PowderAlert #7! Snow for the western and southern Alps

The southern Alps will finally get lots of snow. And it’s about time, because it’s the 7th of February. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a base in the southern Alps, but a meter of freshies will do the job. In this forecast:

• Critical avalanche situation in the Alps
• Up to a meter of freshies in the southern Alps
• Lots of snow the next couple of days
• PowderAdvice
• Test your knowledge about avalanches and snow safety for free!

Critical avalanche situation in the Alps

It’s a strange winter in the Alps. The snow came late and the snow cover is still unstable in a lot of places. The snowfall in the southern Alps won’t solve that problem the next couple of days. There is no such thing as a base in the southern Alps, and if it’s there it’s just as bad as in the rest of the Alps. If you don’t have any knowledge it’s hard to recognize the dangers. You should always use risk filtering methods to make the right decisions, no matter how big the stoke is. Always check your local avalanche forecast and adapt your plans to it. Always carry an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe. If you have no knowledge, go out with a mountain guide.

Up to a meter of freshies in the southern Alps

It has been snowing in the southern Alps since Saturday evening and there’s more snow coming. This is just the beginning. A Genua-low is settled in the Gulf of Genua and is heading with a southwesterly current to the southern side of the Alps. And it will bring lots of snow. One look at the snow maps says it all. Especially the areas in the southwest and south of the Alps will get lots of snow with a snow line fluctuating between 900 and 1400 meters. A Föhn storm will kick in the northern Alps. A new front will come in from the west on Sunday, and it will also start snowing in the western Alps. Monday will be a sunny day, but there’s more snow to come. Again, the current will move to the southwest and the snow maps will be colored red again.

Lots of snow the next couple of days

Check out the list with all the centimeters and you’ll see lots of snow for the next 6 days. And there’s more to come. Monday will start sunny, but at the end of the day it starts snowing again. The warm front will come in from the southwest and will bring snow to the southern Alps. The northern Alps will get some snow on Wednesday, but they have to deal with a Föhn wind first. The sun will come out every now and then on Thursday. By the end of this week the current will turn to the northwest again. The snow line fluctuates between 800 and 1500 meters throughout the week, and the Föhn wind will let the temperatures rise even further in the northern Alps. Fortunately there’s no precipitation, so it’s not that bad. The wind that changes directions and strength all the time is worse. Watch for lots of wind-drifted snow above the treeline and an increased avalanche danger.

PowderAdvice

The snow cover in the southern Alps will be too thin till Wednesday, so hold your horses. There won’t be that much snow coming down in the northern Alps the first couple of days and the Föhn wind will be pretty strong. Monday will be sunny and could be quite okay in the next ski areas:

• The trees of Courmayeur
• The north of the Hautes Alpes
• Andermatt
• The north of Ticino (for example Airolo
• Oberwallis and the Simplonregion
• The glacier resorts in Tyrol and the resorts west of the Arlberg

Snow will come down in all of the areas above and there’s a base. Tuesday will be easy. A new front arrives from the west and it will start snowing in the western Alps in the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. You’ll find the best snow (and a base) in the French Alps on Tuesday. The advice for Tuesday:

• The north of the Hautes Alpes
• The trees of Courmayeur
• The west of Wallis and the Haute Savoie
• The Belledone and the pre-Alps of the Savoie

The snowfall will extend into the southern Alps in the night to Wednesday, but the northern Alps will also get some freshies. The sun will come out during the day. Hopefully the base layer will be sufficient in the southern Alps. Wednesday will be good in:

• The north of the Hautes Alpes
• The trees of Courmayeur
• The west of Wallis and the Haute Savoie
• The Belledone and the pre-Alps of the Savoie

More details will follow on Monday. There’s more snow coming down on Thursday (both for the southern and northern Alps). And because there’s snow expected the entire week, it’s a good idea to block the weekend of 12-14 February. It will be a powder weekend!

Test your knowledge about avalanches and snow safety for free!

More and more people venture off-piste, but not everybody has the right knowledge and the right gear. Already 30 people died because of avalanches this winter. Do you have the right knowledge to ride off-piste? Test it yourself and start with the first capital of the Mountain Academy for free! No knowledge? Stay on the marked slopes or hire a mountain guide!

Stay stoked. Morris