Snow report Kitzbühel Alps, 01/18/2014

Snow condition

You can hardly speak of snow anymore. On the south side it's bare up to about 1700m. On the north side, it's not crazy either. If valley runs (in a northern exposure) are closed in January, that says almost everything about the snow conditions. Ridges and crests are blown off by the foehn. Chutes and hollows still look like they are empty. Off-piste skiing is severely restricted and where it is still possible, it is sometimes very worn out.

Snow quality

Thanks to the "summery" temperatures (+6°C on the mountain and > +10°C in the valley), there was firn and slush in the sunny exposures. Nice to ski and much better than frozen sections. I don't even want to talk about powder anymore...

No activity observed in the area. According to LWD between level ONE and TWO depending on altitude. I would confirm this for variants in the area. It will be interesting after the next snowfall (if there is one), especially in the northern sector, when it falls on the frozen ground.

Overall impression

Set off without expectations and still had a nice half day. Skiing like in April as far as sun-facing exposures are concerned. Either Ullr will soon take pity on this area or the hiking boots and bike will experience a very early start to the summer....