The Tyrolean meteorologists are more important these days than at any other time of the year: the Hahnenkamm race at the weekend needs to be looked after with precise forecasts and nowcasting thanks to weather stations specially set up on the Streif. The Super-G weather on Friday will be particularly critical. After the influence of intermediate highs today (Wednesday), the Eastern Alps will be caught in the clouds on the edge of the receding genoa low tomorrow, which recently caused record snowfall in the Pyrenees (what a shame that they are still so far away). Fortunately, the World Cup skiers don't have to worry about any disruptive fresh snowfall, at most visibility restrictions and a few flakes. It should be possible to produce a nice icy slope without any problems. Thanks to the cold temperatures, it will probably not even be necessary to use salt.
Salt and snow
How does it work with salt again? If the roads are slippery, salt is spread, which then dissolves in the melting snow. The resulting salt solution has a lower freezing point than pure water. As a result, more and more snow melts and the roads become clear. However, the melting process is endothermic, which means that energy must be supplied for it to work. This energy is extracted from the environment, causing the snow temperature (when the salt is tipped onto the slope) to drop again and any water present to freeze. It's not easy to get the whole thing to work so that the slope is hard at the desired time, but people in this country like to make an effort for important ski races.
Weekend and crystal ball
The weather looks good for the downhill and slalom this weekend: High pressure influence spreads to the Eastern Alps. It will remain cold in the shade. So if you can resist the charms of KitzbĂĽhel during the racing season, you might find well-preserved powder if you look hard enough. In the Western Alps, on the other hand, clouds are already gathering on Saturday afternoon and Sunday is likely to be rather cloudy there. After the weekend, it will continue to be unsettled. There is considerable agreement among the models that a stronger zonalization with accompanying moderation (= westerly weather) is expected for the end of the month. The fact that the models all believe in this is an indication that it could actually happen. However, the arrival of this potential westerly weather is being pushed further and further back and is in the realm of crystal ball anyway.
