When “Nothing Happens Most of the Time” – Off-piste Snow Report & Risk Context article (N. French Alps, Week of 9 Feb 2026)
Much-needed fresh snow has significantly boosted snow depths and revived off-piste conditions! But also an extremely unstable snowpack….
We’re currently in the middle of a significant snowstorm in the tail end of storm Goretti, with 3 consecutive days of snowfall from Thursday, 8th January 8th through to the early hours of Sunday, January 11th. By the time this storm ends, many areas will have picked up around a meter of new snow, which is excellent news after much of the Alps has gone nearly a month without snowfall (aside from a few exceptions around Piedmont in Italy).
But here’s a key warning: that long dry spell came with clear nights and cold temperatures, which transformed the existing snowpack into a very weak, sugary structure of ‘faceted snow grains’ in many places. On its own, that ‘sugary’ snow wasn’t necessarily a problem – but with this much new snow loading on top of it, the situation becomes exceptionally unstable.
We’re dealing with a persistent weak layer beneath all this fresh snow. That means a highly dangerous avalanche situation, especially on steep slopes, but also in places where avalanches are not normally expected. Slopes that rarely slide may now avalanche, including areas with moderate to sparse tree cover.
This is a warning for most of the Alps receiving this snowfall, and particularly for regions that haven’t seen snow for some time.
You’ll hear people say, “There’s a weak layer every year.” That’s true, but every year is different. This year’s weak layer is exceptionally unstable and persistent.
As conditions clear on Sunday morning, 11th January, please exercise extreme caution. The temptation will be for people to charge off-piste, in a very probable powder frenzy. Take it easy, go for the easy to access ‘low hanging fruit’ moderately steep (less than 30° steepeness) areas to start… and maybe just stay in those ‘no risk zones’.
Have fun—but most importantly, stay safe!
Weather forecast : Sat 10th to Wed 15th Jan
Have fun—but most importantly, stay safe!
…and check out the HAT Prevention Card with a ‘quick reference’ of the key accident reduction points. It contains a score card scale to help you reference the potential danger for a given slope on a given day, and more info like definitions of the danger scale. Watch the FREE Pocket Prevention Guide on Video for a step-by-step explanation of how to use it.The post When “Nothing Happens Most of the Time” – Off-piste Snow Report & Risk Context article (N. French Alps, Week of 9 Feb 2026) appeared first on Henry's Avalanche Talk.