Arlberg

At last Ullr is listening to the envious deep snow divers east of the Arlberg, because they haven't exactly been spoiled with dumps so far, so now the cornucopia is also being poured out in the east of Felix Austria.

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 this week we're already seeing another intense north-westerly storm - just like 2011, only colder! So you've been good enough to light candles in the Ullrschrein! Very good.

Our Italian low has made its way north as a Vb low and is currently causing chaos in southern Germany – and is also bringing snow to the northern side of the Alps.

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.

What does a true freerider want from her favorite? Right – fresh pow. And what does Ullr give us? Nordstau and fresh powder.

Three major precipitation events characterized January in the Northern Alps: Andrea at the beginning of the month was followed by Fabienne around 20 January and finally Gisela a few days later. Up to three times as much precipitation fell as usual in January. With cold high Cooper, a rather dry, very frosty phase is now imminent.

It's time for an alarm, because there's fresh snow from the west to northwest again. And the magic meter is likely to be broken again by Sunday. The chances of this happening in the congested areas from Glarnerland to Arlberg are quite good, and in the far east, from Salzburg to the Dachstein, it's even very likely.

After the previous northern accumulation remained just under a meter, and thus only met my standard values of 50-100 cm, it's now starting again! Snow will start falling again from central Switzerland to the east this afternoon. The snow line will remain in the lower powder regions and the amounts will be huge in the east.

I'm barely back from Valais and I'm already here to tell you about Ullr's new presents. Here we go again. This time, please be surprised, again in the north. But, and this is different, the massive traffic jam also extends to the east. So, dear Styrians and Salzburgers: you too can expect a big packet in addition to the usual suspects from the north.

A pattern is emerging this (late) early winter. Changing fronts from the west, bringing sometimes cool, sometimes mild and humid air to the western slopes of the Alps. As with the Dumpicane, this is now the case again. After a few insignificant flakes of up to 10 cm today (an exception in Switzerland with 25 cm), it will start tomorrow (30.12.2011).

No sooner have I hung my snorkel from the Dumpicane© on the wall than the next alarm goes off! After the Dumpicane© has put even my rather optimistic estimates in their place and delivered over 150 cm of snow (together with the snow from the two days before, the SLF says up to 2 m!), Santa Dump is now at the door and wants to open his northern bag. Praise Ullr! (Sorry to the southern side of the Alps, you'll have to go on suffering).

It's dumping! And that in hurricane-force winds! The appropriate name for the upcoming system for freeriders would be: Dumpicane. As our PowderGuide weather expert, the only one who really knows her stuff, has already explained how it comes about (WeatherBlog for Freeriders 07/2012), here's what it means for us. It's "dumping"!