PowderAlert 4 2025/26 | Second helpings, waiter!

The second helping of Bolognese at the ski trip as a child, the discount coupons at the supermarket, the computer games add-on, the two for one pizza or the free beer at the student party. All great things that you get extra.

However, there is usually a catch. You get a funny look on the ski trip, give away all your data, you don't actually like pizza (ok, that's made up, everyone likes pizza) or have a hangover the next morning.

It's the same with this alarm. Ullr gives us extra, but the whole thing comes at a cost. For example, the fact that the first alarm was less than expected because it wasn't stronger and shorter, as the oracle saw it in the crystal ball, but now it is two days longer. In the core, we probably managed to get 120 cm of fresh snow (and almost 90 cm of snowpack increase), but from the Gran Paradiso to the Turin Alps there was significantly less.

There was virtually nothing further north and it wouldn't have been an alarm at all. That's the difficulty with four-day precipitation forecasts, and with Italian lows it's even more difficult. The oracle is practising humility and vows to stick closer to 48-hour forecasts.

But now something is coming two days longer and we are happy to accept Ullr's second helping. It's snowing again in the southwest of the Alps and probably in an even smaller area due to the slightly northeasterly flow. But even this alert is not perfect, but more on that below.

Alarm period and areas

The alert extends from the southern side of the Gran Paradiso to southern Piedmont in the Maritime Alps. The core is even smaller this time, and only in the region south of Cuneo, which benefits from a slightly northerly flow. The alert continues until late in the evening of 26.12.

Where should I go?

To the core on the 25th/26th. There's a solid base there and cold powder is on the away. However, the question is how much the ski resorts will open with the high avalanche risk. On Saturday, 27.12., it opens up, but it suddenly gets warm and therefore dangerous. So not a perfect dump this time either. The next day or two will probably be warm and dry and all exposures except the north will probably be cooked. After all, we are in the Mediterranean. But the silver lining is the very low humidity, which could help keep north-facing slopes from 1800-2000m up powdery, because it is the end of December after all. I recommend north-facing ski tours in the higher regions of the Maritime Alps.

Medium term

It will probably get colder again, but nothing will happen in the south. Whether there will be snow in the north again in the new year is still very unclear, but at least not impossible. So sacrifice diligently at the Ullrshrine so that the snow may return with the departure of the tourists.

Powder to the People!

Your oracle

The amounts

The burnt oracle shies away from the fickle Mediterranean low and its fire. The crystal balls also have a very large spread, hence the conservative attempt at an estimate. There will be 30-50cm of fresh snow from the Gran Paradiso south-east slope to the Turin Alps, followed by 50-70cm of cold powder in southern Piedmont. An additional 10-20cm is also possible everywhere. (The oracle hopes that it won't be the opposite again :) )

Snow depth prediction game no. 3 will take place at the ‘Limone Piemonte (1885m)’ station from Wednesday, 24 December at 7:00 a.m. until 26 December at 10:00 p.m. The initial snow depth at the station ‘Limone Piemonte (1885m)’ is 168cm (24 December, 7:00 a.m.).

Post your fresh snow prediction below as a comment by Thursday, 25 December at 10:00 a.m.! Reminder: Prediction game rules, prediction game reminder by email.