For weeks, keen freeriders have been wandering through the vastness of the Alps in search of powder, like whalers on the ocean in search of lantern oil or pirates in search of bounty. For a long time, there was nothing in sight. But now, finally we can hear: "There she blows, dump backboard ahead!" and there's snow again in the north-western Alps.

Merry Christmas from PowderGuide, it's always nice to get something extra for free. Ullr also gives us something extra for the last alarm.

The year is 2025 AD. The entire Alps have been conquered by drought. The whole Alps? No, a small Ullian village in the southwest of the Alps is resisting the invasion.

At the beginning of the year, it's not just world events that are coming thick and fast, but also the weather. Winter has finally descended on Europe, is currently spreading deep into the Balkans and the next trough promises to bring large amounts of fresh snow to the northern slopes of the Alps as early as today. High pressure is prevailing over Greenland, however, and temperatures are very high. We therefore turn our attention last to the special role that Greenland and its ice sheet play in the global climate.

The lucky ConditionsReporters who made it to Piedmont, spoiled by PowderAlerts, can enjoy friendly touring weather over the next few days. For the rest of the Alps, it will be a little more unstable. Particularly in the east, the general development and especially the precipitation options are not yet easy to assess thanks to the indecisive development of low pressure and a fickle air mass boundary.

As announced in PowderAlert 3 and the SnowChase Xmas Special, it's been snowing - sometimes heavily - from the Maritime Alps to Piedmont since Sunday morning. While people are still sitting in the dry north of the Alps, winter is knocking on the door in the south.

"Under the magnifying glass" is a series of articles by Lydia and Linus. We are both at the SLF in Davos this winter, where we are studying snow from a scientific perspective. As we regularly take a close look at the snow in the area anyway - both during our field work and at our weekends - we'll be taking you with us from time to time this winter. We explain our snow profiles, what the individual observations actually mean and pick up on various snow science topics that arise from the current profiles. Today: How the weather conditions at the start of the season can help shape the rest of the winter season - and how the weather in recent weeks has changed the snowpack.

Unfortunately, too much time has passed for many people since the last major snowfall in mid-January. Since then, a very stable area of high pressure has dominated large parts of Central Europe and ensured long-lasting warm temperatures. This triggered euphoria among some climbing enthusiasts, powder fans got long faces and yet not all freeriders lost their motivation, because the best snow after powder is known to be firn. But just as with fresh snowfall, there are a few things to bear in mind when there is no snowfall.

"Nothing can happen in the forest." - This is probably one of the most widespread misconceptions among skiers. It is true that statistically there are fewer avalanche accidents in the forest. However, those who are lulled into a false sense of security are unconsciously taking a high risk and acting carelessly. In today's SnowFlurries we therefore take a look at how the forest influences snowpack stability and what skiers need to bear in mind.