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Alps weather website (&kit) recommendations

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  • August 20, 2019 at 5:02 pm #30041
    gonedownhill

    Off to Saint Jean de Maurienne on Sunday for 5 days cycling up the Galibier and the like.  Looking at the long range forecast (I know, almost certainly useless anywhere 5 days in advance, especially a mountain) just to get a picture of what to pack.  However using a couple of different websites I am getting totally different answers depending on the website, even just looking at tomorrow’s forecast. Anyone got a go-to site?

     

    Also recommendations of kit gladly received. Was kind of planning to go up in a short sleeve jersey with a packable rain jacket and maybe some long finger gloves for the descent but starting to think this may be underkill. Maybe have room for a ls baselayer to shove on to battle windchill on the way down but limited to jersey pockets and those will need to have a couple of thousand callories of food in.

    Thanks.

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  • August 21, 2019 at 6:40 am #948803
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    gmac101

     

     

    Windy.com gives access to a number of weather models.

    Meteoblue is a model developed by a Swiss Company that focuses on the alps.  I haven’t had the chance to assess its accuracy myself but its always good to check a couple of forecasts

    https://www.windy.com/47.872/8.108?51.276,13.755,5,i:pressure

    August 20, 2019 at 11:23 pm #948801
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    Moist von Lipwig

    Was in St Jean 1st week of

    Was in St Jean 1st week of July.  You’ll have a blast.

    Was using accu weather – was there or there abouts. Looking at it now looks almost the same – sun and storms.  The storms generally appear in the evening despite what the hourly breakdown says.

    Was 29 deg + for us, was the upper limit of being bearable.  Everyone came back in at the end of the day coated in salt.  I was out in climbers jersey and mesh base layer (sun protection as much as anything else) or just the jersey if not ‘meshy’.  Put the light jacket on for the descent of the Galibier on day 1, stopped at the 1st town and took it off. Sometimes just put arm warmers on or didn’t bother at all.

    At 24 deg (current forecast) I would be bothering with ls base layers or gloves. Light jacket should do it – could just take options and see what suits after day 1. 

    Theres water fountains all over – one of the guys had an app with their locations but I don’t know what it was.  Stock up if its available.  Theres a cafe at the top of nearly every mountain (get the carbonara at the top of the madeleine) and we made a lot of coffee stops on route. Did Telegraphe/Galibier/Croix de Fer in one day, snack in Valloire, late lunch in Bourg D’Oissans and only ate everything I had on me as the cafe had shut by the time we got to the top of the Croix de Fer.

    And if you get back to St Jean late, Cafe Sol will do a pizza at 10pm if you ask nicely and look desperate.

    August 20, 2019 at 5:50 pm #948799
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    jaysa

    http://www.meteo.fr works for me ?

    http://www.meteo.fr works for me ?

    And the ski station forecasts nearest the cols are useful too e.g.
    http://www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo-montagne/la-grave-la-meije/05320
    http://www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo-montagne/valloire/73450

    Office de Tourisme in most places in the French Alps has a detailed forecast updated around 7am.
    If your French isn’t there, point an Android phone with Google Translate at the forecast and you’ll see it in English.

    Always good to take what you need for showers and wind though. Was on the Izoard this summer and the wind was biting.

    I take a windproof jacket and a windproof hat with polartec.  Otherwise long fast descents with wet hair overcool my head, and my judgement and balance go.  And keep some food/drink for the descent for the same reason. I don’t bother with long gloves, L/S tops or leggings in the Summer.

    2,000 Cals is a lot – even for the Marmotte circuit? In August you can pick up meals on the way …

    Have a great time!

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