| Fresh snow
Over 2000 m, adding all snowfalls starting from Wednesday evening, there are 50-65 cm of fresh snow in the north-west sectors (from La Thuile to Gran San Bernardo), 40-45 cm in Valpelline and upper Valtournenche, 20-30 cm in Valgrisenche, in the Central Valley and in the areas of Monte Rosa and Champorcher, 15-30 cm in the Gran Paradiso valleys. New snowfalls are expected for the next few days, even strong in the western sectors and along the border ridge with Switzerland, moderate elsewhere.
Snow cover and snowpack
The snow cover is fair, although still scarce in the center of the valley and in the areas of Gran Paradiso. Locally there are still ridges and bumps eroded down to the ground and outcropping stones. Strong winds (prevailing from the NW) have formed accumulations, which tend to be more compacted at high altitude. In some cases these accumulations are able to stress the weak basal layers of the snowpack causing them to release and to propagate.
Avalanches observed last 48h
Loose snow avalanches from very steep slopes and spontaneous slabs above the treeline, at south-eastern and northern aspects. Two large slab avalanches on persistent weak layers.
Skiability
The new snow improved the surface especially in the north and west sectors. Still little snow in the center of the valley and in the south of the region, especially below 2000-2200 m and near ridges and bumps more eroded by the wind, while the accumulations are located in basins, channels and small valleys.
The fresh and recent snow, in most of the territory, begins to hide the hard of the old surface snow (sastrugi and slabs smoothed by the wind or old frozen ski tracks). Snow on the surface is often worked by the wind also into the woods, dense and compact, but still skiable. |