Schneedecke

The winter of 2014/15 was characterized by an exceptionally snow-poor early winter with correspondingly below-average snow depths. Over the entire winter, snow depths were only just above average above 2200 m and above average on the southern slopes of the Alps. These marked differences in snow depth depending on altitude were caused by above-average temperatures, which repeatedly melted away the snow at medium and low altitudes. With the exception of February, the months of November to March were all too warm, and early winter was record warm in some cases. Despite the excessively warm winter, large parts of the Central Plateau and Jura experienced an average number of snow days thanks to a favorable combination of cold and precipitation. The snow cover build-up was weak in the inner Alps, but also at times on the northern slopes of the Alps, whereas it was much more stable on the southern slopes of the Alps. Compared to the long-term average, last winter was more dangerous. Danger level 3 (considerable) was forecast more than normal, level 2 (moderate) less. Two major avalanche accidents led to an above-average number of avalanche fatalities overall. By April 15, 32 people had died in avalanches.

I've almost forgotten how to interpret weather maps, it's been so awful the last few weeks. But October is finally over and January seems to want to live up to its image as a winter month, at least for a few days.

The fog hangs in the valley, the days are getting shorter, the nights cooler, the drinks warmer. Industry magazines report either enthusiastically or critically on the events that take place on every glacier every weekend. It's the most beautiful time of the year. It's fall. But especially for skiers who are more (i.e. exclusively) off-piste, the time before the real start of winter and the first heavy snowfalls harbors a considerable number of dangers that should be taken into account.

The current weather is a good opportunity to take a closer look at the sun and its radiation. As we know, it is not only responsible for sunburn and the general living conditions on our planet, but also does one or two things to the snow.

First of all: Ullr's demonstration of power and the model snow apocalypse from a few days ago will probably not happen at the end of this week, so you can use your bunkers as party cellars again, mothball the shotguns and turn your Madmax cars with armor back into the KIA combos they once were.

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.

"On Sunday (refers to the week before last [5.1.14]) it snowed wet in the south, in some places up to over 2000 m, and after a starry night, dry powder was also to be found much lower down on Monday. (...) I've been thinking about a build-up transformation of the wet fresh snow. Is that conceivable?"

The weather is not interested in the turn of the year and continues as before. The next accumulation of precipitation is due in the south, while the drought continues in the north.

It's time for the Christmas alert and some people seem to have been good and written Powder on Santa's wish list. Since Ullr and Santa Claus always hang out together, he of course immediately passed this on to Ullr over a beer and we are properly rewarded with südstau. But apparently some people on the north side of the Alps were naughty, so it stays foehn there for the time being and only starts to snow later and less.

The ski safari reports from Japan and North America by Zurich freeskier Patrick Fux aka Paedde (powdermania.com) are hard to imagine life without, except perhaps if you were there yourself and plowed the Japanese powder masses together with Patrick. Thanks to Patrick, you can now find out again how Japan dumps and powders or even rains. The only change compared to previous years' ski safari reports is that this year we have decided to let the pictures speak for themselves. Because photos sometimes, but by no means always, say more than many words.

The short version: It sucks, it sucks big time, it sucks a bit more every single day and it seems to suck a bit more hour by hour. No idea how to say that in proper German.

The snowfall of the past few days has created a tense avalanche situation. At the end of the week, a warm front will bring very mild temperatures and rain up to high altitudes. At the weekend, the signs in the Eastern Alps are pointing to a northern thaw.