WeatherFanatics: 2014 Winter Olympics Games to Open With Ample Snow, Cold

Thursday, January 9, 2014

2014 Winter Olympics Games to Open With Ample Snow, Cold

By Kristen Rodman, AccuWeather.com Staff Writer

January 9,2014; 9:25PM,EST

Olympic rings for the 2014 Winter Olympics are installed in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, southern Russia, late Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. (AP Photo/Ignat Kozlov)

With it now less than a month away from the opening ceremony for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia, the weather pattern in the coming weeks will bring colder air to the area.
Despite the recent dry and mild weather pattern, the next few weeks will yield colder air and more snowfall, prime conditions for prepping the Caucasus Mountains for the Games.
Situated along the shores of the Black Sea and next to the Caucasus Mountains, Sochi has more of a subtropical climate, unlike the rest of the country.
As the host for this year's Olympic Games, the mountains, about 25 miles away from the city, will provide the slopes for a slew of the winter competitions including, snowboarding, freestyle skiing and alpine skiing.
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Due to the nature of these events, it is imperative that the mountain's snow conditions are in tip-top shape from the beginning to the end of the Games from Feb. 7 to 23, 2014, and even through the middle of March. The city will also host the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games after the conclusion of the Olympics from March 7 through 16, 2014.

In this Nov. 29, 2013, file photo provided by Olympictorch2014.com, torch bearers hold Olympic torches after skiing down the mountain during the Olympic torch relay in the Sheregesh winter sports resort near Tashtagol, Kemerovo region, western Siberia. (AP Photo/Olympictorch2014.com, File)
While November and early December brought ample snowfall to the area, in recent weeks a dry pattern fell over the mountains. However, this dry spell will end next week, bringing good news for spectators, coaches, athletes and those headed to the city at the end of the month.
"It should turn more active especially north of the Olympic venues during next week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said. "One or two of these northern features can clip the ski areas outside Sochi laying down a little snow in the mountains at times."
Heading further into January, a storm track will set the region up for a stormy pattern along with colder air at mid-month. This could bring significant snowfall to the area, which would blanket the Olympic slopes with fresh snow right before the Games.

The weather closes in to delay the remaining competitors from starting the first training for the Men's Downhill at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010. (AP Photo/Gero Breloer)
However, the air may recede back to more seasonal temperatures in early February, as the Games are underway.
"We could see a warming trend during the Olympics, so the games could end on a mild note," Nicholls said.
Previously, other winter games including the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, have experienced event delays from problems with ideal snow composition due to rising temperatures.
Nevertheless, for now, snow conditions will continue to improve across the Olympic venues in the upcoming weeks.

Have questions, comments, or a story to share? Email Kristen Rodman at Kristen.Rodman@accuweather.com, follow her on Twitter @Accu_Kristen or Google+. Follow us @breakingweather, or on Facebook and Google+.

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