Monregalese Valleys

The new snow and wind slabs must be evaluated with care and prudence. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for careful route selection.

The new snow and wind slabs must be evaluated with care and prudence. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for careful route selection.

The southwesterly wind has transported the new snow significantly. In gullies and bowls, and behind abrupt changes in the terrain the wind slabs have increased in size additionally. Above approximately 1200 m snow will fall until the early morning over a wide area. The large wind slabs of Monday are barely recognisable because of the poor visibility. On wind-loaded slopes and in the regions exposed to precipitation large and, in isolated cases, very large dry loose snow avalanches are possible in starting zones where no previous releases have taken place. The new snow and wind slabs can be released easily, even by a single winter sport participant,. Ski touring and other off-piste activities, including snowshoe hiking, call for experience in the assessment of avalanche danger and careful route selection.

Over a wide area 40 to 60 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, fell on Monday. Above approximately 1200 m snow will fall from the afternoon in some regions. These weather conditions will give rise to unfavourable bonding of the snowpack over a wide area. Large quantities of fresh snow and the wind-drifted snow will become increasingly prone to triggering. This applies especially in the regions exposed to heavier precipitation. Large-grained weak layers exist in the snowpack on shady slopes.