Initially, rain fell up to relatively high altitudes, but today snow is finally returning to lower elevations in more places. Clearing skies are moving in from the west, treating us to scenes of a winter wonderland. Here’s a quick update on PA#4.
Warning: Complex Avalanche Situation!
First and foremost, the avalanche danger has risen sharply over the past 48 hours across large parts of the Alps. However, the causes varies depending on the location, making the overall avalanche situation highly complex. Before heading out, take the time to carefully read the avalanche bulletins. For more details, check for example this extensive blog post about the current conditions in Tirol.
The snow over the past two days has primarily fallen on the southern side and around the Alpine main ridge, as shown on the SLF and Geosphere Austria maps. Yesterday, the snowline was still relatively high. Today, the föhn on the northern side has been cleared out by a cold front, and it’s snowing heavily there as well. However, snowfall amounts in eastern northern regions (e.g., Salzburgerland) remain limited. Moving westward into Tirol and Vorarlberg, snowfall increases.
Clearing from the West, but only briefly
From the west, snowfall intensity will quickly diminish later this afternoon. The clearing skies in the Western Alps will be short-lived, as a new precipitation system is already heading toward the French Alps by late afternoon and evening.
This snowfall will primarily affect the French Alps, with some remnants of the snow expected in the Swiss Northwestern Alps during the early morning on Wednesday before the sun returns rapidly. In the French Northern Alps and Lower Valais, an additional 10 to 20 cm is expected, with localized amounts of up to 30 cm. The snowline will hover around or just below 1000 meters.
Elsewhere, Wednesday will be dry and mostly sunny. However, this stable weather won’t last long as a new depression approaches from the west. In the Northern Alps, föhn winds will increase once again. With the fresh snow, wind slabs remain a significant hazard here.
More Snow for the Southwestern Alps and Pyrenees
In the Southwestern Alps, particularly the Alpi Marittime, more snow is on the way. From around 1400 meters, accumulations of 20 to 40 cm are possible, albeit in a relatively small area. The Western Pyrenees are also in for a fresh dump of snow due to the track of this low-pressure system. More details on this tomorrow.