Chiemgau Alps East

Increasing sink-in depths in the terrain indicate a softening of the snowpack.

Increasing sink-in depths in the terrain indicate a softening of the snowpack.

Avalanche danger is moderate. The predominant avalanche problem is wet snow. Due to mild temperatures small to medium-sized wet loose snow avalanches can release in steep rocky terrain in all aspects. It is in addition possible that glide snow avalanches start gliding over the smooth ground on steep grass-covered slopes and in forest clearances which can grow to large size in isolated cases. Above 2200m small-scale snowdrifts adjacent to ridgelines are partly still prone to triggering as small slab avalanches.

In general the snowpack has settled well and is compact. Since the Saharan air layer with Saharan dust reduces nocturnal outgoing longwave radiation, a melt-freeze crust can form which is only in places capable of bearing loads and already softens during the course of the morning. When softening the snowpack forfeits its firmness and bonding. The snowpack base has become partly moist which promotes gliding of the snowpack. Only on shady slopes at highest altitudes there is partly still powder poorly bonded frozen onto the snowpack surface. Small-scale snowdrifts are deposited atop loose snow layers and are partly prone to triggering. On sunny slopes the ground is almost bare up to about 1400m.

The slight daytime avalanche danger cycle will not change in the next few days.