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.

N74110311
SNOW AND AVALANCHE BULLETIN FOR HAUTE SAVOIE
(VALID OFF OF MARKED AND OPEN AND RUNS)
PREPARED ON TUESDAY 11 MARCH
FOR WEDNESDAY 12 MARCH

ESTIMATE OF RISK UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING: any massive Haute-Savoie.
Unless 1800/2000 m: limited risk (level 2) that evolves marked risk (level 3) in view of redoux and rain averaged mountain.
A more 1800/2000 m: marked risk (level 3) evolves likely (level 4).

WEATHER OVERVIEW UNTIL WEDNESDAY EVENING:
A lot of clouds and rain backed up to about 2000 m on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, 1800 m in Wednesday midday. During the afternoon, the rain/snow fall limit to 1300 m but the intensity of precipitation slackens.
In altitude, heavy snow was blown deposited on the summits (20 2000 m, a 30/40 cm fresh snow since 2200/2300 m often transported / worked by Westerly winds sustained dominant).

Isothermal 0 DG: to 2200 m on the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, 2000 m in mid-day and then down to 1500 m on Wednesday evening. Isothermal -10 DG: 4000 m and 3200 m.
Wind at 2000 m: Southwest 80/60 km / h, turning west on Wednesday afternoon at 50 km / h.
Wind at 4000 m: west and then northwest 100/110 km / h.

SNOW CONDITIONS:
Episodes of bad weather have not been very important this winter, the snow cover is low for a mid-March despite snowfall from this Tuesday. The lack of snow is obvious in the valleys and mountains on average, particularly in southern slope. In the northern slopes, skis can be put on at 1200 meters.
Quality of snow for Wednesday:
Unless 2000/1800 m, the snowpack will become wetter in depth given the redoux and rain announced until Wednesday morning. But Wednesday afternoon, a small layer of snow cover in the final wet snow / rotten.
At1800/2000 m, snow will improve with the snowfall, strong winds will cause transported snow, especially with the approach of passes and ridges (often compacted snow / hardback) . In high mountain crevasses of glaciers, already very apparent to below 3000 m, should be a little recap.

STABILITY OF SNOW COVER:
The snowpack will quickly become unstable in the steep slopes.
On the average mountain, as a result of the rain until 2000/1800 m, many of wet snow avalanches will trigger naturally in steep, and even easier by cutting the slopes on skis.
At 1800/2000 m, the natural avalanche activity will be moderate in the form of slabs rupture / cornices along with a few avalanches of powdery snow.
In contrast, the risk of triggering avalanches with the passage of skier (s) become very early in the morning. Indeed, in areas of blown snow, especially in the area passes and peaks or breaks slopes or near rock bars, a skier could trigger a slab snow compact / mid-sized hard sometimes enough important. In addition, in less windy slopes down, many brittle / fragile slabs (consisting of relatively powdery snow on the surface) may also be triggered by the weight of a skier, even in the near or off the track on large classical skis hikes.

TREND LATER RISK:
The risk drops, more significantly, on average mountain.