The French Mapping Organization (IGN - l’Institut national de l’information géographique et forestière) will update its mapping data with slope information for the winter 2016/2017.

A classic "retour d'est" pattern looks like bringing 50 to 100 cm of snow to the Southern Alps over Thursday and Friday.

A group of climbers were lucky to grab this footage of an avalanche on the north face of Z1 in Zanskar at the start of September.

There were 8 victims of avalanches in Switzerland this winter (Jan-Feb) and a total of 13 since the start of the season (1/10/2015).

Meteo France has issued a snow and avalanche alert for the Pyrenees, SE Alps and Massif Central for the weekend 27-28 February.

Relatively little recent snow. Wind is creating some localized avalanche risk in the Isere and Hautes-Alpes. Relatively stable elsewhere this weekend.

Both the Prefectures and Meteo France have issued avalanche warnings for the French Alps. Meteo France warns of a "high probability of spontaneous avalanches this weekend.

The Southern Alps are expecting 40 to 70cm of snow over Sunday and Monday above 2000 meters altitude.

The high altitude rain to 2500 meters last weekend didn't do us any favours.

Some people, including me, were surprised at the size of the avalanche in the Grand Crêt bowl above la Clusaz on Saturday.