HIGH avalanche risk in large parts of Italy
Thanks to the snowfall in the Piedmont and the regions at the border of Switzerland and France the avalanche danger rose to HIGH (that's 4 on a scale of 5). The combination of fresh snow, wind, surface hoar and some old and weak layers in the snowpack sets creates an interesting situation in the resorts where it will be snowing the next 60 hours. Around 40-70 cm of snow already came down and more snow is expected tonight.
Unstable
We received updates from Sestrière, Abriès and Limone Piemonte that the snowpack is very unstable thanks to some weak layers. Be careful especially in wide bowls and open faces. The avalanche danger is CONSIDERABLE (3) or HIGH (4). This means that the pressure of a single skier or snowboarder is enough to trigger an avalanche.
If you want to ride some powder the next couple of days, ask yourself the following questions:
- Take an avalanche course and keep on learning.
- Always go out with an avalanche beacon, shovel and probe and know how to use them.
- Read the avalanche forecast.
- What are the risks specific to your resort that day?
- Simply don't ride the parts of the mountain with increased danger levels.
If you don't have the knowlegde or the gear, it's always better to go out with a certified mountain guide!
Check out the selection of links to current avalanche forecasts for the resorts that expect a lot of snow below.
HIGH avalanche danger in:
- Parts of the Piedmont
- Mercantour
CONSIDERABLE avalanche danger in: