Weststau

The answer my friend, is blowing in the wind. Bob Dylan's masterpiece "Jim Button and the Wild 13" is a freeride book classic and the hurricane engine of Lukas and Jim is powerfully under steam in this timeless winter 19/20 masterpiece.

Ullr seems to have taken pity on the sad locals and holidaymakers on the northern side of the Alps and let it snow there too. Unfortunately, this is just a drop in the ocean for the areas that have been hit the hardest. From central Switzerland eastwards, the sharks will be able to swim again and grab some tasty p-tex, but the alarm won't be enough for real freeriding.

Ullr is sending us a lot of snow in the Western Alps, but also heavy storms and rising snowfall limits, so there is not only powder, but also a high avalanche risk.

The days of southern congestion are over and now that the west also has a base, the upcoming snowfall in the west can be put to good use. This dump is in all likelihood just the prelude to several dumps this week with the finale at the weekend.

As announced, it will snow several times this week. Now the first dump in the northwest is imminent. And to all those who are wondering why there is only now an alarm: Well, 20cm of snow above 2500m doesn't meet the criteria. Ullr is sending snow from the northwest to the west with strong storm lows and there are always short sunny spells in between. Temperatures go up and down like in westerly weather, but remain more powdery than this weekend.

The meteorological winter is coming to an end (the skiing winter is still a long way off, of course!) and with it, the permanent high that has dominated the Alpine weather for what feels like half an eternity is slowly coming to an end.

Ullr has taken a break after his northern congestion excesses. Now it's getting back to work and bringing snow to the Alps. This alert is the prelude to an interesting week in the western Alps and then later possibly also in the southern Alps, although it is not yet clear how many alerts will result.

First of all, to answer the question of those who keep a watchful eye on the weather: Why the alarm now? The south has snow and a base and you could already drive here and there!

At least it looks as if things will continue to be lively after that, as the low pressure systems and their fronts will be in full swing in the brisk westerly flow. More on this in the paragraph on the medium term. It seems that there are only big snowfalls left this season and freeriders are happy to accept them, as they are good for building up the snowpack later and in the meantime you can finally have fun in the trees without a handbrake!

Just as the book describes the cruel everyday life of war, this alarm describes the wonderful everyday life in the west of the Alps that Ullr brings to all locals and travelers for the weekend.

As happy as you are to have beer, you just don't enjoy stale beer. It's the same with this alarm. It may be snowing, but it quickly gets so warm that you can't enjoy it.

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.