Südstau

It's getting dark quite early again, columns of cars are rolling up the valleys, the season ticket sales are over in many places, sports stores are advertising the latest developments in carving, Facebook contacts are posting smileys and snowflakes – the evidence points to the approach of winter. The WeatherBlog has spent the summer break watching TV and knows that on CSI, at least 2 perpetrators are convicted every week with circumstantial evidence. So it's high time to get to work and track down winter.

As some may have already noticed, a short but, as is so often the case, heavy südstau has set in in the Southern Alps. As these are always somewhat difficult to forecast, the alarm is only being issued now.

As some may have already noticed, a short but, as is so often the case, heavy südstau has set in in the Southern Alps. As these are always somewhat difficult to forecast, the alarm is only being issued now.

Life without the internet is inevitably relaxed. If the only weather forecast option is a more or less attractive lady on TV who moves clouds and suns around on a vague map outline and comments on the whole thing in a foreign language, then you just get up in the morning and look out of the window.

The season is still young, but a lot has already happened in terms of weather and, above all, snow in the not-yet-quite-winter. Motivated powder fans opened many a valley run at the end of October after a friendly combination of low pressure areas north and south of the Alps left up to half a meter of fresh snow in places. Subsequently, a low pressure system in Italy caused südstau and a slowly growing base on the main ridge, while in the north almost everything was swallowed up again by the voracious Föhn.

The world of winter sports fans is notoriously divided into two camps: season ticket holders and road trippers. The former usually live in relative proximity to this or that ski resort and are happy to indulge in the occasional boredom of a fixed commitment, while the latter are flighty and faithless – always on the lookout for the perfect spot with the perfect conditions.