Verwall Mountains West

Delicate avalanche situation continues

Delicate avalanche situation continues

One single person can trigger slab avalanches in the drifts and old snow. If the fracture sweeps away the entire snowpack, the release can grow to large size. Danger zones occur especially on steep shady slopes and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls in all aspects. Frequency and extent of avalanche prone locations increase with ascending altitude. Also naturally triggered avalanches and remote triggerings are possible. Activities in backcountry demand defensive conduct. In zones with rain impact, increasingly frequent wet snowslides and avalanches will also be possible during the course of the day.

The fresh snow and fresh snowdrifts since Thursday often lie deposited on top of a loosely-packed, faceted, expansively metamorphosed old snowpack surface or atop surface hoar. Thus, bonding is poor. The old snowpack is unfavorably structured. In addition, layers inside the fresh snow and freshly generated drifts are poorly bonded in places. Avalanche releases from artificial triggerings and by winter sports enthusiasts bestätigen the trigger-sensitivity of the snowpack.

A warm front will bring a marked rise in temperatures in the mountains. As the night draws to a close, cloud cover will dominate. In the morning hours, snowfall will set in. Snowfall level will ascend to 1500m by evening. Temperature at 2000m: -1 degree; at 3000m: -7 degrees. Moderate to brisk westerly winds at high altitudes.

Avalanche danger will decrease, but winter sports enthusiasts can still trigger avalanches.