers of rain and snow at resort elevations. The good news is that as the front moves through Saturday 12/08, temperatures will fall and many resorts can expect a significant snowfall at altitude. This will be followed by further snow to low levels in Otago and Southland as the front clears away and winds swing light Southerly on Sunday 13/08. The present westerly airstream is packing a lot of moisture and although it is presently quite mild, favoured locations along the main divide, especially from Arthur's Pass south, should see some very heavy snowfalls - obvious candidates are Temple Basin, Ohau and Treble Cone with lesser falls east of these and huge snowfalls for the higher mountains from about Franz to Milford. Early next week, cooler and settled conditions should make for great conditions before another NW builds from Wednesday onwards ahead of another front.
Australia
For once, it's not such a great forecast for Australian resorts. In a season that has been increasingly dominated by a mobile westerly flow, it should come as no surprise that the weather arriving in New Zealand this weekend left Australian shores a day ago. Just as strong WNW winds and mild temperatures are affecting NZ resorts right, the same has been happening in places like Thredbo for two or three days and at most Australian resorts, the gales are only just abating. Where temperatures stayed cold (above about 2000m), the 120km/h winds briefly moved the snow about and resulted in deep pockets of fresh stuff. At lower elevations, and let's be honest, that's almost everywhere, something of a thaw took place instead. Piste conditions have remained ok even if lift access has been limited. On Friday, freezing levels were briefly way above the tops. Colder air will sweep in on Friday Night 11/08 and lighter west or SW winds should bring light snow showers tomorrow and Sunday 13/08 and a fair weather window on Monday before the wind again strengthens from the NW. It should not be nearly as strong or as mild as last week. At this stage, there is just the hint of a frontal trough bringing another period of snow before next weekend, more especially to the high country of Tasmania and Victoria. Fingers crossed.
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5 Day Snow Forecast
