If you’re not in the south at the moment, then you missed PA #10. It was and is very deep and the riding was great. Oh boy, it was deep. The western and southern Piedmont had to wait pretty ling, but the snow finally came down. The photos speak for themselves.
But the statistics speak for themselves. A Dutch man of 24-years old passed away in an avalanche in Cortina d’Ampezzo. One of the already 69 victims who lost their lives in avalanches this winter. And 69 is a lot. That is nearly twice the average of what’s ‘normal’. It is a complex winter as a result of a very complex snow cover. If you don’t have any knowledge, do not go off-piste! Stay on the slopes. And even if you have the knowledge, do not forget that the avalanche does not know that you are an expert. Humility helps you this winter.
PA#11: last PowderAlert of February?
Perhaps that is a little bit too harsh, but when we look at the snow maps you it won’t snow for quite a long time. But that’s after the snowfall that starts on Sunday and ends on Wednesday. The low pressure area Othmar II can provide the eastern parts of the northern Alps with freshies (through the flanks of the high pressure area Gabriela) and it will basically kill the weather right after. This ends a turbulent period and calmer weather will return to the Alps.
But first another 30-70 cm+ of freshies
As mentioned, cold and unstable air is coming down south through the eastern flanks of Gabriele and is blocked by the Alps somewhere between Innsbruck and Vienna. There will be a lot of precipitation, especially between the Dachstein massif and Hochkar. The last cold smoke powder for at least the next 5-9 days. So it will start snowing today and especially Monday and Tuesday it can snow pretty intense in the northern Stau regions of Salzburg, Styria and Upper and Lower Austria. I expect another 70 cm+ of freshies in those regions. The amounts of snow will be less the further you’ll go west or south. A PowderAlert will start on Monday in resort like Krippenstein, Tauplitz, Loser, Kasberg, Hinterstoder and Hochkar.
Give the dump his time and make sure you’re there on Tuesday morning. PowderAlert #11 is for the following regions:
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Northern Alps East (especially here it’s ON)
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Northern Alps Central (the more east, the better)
In short
What are you waiting for? Start your engines and go!
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Shred powder in the Piemonte till Monday
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Head to the Salzburgerland and Steiermark after
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Still an unstable snow cover in large parts of the Alps
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Lots of snow till Wednesday for the east of Austria
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High pressure will dominate right after: dry, sunny and a (light) temperature inversion
Still critical avalanche danger
Oh yeah, do not forget (next to all the stoke) that the snow cover is still unstable in large parts of the Alps. There were already 69 deaths because of avalanches this winter! Therefore go for tree runs with not too steep faces above you. By doing that you eliminate a large part of the problems and risks. If you go to the Alps the next couple of days, be alert. Check your local daily avalanche bulletin, make sure you have the right gear with you and that you have the right knowledge. No knowledge? Are you not sure? Say no to off piste and wait for conditions to improve. The season is still long.
Stay stoked
Morris