Snow report Sölden, Ötztal, 02/24/2021

Snow condition

The snow conditions are good above 1,600 m. South and west-facing slopes are slowly losing snow, even at higher altitudes. Steep west-facing slopes in particular are slightly snowed out or the snow cover here is very thin.

Snow quality

Well, the snow quality varies greatly and is extremely dependent on exposure. On the south and east sides you can find good firn up to around 3,100 m with good timing. However, if the firn is good high up, the snow cover further down is already very wet. On the north side there is still some powder, provided it has not been blown away by the wind.

It is essential to pay attention to the diurnal warming. There were some old avalanche cones from wet avalanches on steep south-facing slopes and gullies that had occurred in the last few days. Good time planning is essential for a safe tour experience!

Overall impression

All in all a cool tour and impressive to see how much the north flank has changed over the last 15 years.
The snow on the north flank was very changeable, from the summit up to around 3,350 m very hard. From then on, it was quite easy to ski on wind-pressed powder for 100 m. From 3,250 m to 3,100 m it was alternating between icy hard and crushed snow, making it rather unpleasant. It's not really worth skiing in the current conditions, but the weather and the views were good!