Snow report Stubai Valley, 10/31/2020

Snow condition

Very good at high altitudes. You can now ride a little more here without having to think about stones at every turn. Nevertheless, caution is of course still required. From around 2700m downwards, the snow depth decreases very quickly and the closed snow cover in many places gives way to a minefield. I would not recommend skiing off-piste or off the glacier here.

Snow quality

We found very different snow conditions on our tour. On the north side and near the ridge, the snow surface was blown away and hard. On the shaded side and somewhat less exposed, pressed powder. Wherever there had only been a little bit of sun the day before, broken snow had formed, which was very unpleasant to ski on, especially for the skiers among us. On the south side, it also got wet relatively quickly over 3000m during the course of the day.

On Thursday it had snowed a few more centimeters with winds from the N/NW. Friday was supposedly still windy. Accordingly, there were clear signs of wind and drifting snow, especially on the south side and close to the crest in all exposures. However, with the high temperatures mentioned, this should settle relatively quickly.

Overall impression

Nice to be out and about in this weather. But below-average snow conditions. As only tours from the valley are possible for the time being, the CR may help some people to assess whether it's worth the effort.