Snow cover characteristics are continuously affected by meteorological boundary conditions, such as precipitation, wind and radiation. Most processes occurring in the snow cover depend on the vertical and horizontal distribution of its physical properties, which primarily emerge from the microstructure of snow (density, specific surface area, other geometric properties). Conversely, snow metamorphism modifies snow microstructure leading to feedback loops affecting the macroscopic behavior of the snowpack. This can have far reaching implications for a variety of applications, from snowpack chemistry, snow-climate feedback, water resources management to avalanche forecasting. This session is therefore devoted to the latest developments in microstructure-based snowpack modelling including radiative transfer modelling, results from field, laboratory and numerical studies of the physical and chemical evolution of the snowpack as well as innovative approaches to improve our understanding of snow avalanche formation processes with the goal to improve avalanche forecasting.