Lars Oelmann

Ullr says: McFly, anyone home? And he's not sending us back to the future, but back to the past, because now we're finally arriving where we were in mid-December: Winter.

After it rained up to almost 3000m and the Swiss zero degree limit climbed to 3764m on 1.1.22 (statistically likely for mid/end June), it is now winter again. And it's snowing on our boulder-hard frozen ground... Hopefully it won't be a Holiday on Ice week now that the swamp will freeze through. There's just enough for an alarm in the north, and more interesting amounts in the south-east.

Today's "Powder" alert is more of an official PowderGuide precipitation bulletin. Greetings, time travelers! You have traveled to the year 2070 and arrived in a normal winter.

So there's enough for another alarm this week! And the PowderAlert is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

It's not quite so clear with the drought, but you should take advantage of the weekend and, if possible, the coming week, because the medium term currently seems to be rather unclear. More on this below.

Get ready for freerider drop. The ongoing alarm, or rather the small appendage at the moment, ensures that the forecast amounts are even exceeded. More than a meter of fresh snow has fallen on the northern slope of the Alps. Good thing Ullr doesn't have to work from home!

Just as the squirrel busily collects small food supplies in the fall, the Alps collect Ullr's small gifts in early winter.

In contrast to last year, there are many differences but also many similarities when it comes to the start of the best season of the year. I'm not talking about carnival, but about the Ulling, a season that roughly stretches from September to May and is very variable in its puvlig-soft appearance.

While the Oracle had become accustomed to swimming in the lake in recent years, it now has to remember the April months of the noughties, when you could ski powder more often.

In contrast to the last few years and the fears after the summery episode in March, there is now another nice alarm in April! With a northerly thaw and heavy showers and possibly record high altitude cold! (MeteoSwiss says: If minus 40 really does reach the Alps at an altitude of 5000m, you have to go back to 1973 to find anything comparable).

All those who have not yet finished with winter after this messed-up corona season and the Spanish February with its firn tours will now be rewarded by Ullr for their loyalty.

The average citizen fears it, the freerider hopes for it: late winter is coming. Ullr uses this alarm to warm up properly after the long break and to test his muscles. Before, hopefully, really getting stuck in next week. More on this in the medium term. After a more or less empty February, it's finally time to get going again!