Snow report Grisons, 01/05/2021

Snow condition

We were in Val Müstair (i.e. only above 1600m and generally on the southern side of the Alps). There, all exposures were skiable down to the valley. Ridges and ridges above 2500m are heavily blown off, but gullies and hollows can be ridden at real speed without contact with rocks.

Snow quality

The finest powder. In wind-protected and shady areas, there is 30 cm of sugar on top of an equally thick layer of soft snow, so it's a huge dusting. Thanks to the very cold temperatures, the snow should remain acceptable over the next few days, and not just on the shady slopes.

There are warnings of drifting and old snow. The Swiss give it a 2, Livigno and South Tyrol a 3. I can't judge the old snow. The air was too cold and the snow too powdery to find time for a snow profile. I had the feeling that an older layer of drift snow was thinly snowed in on the high north-facing slopes, which was confirmed by thick cornices. We were defensive in our choice of route. This actually also applies to everyone else: the relevant gullies were not groomed. We didn't see any avalanches and didn't hear any booming noises.

Overall impression

These were heavenly days, especially for people like me who live in the northern Alps. If you can have fun below 35°, you'll definitely get your money's worth in the area.
The lack of a fifth star is solely due to the (for me) unclear avalanche risk.