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NSW Nordic Ski Club

SNOW REPORTS

How to find out what the snow and weather are doing

This year, the club won't be producing a weekly snow report and e-mailing it around to members.

However, it is not hard to chase up information on snow conditions and expected weather, particularly if you have access to the internet.

The following hints are based on guidelines that former president, Kenn Clacher, developed some years ago to produce the weekly snow reports.

1. Keep your eye on a number of websites for current snow conditions

   1. ski.com.au. Go to the snow cams and in particular Thredbo (Valley View), Charlotte Pass and Mt Selwyn

   Thredbo is useful in indicating the level to which the latest snowfall has reached. If there is a good cover at the bottom of Crackenback Chair, the snow level has reached 1,400m or lower. You can also tell how well the cover is holding out by seeing how fast the snow here melts. (In the 2004 season there was natural snow to the bottom for most of the season.)

   Charlotte Pass is useful in early or late season to gauge the amount of snow up high.

   Mt Selwyn is useful for gauging both low-level snow conditions and conditions in the northern end of the KNP. Look for snow depth against the fence in the main view. A good depth here indicates good snow conditions to Four Mile Hut and possibly north of the Snowy Mountains Highway.

   2. rta.nsw.gov.au. Go to traffic reports, regional NSW, South and South West for reports on Snow chain requirements. Particularly useful for conditions in the Mt Selwyn area. If the report says chains are required on the Snowy Mountains Highway, there is a good fall in that area. The sooner chains are required, the better the snow will be around Mt Tantangara, Kiandra, Long Plain and by extension to Four Mile Hut and probably Happy Jack’s Plain.

2. Weather forecast sites or future snow conditions

1. ski.com has a six-day forecast page

2. www.bom.gov.au (Bureau of Meteorology) has a Snowy Mountains Region Forecast. Go to the New South Wales forecasts, then All New South Wales Forecasts, then click on the Land Area Forecast for Snowy Mountains Regional Forecast.

3. the BOM also has four-day forecast charts that are useful for seeing what the weather is actually doing

4. Try Weatherzone web-site for real local weather conditions: www.weatherzone.com.au. When you first use it you register your internet address and preferred default location (by postcode), then each time it gives you details of current weather at that location: temp, wind, wind-chill, forecast, etc.

3. Backcountry snow reports from retailers

1. wildernesssports.com.au. Good for reports on the Perisher Ski trails and for more remote areas.

4. A good imagination and some guesswork, based on experience.

It all looks a bit overwhelming, but when the websites are set up under bookmarks or favourites and one gets into the swing of things, it is not too difficult.

Last revised 04-May-2008. Produced on Sunday, 04-May-2008 16:19:03 EST