The day started pretty good in the western and northern Alps with lots of freshies this morning, but the precipitation changed into to rain pretty much everywhere. A warm front is slowly crossing the Alps and this pushes the snow line up to high altitude. The large amounts of freshies, the wind, the rain and the rapidly rising snow line causing the avalanche danger to rise to four (on a scale of five) in lots of places in the Alps. In this forecast:
- Hold your horses
- Thursday and Friday will be powder days!
- Long term: snow for the southern Alps or the northwest of the Alps?
Hold your horses
I fully understand the enthusiasm with which the reports came in this morning. It was snowing heavily in a lot of resorts and often it snowed deep into the valley. It’s pretty hard to believe that the temperature will rise, but it definitely will happen. The warm air is coming in from the west and the snow line will rise to 2500 meters the next couple of hours. Monday will be even worse. There won’t be any precipitation, but the snow line will rise to 3700 meters. The snowpack is soaked up to high altitude and it will only get worse with the rising snow line. But fortunately winter will come back at the end of the week. And you’d better hold your horses. The Alps aren’t the perfect destination for a freerider right now.
Thursday and Friday will be powder days!
Winter will return on Wednesday. An active cold front is approaching from the northwest and will bring snow to the northern French Alps, Switzerland and western Austria. It will snow till Thursday, and you can expect the sun to come out on Thursday afternoon. The temperature will rise on Friday and the current will turn to the southwest, but it won’t be as warm as on Monday. Thursday and Friday will be powder days. More details about the dump on Tuesday. It will be the start of PowderAlert #6!
The powder advice for Thursday and Friday (this may change) is:
Long term: snow for the southern Alps or the northwest of the Alps?
The current will stick around in the southwest corner after Friday. And that could result in the first snow for the southern Alps. Would next weekend bring the first real dump of the winter to the southern Alps? I expect some freshies over there, but it’s not clear what will happen right after. But hey, let’s get ready for some powder days on Thursday and Friday first.
Stay stoked
Morris
Replies
Check what was like yesterday in Crevacol… https://www.facebook.com/ridermarangoni/videos/10208588825388210/?l=5885800611483738723
Hi Morris,
First of all! Thanks for your big effort, feeding us with important knowledge about the weather and where to go!
Even though I’m a bit in doubt which resorts to pick, for our powderhunt next week!
Which of the following resorts, is the safest card to pick, when arriving, from Denmark, saturday to the alps.
Saalbach, Livigno og Passo?