Aostatal

There's finally an alarm again. And even if it's hard to believe here in Ticino, it's winter. Something is happening that can once again be described as a onset of winter in this prolonged late fall. And it doesn't even seem to be a flash in the pan, but more on that at the end in the medium-term outlook.

Anyone dreaming of a descent over 2,000 m (almost) without an ascent will find what they are looking for on the Toula glacier in Courmayeur. Today, the new and modern gondola lift transports downhill-hungry freeriders to the 3,400 m high Punta Helbronner in no time. Although you will notice the thin air and the quick ascent, this is quickly forgotten at the sight of the imposing, glaciated high mountain landscape. There are a number of options for descending into the valley, either to the south, back to Courmayeur, or to the other side of the Mont Blanc massif to Chamonix. We opted for the "standard option", via the Toula glacier to Courmayeur.

During this spot check, we painfully learned what Mark Twain once said: forecasts are difficult, especially when they concern the future. Various platforms were virtually overflowing with predictions for an imminent dump in the Western Alps. Well then, bag and baggage in the van and off we go.

The last alarm for a while, Ullr thinks, and sends us the next pack of Pow in the Alps, just in time for the carnival vacations. Ullr seems to have a soft spot for carnival fans and sends snow to the south and southwest. And in all likelihood, there will be a lot of it by Tuesday. This alert is only valid until Sunday, but I'll try to give you an idea of the total amounts.

Now that the Northern Alps and the Pyrenees have been raised from two below-average stars to four-star report level in 7 days, our favorite Nordic god is taking on the south of the Alps - and not the classic south of the last Southern Alps, but the more exotic spots that haven't done so well so far.

Mountain guide Stefan Neuhauser experienced an unusual avalanche phenomenon during a freeride tour with a group in the Aosta Valley on March 21, 2014: despite a hard-frozen blanket of snow, with only the top few centimetres of the snow having melted, he and his group triggered an avalanche. The avalanche was triggered in the Val di Rhemes, on the Cima le l'Entrelor in the Aosta Valley (Italy). The avalanche was a mixture of a snow slab and a uniform snow avalanche.

First of all, the following: It's not snowing in the south for once, but in the west and it won't start snowing again in the south until Sunday afternoon.

When you're on a roll, why stop, thinks Ullr and sends several dumps from the southwest towards the Alps. What does that mean? It snows again exactly where there is already a lot of snow and the north gets nothing or at least virtually nothing in the west of Switzerland. The first wave starts tonight (Thursday) and ends Friday night. The second wave starts on Saturday afternoon and lasts until Tuesday.

Finally another dump worthy of the name. Now that it's become relatively cold, there's finally some good snow in the sky and the powder fast has come to an end.

Mediterranean low!!! Off to the south side of the Alps and powder your little noses. After last week's rather indifferent flurries provided excitement and were most likely to bring joy to East Tyrol and Italy, the next low will bring much more predictable snowfall to France, Italy/Slovenia and the Upper Engadine.

Beaucoup de Neige! Snow in the west but the heat is becoming critical.

The low pressure system that is making this weekend so inhospitable will really get going from today (15.4.2012) and in the south of the Upper Valais / in the Aosta Valley, – where there has already been over 30cm – there will be some more. But, and this is more interesting for most people now, it's also snowing where it's based, namely in the north. The direction of flow is slowly changing and by the evening it will have turned from east to northeast and then the flow may even turn to north.