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Avalanche danger forecast for
Monday 1/23/2017


 

AVALANCHE DANGER   Windloads in gradual consolidation
Monday 1/23/2017
  
   

   
The avalanche danger level is 2-moderate on the whole Region and the typical avalanche problem is the wind-drifted snow.
The snowpack seems well bonded on most steep slopes. The northern aspects are dominated by facets and there are no particular tensions. The recent accumulations (more common in the areas of the north-western Aosta Valley, closer to the border with France and Switzerland, from the Gran San Bernardo to the Valgrisenche) are important, but almost always very evident and localized mainly on the eastern and south-eastern aspects where, therefore, the snowpack is more complex and unstable.
Mainly by high overloading, it is possible to surcharge the wind-drifted snow layer, releasing, on the elevation changes, slab avalanches, more or less hard, even of medium size. On the very steep/extreme slopes, in isolated cases, generally evident and avoidable, it could be possible to release slabs even at the passage of a single skier. Few wet snow sluffs possible from the sunny rock bars during the hottest hours of the day.
As we move through the eastern area of the Region, the critical issues and the consequent avalanche danger decrease, while the danger of slipping, even being involved in small avalanches, and beating against the rocks increases.

At high altitude the snow condition still requires a good local evaluation because the wind loads are still not always stable and sometimes not easy to be avoided.
Avalanche danger trend: stationary.

AVALANCHE DANGER TREND  Tuesday 24:     Wednesday 25:   

GENERAL CONDITION
updated to 1/20/2017
 
The surface of the snowpack is very irregular: loose snow nice to ski (located mainly below the treeline and in the sheltered hollows) as the altitude grows is alternated to and gradually replaced by snow very worked by the wind, in particular by accumulations, both soft and hard (mainly at SE aspects), wind crusts, unbreakable and fragile, and hard marble snow or sastrugi; furthermore, bumps and ridges are characterized by large eroded areas.
The snow cover is continuous from the valleyfloors, but below 2200-2500 m there's not a good basal layer (south aspects and below the tree line often just not present at all!) and then you can easily touch the underlying substrate.
Because of the low temperatures the snow is undergoing a strong faceting: towards facets in the surface layers (with a consequent reduction of the hardness of the wind refreeze crusts and and reduction of internal stresses), towards depth hoar in the basal layers.
There is no significant avalanche activity neither spontaneous nor triggered.
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Weather forecast

SNOW AND WEATHER CONDITIONS OF THE 7 LAST DAYS  
Monte Bianco Gran San Bernardo Gran Paradiso Monte Rosa

EUROPEAN AVALANCHE DANGER SCALE Rising avalanche danger during the day
 
5
VERY HIGH
 
4
HIGH
 
3
CONSIDERABLE
 
2
MODERATE
 
1
LOW

TYPICAL AVALANCHE PROBLEMS   CRITICAL LOCATIONS
NEW SNOW
WIND-DRIFTED SNOW
PERSISTENT WEAK
LAYERS
WET SNOW
GLIDING SNOW
IN BLACK: THE MORE CRITICAL ASPECTS AND ELEVATIONS
Snow and avalanche bulletin n° 60 issued on 1/22/2017 at 00:00 p.m.
Valid outside the ski runs controlled and managed by the ski resorts.
For an accurate interpretation of the Bulletin, go here