Weather forecast as of 11th January 2012

After the wind, clouds, storms and tons of snow in December and early January, it looks like we are in for a few more days of clear weather in the Northern French Alps.

Off piste snow conditions

Excellent - although things are really getting tracked out. So I’m walking to get to the untracked snow.

Snow Stability

I’m cautiously optimistic to cautiously very optimistic about the snow stability at the moment.

However, I’m keeping an eye on the slow creeping of the snowpack and some big cracks forming in some places which has resulted in some big avalanches on Southeast to Southwest facing slopes in and around 2000-2400 m – most going down to the ground following warming during the day. Slopes with these kinds of cracks are very unpredictable – pass under them quickly if you have to and do not picnic under them!!

I will be updating our blog as much as possible especially if conditions start to look unstable (or if I have some nice photos from a great ski!) on www.henrysavalanchetalk.com/blog

Tip of the week

When you are off-piste on slopes of 25° or more (that is equivalent to a steep red to black run steepness):

go one a time or spread out so that only one person is exposed

regroup at islands of safety (places where you are protected from avalanches above)

look above and below (ask yourself how much snow could come down on top of you and where would you end up!?)

Have Fun ! Be Safe

Henry Schniewind and Chris Radford

Avalanche Bulletin

Click on the image to enlarge and read this. The most pertinent point is that a single skier is sufficient to trigger a very large and widespread avalanche. This means you not only have to avoid steep slopes but keep a long way away from them. You can trigger a slide from 300m away in these conditions.

Meteo France have taken to publishing their bulletins in an image format. This make is impractical to translate it. But here is the bulletin. It contains valuable information and if you click on the image it takes you to the latest bulletin on Meteo France page.

Weather forecast

Issued Wednesday, January 11, 2012, 18:42

Situation and trends

Although moderate to high pressure from Friday we do not see coming of bad weather. Hiking conditions are now quite good and could continue as the weather cools from Sunday.

Tomorrow Thursday, January 12:

Good night refreezing everywhere. Just in the low valley fog early in the morning. The sky will remain clear with good visibility, temperatures above especially in the normal altitude where it should be noted as a resumption of westerly wind and Northwest still moderate.

Pressure 1031 -> 1028 mb

plain : -2 / 9 ° C, light winds and North / 5 knots in the evening

at 1500m above ground: 6 -> 2 ° C, low wind west-> NW / 8 knots

at 3000m above ground: -1 ° C, wind WNW/8-> NW/14 nodes

0 ° iso: 2700

iso -10: 4300m

Friday, January 13:

Good night refreezing everywhere. The north wind will remain moderate in the mountains and there will be no clouds.

Pressure 1028 -> 1022 mb

plain: 0 / 8 ° C, wind north / 5 knots

at 1500m above ground: 1 / 5 ° C, wind north-> NE/9-> (night) ENE / nodes 5

at 3000m above ground: -1 ° C, wind NNW/14-> (night) 6 nodes