Some news doing the rounds is the state of snow in the Pyrenees where there have been very heavy falls over the winter and continued cold. Some French and apparently Spanish resorts are opening this weekend and for the first time ever in June.
I’ve altered their map to better show the location for this resort, near Andorra.
[update, late 2nd June] Their two webcams showed mountains doing what they do, cloud/fog and I see no human activity. Maybe there was elsewhere. I’m amused.
[/update]
I’ve been noticing various complaints about the poor weather this year, and watched although it has turned warm again over a good deal of continental Europe.
Right now the Norwegian and Russian Arctic coast is warmer than the UK, set to continue that way for a few days.
The UK Met Office will be issuing a press release about spring 2013, probably this weekend, where the pre-report points to coldest since 1962 but it has been warmer over the last few days.
Okay, so what is going on?
Tim
Tallbloke's Talkshop 
Is that the same Andorra that was scaremongering a few years ago about Global Warming reducing the duration of its ski season?
http://m.spiegel.de/international/europe/a-476445.html#spRedirectedFrom=www&referrrer=
20-40 cm of fresh snow in parts of the Austrian Tyrol in the last 24 hours.
http://www.onthesnow.co.uk/skireport.html
Much more than recent years at the same time (usually none or hardly any).
http://www.onthesnow.co.uk/tyrol/kaunertaler-glacier/skireport.html
Joe Public, oh what a lovely remembrance.
As I recall Andorra is a strange little place, one horse town. Used to major in rubbish, might still do.. disgaurded packaging litters the roadsides.leading to the customs posts. Lots of advertising.
This morning, tee hee, mountains doing what mountains do, in the cloud. No-one visible.
Webcams
http://www.porte-puymorens.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=40&lang=en
Snow remains on the alps above 1800m and it’s snowing right now on the italian side above 2000m
….of course this was predicted by AGW cultists……..
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/31/italy-shivers-cursed-spring-relentless-rain
it is cold…cold..very cold !
😕
is the Bonaigua pass open? It is one of the highest in Europe at 2072 metres! Slightly higher than Tallbloke Towers!
You mean this one http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19976364
Figure it out from this
http://www.infotrafic.com/route.php?region=FRANC&link=cols.php?PYRE
Tourmalet is closed. Going even higher, fun seeing dots down the bottom, wrecks and there is nothing at the edge.
I’ve driven over many of the highest passes. Some were very different in the old days.
They had to cancel a stage of the famous Giro d’Italia cycling race on May 19 and re-route the next one because of snow.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cycling/22652522
‘Friday’s 139km stage was scheduled to be the highlight of the three-week race.
It was due to start in Ponte di Legno and include the famous Gavia and Stelvio passes, taking in the highest point of the race at 2,783m, and finish at the ski resort in Val Martello.
However, with windchill temperatures expected to drop to -20C, organisers decided it was not safe for riders.’
Montenegro is a small Mediterranean country.
This was yesterday’s panorama in its mountainous part some 50 miles from the Adriatic sea.
So how well did the Met Office do with its UK Mar/Apr/May forecast?
Click to access A3-plots-temp-MAM.pdf
Not good at all! Despite the best computers, models and expert climatologists it’s a travesty they can’t do better.
Just for interest here’s the Met Office guess for Apr/May/Jun – I won’t be putting any money on this one being correct either. 🙂
Click to access A3-plots-temp-AMJ.pdf
You’d still hope that Andorra still might wise up and diversify its economy a little. What will they do if glaciers close their passes permanently?
I guess join other displaced people. If a new ice age comes, where I am not sure things are as painted by guessing science types, there will be a lot of turmoil, although if we have by then turned sensible and have copious power available, we live with it.
At the root here is probably why Russia has long wanted a “warm water” port. At the moment they are in a way living an ice age including using mobile nuclear reactors.
Quick look, really need to look at the long technical docs, analysis of the situation but this will do for a rough idea http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_nuclear_plant
The general scheme is Russia sells fuel (oil/gas) to various parties and develops more nuclear plants for itself. A goal is a primary energy suppler to the far east, even to Japan. There is a lot more than I mention here. You might like to look up smelting light metals too. Oh and the Bering strait crossing.
Long game.