Avalanche bulletin and weather forecast Haute Savoie

This avalanche translation of the Meteo France avalanche bulletin is produced mainly through an automated translation tool.  Please use it in conjunction with the French bulletin found at the above link.

N74230111
SNOW AND AVALANCHE BULLETIN FOR HAUTE SAVOIE
(VALID OFF OF OPEN AND MARKED RUNS)
PREPARED ON WEDNESDAY 23 JANUARY
FOR THURSDAY 24 JANUARY

ESTIMATE OF RISK UNTIL THURSDAY EVENING:
-- At more than 2200/2400 m: close to a marked risk (level 3), a fortiori near Mont Blanc.
-- At less than 2200/2400 m: limited risk (level 2), upgrade to a marked risk (level 3) Thursday afternoon as a result of redoux in the sunny slopes.

WEATHER OVERVIEW UNTIL THURSDAY EVENING:
Good weather, sunny and mild day.

Isothermal 0 2800 3000 m.
Isothermal -10 DG: 4400 to 4200 m.
Wind at 2000 m: weak trend southwest in the afternoon.
Wind at 4000 m: Southwest, 10 and 30 km / h.

SNOW CONDITIONS:
Snow is correct for the end of January except at low altitudes less than 1,200 m, where it is fairly low. Towards 1500 m, there are about 90 cm of snow in northern slopes, 50 cm in the South.
During the night from Monday to Tuesday and Tuesday during the day, about 2000 m, it fell about 20/25 cm of snow blown more or less depending on the altitude in the Aravis, 25/30 cm in the Chablais, and 30/35 cm near the Mont Blanc (10 cm of snow around 1500 m). The rain/snow limit was lowered to 1200/1100 m at its lowest.
It is fitting the skis at 1000 m in the shade, 1300/1400 m in the South.

Quality of snow this Thursday in the southern slopes up to 2500 m and on replats, snow surface will be subjected to crust in the morning before it humidifies itself over time ...
In other more shaded slopes, we found generally powdery snow to a depth of 10 to 30 cm in height and mass, a recent snow more or less wind-packed. Indeed near mid-mountain peaks and high mountain snow surface will be mostly compacted/hardened, the result of a recent strong wind from the west then north.
Less than 1500 m, the thin layer of powdery snow, snow blink evil crust behind in the little sun and shade in average mountain.

STABILITY OF SNOW COVER:
Slabs scattered, especially near the passes and ridges, thicker in the Mont Blanc.

Thursday, the main risk of avalanche will be triggering a slab avalanche with the passage of a single skier. These slabs will be located primarily in some areas of recent accumulation of snow by the wind in the vicinity of the mountain passes and ridges, and sometimes also in the vicinity broken slopes greater than 2000 m.
In the shaded slopes above 2200/2400 m, this risk will be a little more widespread and not always located near broken slopes.
In the Mont Blanc and the Aiguilles Rouges, given the greatest amount of snow, the slabs will be larger.

Moreover, given the redoux, wet snow avalanches are likely to hours "hot" day in the hills oriented south-east then south west to near 3000/3300 m.

TREND LATER RISK:
Friday, the risk is slightly down.

Meteo-France updates this newsletter everyday at 16h or sooner if conditions warrant.