Snow report Schneealm, 03/09/2022

Snow condition

Despite southern exposure, still enough snow for start and finish in the valley with skis. Forest still very well snowed in. On the sunny side, of course, more and more "islands" are opening up, but they are not yet affecting the downhill possibilities.

Snow quality

Very changeable. The north wind of the past few days has blown in drift snow and drift snow lenses on the south side of the hardened old snow cover (even in the forest!). Some of this drift snow is very loose, but in places it is hard packed again. The drift snow has already bonded quite well with the old snow and is not very thick (approx. 10 cm). On the southeast-facing descent (Heualm), there was mostly loose and soft drift snow at the top, which was easy to ski. Further down, there was firn and firn-covered avalanche snow (deposits from the winter).

The drifting snow lenses also mentioned by the LWD turned out to be harmless or were only slightly thick and easy to recognize. Daytime "warming" (although it was quite cold, but the sun has enormous power on steep south-facing slopes). I set off at just after 6:00 am and by the time I entered the descent (around 10:00 am) it was pretty much right. If it gets warmer, the warming will certainly be critical.

Overall impression

The safe conditions (the "2" from the LWD referred to the blown-in drift snow, which turned out not to be so serious) had to be used, so today I switched to the south-east sector to ski a descent that often cannot be made in "normal" spring conditions due to the danger of sliding avalanches (very steep, unmown mountain meadows). Today the conditions were ideal and the passage through the rocky zone was also well snowed in. Descent directly to the road possible. The debris (wood, branches, ...) from the winter avalanches is already piling up, but is not (yet) very disturbing.