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Avalanche danger forecast for
Tuesday 5/4/2021


 

AVALANCHE DANGER  

Increased instability in the central hours and some snow in the Valdigne from the late afternoon.

Tuesday 5/4/2021
  

< 2700-2800 m


>2700-2800 m

Bulletin issued by few informations

Main avalanche problems: wet snow and wind-drifted snow.
Very good night freezing and increased instability in the hottest hours due to the humidification of the snowpack.

- Wet snow avalanches
Sluffs and small surface avalanches of humid/wet snow, on very steep/extreme slopes and from rocky bars, especially on sunny aspects and in the warmest hours, below 2700-2800 m. Even the passage of a skier might trigger small/ medium avalanche of wet snow from under the skis. Some ground avalanches are also possible, even of medium size, below 2500-2700 m.

- Windslabs avalanches
Soft slabs sensitive to the passage of the single skier on some very steep/extreme lee slopes, close to ridges, hills or changes in slope at all aspects. They are more common along the Alpine ridge and on the upper partes of the Gran Paradiso valleys.


AVALANCHE DANGER TREND  Wednesday 5:    Thursday 6:  

Avalanche danger is increasing due to the arrival of a new disturbance on Wednesday and Thursday.


GENERAL CONDITION
updated to 5/3/2021
  Please note: in the closed ski-resorts areas slopes are not managed and must therefore be considered as potentially avalanche terrain

Recent snow
The appreciable accumulations of recent snow of the past days are mostly found along the north-west border ridge, above 2400-2600 m, where locally 30-50 cm of fresh snow can be found. The night freezing and the diurnal increase in temperatures are favoring the progressive consolidation of recent snow (which in the hottest hours can be unstable however).

Snowcover
The snow cover is uneven and lower than the average for the period. It is scarce in the mid-mountain and southern slopes, best in the north-west of the region. Bumps and ridges are often eroded, while channels and hollows have more snow.For ski touring in the south the snow is sufficiently continuous above 2200-2300 m, in the north above 1900-2100 m.

Snowpack stability
The snowpack is isothermal and still has a superficial instability between the recent snow and the old one, moreover it is humidified in all its thickness below 2500-2700 m, even if it is slowly drying thanks to the thermal drop. There are unstable snow slabs at high altitudes, especially close to the ridges and in the canals.

Avalanches reported last 24h
Numerous sluffs and small surface avalanches of wet and wet fresh snow have been reported at different aspects and altitudes. Some spontaneous slabs of medium size above 2800 m.

Conditions for skiing
Dry loose snow only at high altitudes. Surface and central layers of the snowpack are wet up to 2500-2700 m. Conditions are not good for ski touring with very humid and breakable snow.

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° 155 issued on 5/3/2021 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