Schneebericht Livigno, 08.02.2019

Schneelage

Above the treeline, the snow surface is wind effected, the wind activity effects increase with elevations, in windward sides and close to the ridges, the old hard snow is on the surface; elsewhere wind effected and loose snow, alternates each others. On very steep Southern slopes, breakable melt-freeze crust formed. On wind sheltered slopes, except for Southern slopes, persistent weak layers are recorded within the snowpack. The snowcover thicknesses are higher than the seasonal average.

Schneequalität

Thanks to the snowfall, the snow quality was really nice for all the week. Only on windward slopes and close to the ridges, where the hard old snow or wind effected snow were on the surface, and the snow was not easy to ski. On Southern very steep slopes a breakable melt-freeze crust formed and get the off-piste activity a bit worst compare to the other aspects. Elsewhere the ski quality was very good; with loose snow for wonderful freeride descents.

Mainly during the snowfall (February the 1st and the 2nd) the new snowfall was really reactive and we had some natural avalanche activities. The soft wind slabs avalanches reach medium sized. Since February the 5th to February the 7th, with the warmer temperatures, the wind slab was more cohesive and we had some, small/medium sized, triggered avalanches, by single skier, and even remote triggering. Where wind activity was not too strong, persistent weak layers are recorded within the snow cover and single skier could still triggered avalanches on these layers. The avalanche danger was 3, on Friday the 1st, than become 4, Strong, form Saturday the 2nd until Monday the 4th. The rest of the week, the avalanche danger decrease to 3, except at below the treeline, were, from Thursday the 7th where it decrease to 2.

Gesamteindruck

The snowquality has been very good for all the week! Nice powder snow, quite everywhere! The only bad aspects due to avalanches cause by persistent weak layers below the new snowfall and the wind slabs. Hope that the wind of the next week will not detroy this nice conditions!