Most people have noticed that winter is here. The mainstream and the media are also rediscovering snow and cold weather. And while the weather nerds are still debating whether this is real winter in Pusemuckel and Schloss Holte Stutenbrock (this place exists!) in the North German Plain and would rather have the horror winter of 10/11 (Oh God, no!), we ask ourselves: Uh, early December and third alarm.... Wasn't there something? That's right! We have a deja vue, because what's more important for us freeriders is that another intense north-westerly storm is on the horizon this week - just like 2011, only colder! So you've been good and lit candles in the Ullrschrein! Very good. So what's the timetable? First of all: This alert is only valid until Thursday, but it's highly likely that something will come in again at the weekend.
So, what's coming where? Most powderhounds will have already noticed: It has already started to snow. The snow line shouldn't be a massive problem, but it may rise to 1200-1300 m for a short time tonight and tomorrow. In the Rhone Valley and other wind-protected areas, however, it will remain quite low or very low.
A bigger problem will be the wind, because it will be damn drafty at altitude, which should lead to massive wind loads of the rather cold powder snow. And we freeriders don't like to hear that. So read the avalanche reports!
The where is amazingly similar to last year's and my text module elves offer: From the Arlberg to the Hautes Alpes, there will be massive accumulating precipitation in the northwest by Thursday morning. And while 50-70 cm will certainly fall in central and eastern Switzerland up to the Arlberg (depending on the accumulation, possibly also 10-20 cm snow hole bonus), 70-100 cm will certainly fall from the Bernese Oberland to France, with the maximum amounts more likely to be reached in France. Here, too, there is the snow hole bonus of 20-30 cm, so that 120 cm already seem quite possible by Thursday. Not to mention the next POSSIBLE wave from Friday to Saturday.
Unfortunately, this also means the same old story for the east and south: in the east of Austria, 30 cm will be reached with luck, but it won't be more than 15-25 cm across the board. In the south, as is so often the case with the inflow: Niente. But unlike last year, you already have something there.
For all "students" and those who suddenly catch a cold: Stay in the trees and go out higher on Thursday afternoon, but watch out for the massive drifts!
In the medium term, the powder slide will remain, it will stay cold and it will look really chic. So keep lighting candles so that it really will soon be "December 2011 reloaded." Praise Ullr! And so I conclude with the words of the prophet Bart Simpson, because a repeat of such exceptional weather conditions a year later is very, very unlikely: Aye Caramba!
Powder to the people
