Snow report Zugspitz Arena, 01/03/2014

Snow condition

The amount of snow in the Mieminger mountains remains very low even after Christmas. Many tours are still not possible due to the lack of snow. The snow cover on the north side is only thick enough to ski off-piste from around 1600m. The snow cover there is around 40cm thick, but the actual height depends heavily on the wind, terrain and exposure. Blown-off ridges, hollows with lots of snow, drift snow packs and deep powder snow below the tree line in the mountain pine areas. The amounts of fresh snow of the last two nights (January 2 and 3) were minimal and were also blown away immediately by the strong wind.

Snow quality

The snow conditions are less good at the moment. The strong wind and the temperature differences have had a major impact on the snow cover. A smooth, load-bearing layer of harsch is followed by broken harsch and overall the snow surface is very uneven. Together with the diffuse visibility of the last few days, this made skiing less enjoyable. Added to this was the warming temperature on January 4, when the snow cover thawed to an altitude of 1800m.

Due to the gale-force winds, which blew mainly at night, the avalanche risk posed by drifting snow had to be taken into account. Nevertheless, the snow cover appears very compact and stable in less wind-exposed areas.

Overall impression

At least some activities are possible in the area, but the conditions don't make for much downhill fun.