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.
The amounts should bring the first permanent snow cover to the southern slopes of the Alps, at least above 2200m. The problem with this accumulation is that it can only snow at all below 2000m in very sheltered locations.
The amounts will be between 20 and 60cm across the board. The larger amounts are likely to fall further south and less towards the main Alpine ridge. In the French Maritime Alps and eastern Italy/Slovenia, it could be up to a meter, but due to the high snow line and the limited high-reaching terrain in the region, freeriders will hardly benefit from it.
The prospects within a week are also rather unspectacular, so you will probably have to ring in the season either on a glacier or hope for the second decade of November.
Text: Lars Oelmann