Snow report Montafon, 01/15/2016

Snow condition

The snow conditions have improved significantly within a week, but it's still not exhilarating. There was a lot of wind above the tree line and the poor visibility made it difficult to judge. Many streams are still clear and terrain obstacles are a potential hazard.

Snow quality

Quite acceptable. Fine to ride but could be a bit more. The top 15-20 cm are very soft. Below this is a settled layer of approx. 20-30 cm (in places considerably more). The layer near the bottom is moist.

Due to the poor visibility, it's difficult for me to use the situation above the whale line. Short cloud windows showed clear drifts. Where there is an old snow foundation, the situation is certainly much more delicate. Below the tree line, no warning signs were perceptible even in steep terrain. Above the tree line, we remained below 35° and in this terrain no warning signs were perceptible.

Overall impression

First nice day of the season and the few downhill options were very busy. The situation has improved, but the options are still limited. In the afternoon, relevant forest aisles were checked by the Alpine Police.