Západné Tatry

Watch out for wind-blown slabs and pillows of new snow

Watch out for wind-blown slabs and pillows of new snow

In the Western and High Tatras there is a moderate avalanche danger (2nd degree) above the treeline. Snowfall coming from the northwest brought 10 to 20 cm, locally 30 cm of new snow. Especially steep, narrow couloirs and places under rock walls are dangerous. Most of the snow is loose (powdery), but in some places there are also compacted slabs and pillows of varying hardness on hard ground, the two layers being poorly bonded due to the low temperatures below -10°C. The danger is concentrated where old hard snow has been deposited. The second avalanche problem is the permanently weak layer. Shady orientations and the northern slopes of our mountain ranges are therefore particularly dangerous. In the afternoon, we expect a front to arrive, combined with strong winds and snow, which will worsen the situation.

Between 10 and 30 cm of powder snow has been added in recent days. The snow is very unevenly distributed due to strong winds. The ridges are blown onto hard ground. There are a few ice crusts in the snowpack, with faceted snow underneath. The crusts are not strong enough, so they break through when moving on foot. Movement off the beaten track is difficult. On average there is between 20 and 50 cm of snow in our mountains. The continuous snow cover is mostly above the forest belt.

With snow, wind and warming temperatures rising.