Border Graie Alps

New snow and wind slabs represent the main danger.

New snow and wind slabs represent the main danger.

Along the border with Switzerland and adjacent to ridgelines the avalanche danger is one level higher. By the evening further wind slabs will form especially adjacent to ridgelines and in gullies and bowls as well as at high altitude. These can sometimes be released, even by small loads in isolated cases, but they can reach medium size, especially on wind-loaded slopes. Such avalanche prone locations are sometimes covered with new snow and are barely recognisable because of the poor visibility. Even a small avalanche can sweep people along and give rise to falls.

In particular along the border with Switzerland up to 50 cm of snow has fallen since Thursday above approximately 2000 m. The sometimes strong wind will transport the new snow significantly. In some cases the wind slabs have bonded poorly with each other and the old snowpack. The old snowpack is well consolidated and its surface consists of loosely bonded snow lying on a resilient melt-freeze crust. Above approximately 2100 m a lot of snow is lying.