High risk of avalanches (level 4 out of 5 on the European avalanche risk scale) this Thursday 29th January, 2026 across the Southern Alps, Oisans, and Corsica. Extreme caution is advised for mountain activities outside of marked and open trails, especially in the Ecrins and Mercantour mountain ranges and on all Corsican peaks. Instability remains widespread. This means that a skier or hiker can easily trigger avalanches involving large volumes of snow.
- In the Alps, the following mountain ranges are affected: Oisans, Champsaur and Dévoluy (above 2,000 m altitude), Thabor, Pelvoux, Queyras, Embrunais-Parpaillon, Ubaye, Haut-Var and Haut-Verdon, and Mercantour.
The accumulation of fresh snow since Tuesday evening is significant, reaching 40 to 70 cm in general at altitude, locally more due to wind accumulation.
Everywhere, these snowfalls were preceded by very strong winds and rest on a very unstable snowpack due to fragile layers buried in place since December.
The northwesterly wind on Thursday is transporting the recent snow on the surface and enabling the formation of new unstable structures. All of this can lead to deep avalanches that can mobilize large volumes of snow, easily triggered by skiers and snowboarders.
- In Corsica: the following mountain ranges are affected: Cinto-Rotondo and Renoso-Incudine (above 2,000 m altitude)
Heavy snowfall has also occurred in recent days in the Corsican mountains, accompanied by strong winds at times.
This Thursday, strong westerly winds on the peaks are causing the formation of new unstable structures on the surface. This fresh, wind-blown snow lies on top of a pile of recent snow layers that have not yet stabilized, which can lead to large avalanches, easily triggered by skiers and snowboarders.
- In the other Alpine ranges: in the Mont Blanc massif, in all the Savoie massifs (except for Les Bauges, which has a risk level of 2/5), and in Isère (in Chartreuse, Vercors, Belledonne, and Grandes Rousses), the avalanche risk is Considerable (level 3 out of 5). The instability is less intense due to a less substantial layer of fresh snow, but it is nevertheless also present at high altitude, due in particular to the persistence of fragile buried layers in most of these massifs, which have been in place since December, and snow that is sometimes hardened by the wind on the surface.
Friday, January 30: Many mountain ranges in the Southern Alps and Corsica could remain at high risk of avalanches due to the persistence of cold snow and continued high winds at high altitudes.
For more information, please consult the Avalanche Risk Assessment Bulletins on the website www.meteofrance.com - Mountain page or the Météo-France mobile app, and check with local mountain professionals.
