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.


N74080211
SNOW AND AVALANCHE BULLETIN FOR HAUTE SAVOIE
(VALID OUT OF OPEN AND MARKED RUNS)
PREPARED ON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 8
FOR SATURDAY FEBRUARY 9

ESTIMATE OF RISK UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING:
All massive Haute-Savoie:
Above that 1800/2000 m: limited risk (level 2).
More low as 1800/2000 m: low risk (level 1) that evolves limited risk (level 2).

WEATHER OVERVIEW UNTIL SATURDAY EVENING:
Dry weather and sunny. Temperature at 2000 m: 0 to +3 GD.
Isothermal 0 2800 m.
Wind at 2000 m: North-East 15/30 kph, locally 40 km / h on Northeast Chablais.
Wind at 4000 m: North-east 50 km / h.

SNOW CONDITIONS:
Correct for early February. Irregularities formed by the strong winds.
Thickness total to 1500 m: 10/30 cm in South 80/100 cm in the North.
Quality of snow on Saturday:
South slopes: re-freeze in the morning and then softening the surface until about 2800 m, sometimes crusty.
North Slopes: crusty below 2000 m, powdery earlier in the sheltered areas of Bise, cardboard / blown in the high mountains.

STABILITY OF SNOW COVER:
Becoming stable, but some slabs persist.

Three snowfall occurred over the past week (Saturday, Monday and Wednesday). The wind blew strong (Fœhn then South West and then North).

Versants shady: Wind slabs are formed for a few days, their stabilization is a bit slow in north-east direction at Northwest. It is likely to meet over 2000 m, especially towards the peaks but also in the midst of many slopes in the shade under the rounded or convex areas. Better to keep the distances, in fact some plates could bear the weight of a hiker but yield to the passage of a group.

Versants sunny: in mid-day and afternoon, surface flows occur in the steep slopes until about 2400 m (2700 m even in corridors or steep well as rock bars). Some departures slabs substantive possible in the steep grassy South West in the afternoon on average mountain.

TREND FOR SUNDAY:
Risk stationary or slightly decreasing.

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