Border Pennine Alps

Wind slabs are to be evaluated with care and prudence. Restraint is advisable on this first sunny day after a long period of poor weather.

Wind slabs are to be evaluated with care and prudence. Restraint is advisable on this first sunny day after a long period of poor weather.

In the regions with a lot of snow and on very steep sunny slopes numerous small and medium-sized dry and moist avalanches are to be expected as a consequence of warming during the day and solar radiation. The wind was moderate in some cases. In the last few days sometimes avalanche prone wind slabs formed in gullies and bowls and behind abrupt changes in the terrain. They can be released by a single winter sport participant in particular on very steep shady slopes above approximately 2200 m. Dry avalanches can additionally in some places be released in near-surface layers in particular at transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack. Along the border with Switzerland On very steep shady slopes and above approximately 2500 m the avalanche danger is considerable (level 3).

In some cases the wind slabs have bonded still only poorly with each other and the old snowpack. Over a wide area new snow and wind slabs are lying on soft layers. Individual weak layers exist in the snowpack on wind-loaded slopes. In particular at elevated altitudes snow depths vary greatly, depending on the infuence of the wind.

Outgoing longwave radiation during the night will be good. As a consequence of warming during the day and solar radiation there will be only a slight decrease in the danger of dry and moist avalanches.