Lars Oelmann

Most people have noticed that winter is here. The mainstream and the media are also rediscovering snow and cold weather. And while the weather nerds are still debating whether this is real winter in Pusemuckel and Schloss Holte Stutenbrock (this place exists!) in the North German Plain and would rather have the horror winter of 10/11 (Oh God, no!), we ask ourselves: Uh, early December and third alarm.... Wasn't there something? That's right! We have a deja vue, because what's more important for us freeriders is that this week we're already seeing another intense north-westerly storm - just like 2011, only colder! So you've been good enough to light candles in the Ullrschrein! Very good.

Our Italian low has made its way north as a Vb low and is currently causing chaos in southern Germany – and is also bringing snow to the northern side of the Alps.

The first dump is the sweetest, although hopefully not the deepest, because let's assume that, analogous to "the first cut is the deepest", the first dump will not also be the deepest. But you could say that the first real snowfall of the season is the one that causes the most excitement and anticipation, because it's finally starting properly.

The low pressure system that is making this weekend so inhospitable will really get going from today (15.4.2012) and in the south of the Upper Valais / in the Aosta Valley, – where there has already been over 30cm – there will be some more. But, and this is more interesting for most people now, it's also snowing where it's based, namely in the north. The direction of flow is slowly changing and by the evening it will have turned from east to northeast and then the flow may even turn to north.

After I only missed the last snowfall because I was away from the internet, here is a new alert (editor's note: we will be taking strict precautions to prevent the oracle from being away from the internet in future).

Some resourceful students with too much time on their hands and online access to a precipitation radar may have already noticed: it's snowing again. (Everyone else can't use it anyway). They will also have noticed with surprise: It's snowing, but not in the north for once.

After about 50 cm in the east instead of the expected (and therefore not alarmed) 20 cm, there are now up to 30-40 cm more. As the accumulation in the east – as so often... see today – can also be criminally underestimated, it could also occasionally reach 60 cm. But I'm not convinced?

What does a true freerider want from her favorite? Right – fresh pow. And what does Ullr give us? Nordstau and fresh powder.

It's time for an alarm, because there's fresh snow from the west to northwest again. And the magic meter is likely to be broken again by Sunday. The chances of this happening in the congested areas from Glarnerland to Arlberg are quite good, and in the far east, from Salzburg to the Dachstein, it's even very likely.

After the previous northern accumulation remained just under a meter, and thus only met my standard values of 50-100 cm, it's now starting again! Snow will start falling again from central Switzerland to the east this afternoon. The snow line will remain in the lower powder regions and the amounts will be huge in the east.

I'm barely back from Valais and I'm already here to tell you about Ullr's new presents. Here we go again. This time, please be surprised, again in the north. But, and this is different, the massive traffic jam also extends to the east. So, dear Styrians and Salzburgers: you too can expect a big packet in addition to the usual suspects from the north.

A pattern is emerging this (late) early winter. Changing fronts from the west, bringing sometimes cool, sometimes mild and humid air to the western slopes of the Alps. As with the Dumpicane, this is now the case again. After a few insignificant flakes of up to 10 cm today (an exception in Switzerland with 25 cm), it will start tomorrow (30.12.2011).