I'm barely back from Valais and I'm already able to report on Ullr's new presents. Here we go again. This time, everyone please act surprised for a moment, again in the north. But, and this is different, the massive traffic jam also extends to the east. So, dear Styrians and Salzburgers: you too can expect a big pack in addition to the usual northern congestion suspects.
Tomorrow morning (5.1.2012) will see a brief influx of warm air from the northwest, followed shortly afterwards by cold air. The snow line will initially fluctuate between very low and around 1000-1400 m depending on the inner Alpine location and west / east position. On Thursday evening, however, it will drop below 800 m again and the accumulation will continue.
Values for centimetre junkies
Now to the exciting things, dear centimeter junkies: From the Hautes Alpes to the Dachstein and beyond, there will be massive accumulating snowfall across the entire northern Alpine arc, which, due to its intensity, could also fall in full force as far as Valais, Lower Engadine and the main ridge. A total of 50-100 cm will fall across the board, with decreasing amounts from the main Alpine ridge southwards. Almost nothing is only likely to fall in some areas of Italy.
Now for the real northern accumulation classics: In the areas from central Switzerland to the Arlberg and further east to the Dachstein, the 1-meter mark will almost certainly be broken by Friday evening and although the models don't necessarily indicate this, I'm expecting up to 110-130 cm of fresh snow in the accumulation areas. That's all I can see, but I'm happy to be proven wrong by the massive accumulation. The temperatures won't suddenly rise, as they did during the last dumps, so there will be powder where it says powder.
Saturday looks like good and EXTREMELY DANGEROUS fair weather, so you can be out and about, but you should be very relaxed when looking for powder.
So: hide in the trees for the next two days and check on Saturday to see where a lift is still sticking out of the snow masses above the tree line.
This is already the 4th time this winter that there has been a big snowfall with around or over 1 m of fresh snow. Normally this happens 1-2 times a WHOLE winter (if at all!) and not until the beginning of January. The residents of the dam villages may see it differently, but we freeriders say: Thanks Ullr.
Powder to the people!
Text: Lars Oelmann