PA#6: Saturday will be a Powder day

As announced it snowed heavily during the start of Xmas in northern Austria and eastern Switzerland. Today therefor is a powder day above the tree line. On Friday, new snow will follow from the northwest so that Saturday will be another powder day. This will be the last significant snow fall of 2019 for the Alps. From Friday, high pressure will dominate so that storms are kept at a distance and the avalanche danger can hopefully decrease somewhat. In this message:

• Boxing Day is a powder day in the Northern Alps
• New front moving in on Thursday evening
• Another powder day on Saturday
• Searching for powder as of Sunday

Boxing Day is a powder day in the Northern Alps

As forecasted in my videoforecast significant snow fell in eastern Switzerland and northern Austria in the last 24 hours. This snow was accompanied by a lot of wind. Since the winter took off rather late at this part of the Alps (read the Northern Alps) the snow cover below 1400-1600 meters is still on the thin side. Yet there are already enough places where you can already enjoy powder within the trees such as here at the Arlberg.

Today, boxing day, the sun is coming through and conditions will be excellent bove the tree line. And not only In the Arlberg it will be excellent. In the entire northern Alps from the east of Switzerland to far in Styria, the conditions today are great above the tree line. But in the meantime, a new front is flowing into the mountains in the north-west of the Alps.

New front from moving in Thursday evening

A new front will be moving in and on Friday it snows in the northwestern Alps. The hotspot of the precipitation lies between Chambery in the French Alps and the Arlberg in Austria. The higher parts of the Hohe Tauern will also get some significant snow. Until Friday evening you may expect 5-30, locally 40 cm above 1400 meters. The snow line varies between 800 and 1200 meters.

Another powder day on Saturday

A large high pressure area will be in charge as off Saturday. Storms will be kept on a distance and the sun will be dominant. After the fresh snow on Friday conditions will be good in:

• Northern Alps west
• Western Alps north

Touring for powder from Sunday

From Sunday in high pressure dominates the weather in the Alps. With the holiday crowds, this means that most of the powder right next to the slopes will be racked and you will have to go further into the backcountry. The avalanche hazard will slowly lose its sharp edges and conditions might be ideal to go skiing on split boarding. Climb up on your own and find some untracked powder. The high pressure ensures sun, little wind and therefore great weather for touring.

According to current calculations there will be no snow in the forecast for 2019 after Friday, so powder alert#7 will automatically shift to 2020. We will see. If there is something to report about new snow and a powder alert#7 then you can read it here, or on my insta or facebook page.

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Stay stoked, Morris