Alpine heat pushes the freezing level past 4,000 metres

The freezing level across the Alps is sitting above 4,000 metres. On glacier routes that means no overnight refreeze, and snow bridges that soften by mid-morning. Start before dawn. Zermatt still holds the most open terrain, but the high ground is shrinking week on week. Lower down, the Tour du Mont Blanc is largely snow-free, with only patchy gullies lingering near the Col du Bonhomme. Carry more water than the map suggests.