Lawinenlagebericht

Fresh drifts, often weak layering. Increasingly frequent glide-snow avalanches

Fresh drifts, often weak layering. Increasingly frequent glide-snow avalanches

Fresh snow and drifts are increasingly prone to triggering with ascending altitude, can release even with minimum additional loading. Avalanche prone locations are found particularly above the timberline, in steep ridgeline terrain and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. As winds intensify, fresh snowdrift accumulations are formed and danger zones become more frequent and larger-sized. Activities beyond secured ski slopes require experience in avalanche assessment on-site. In additioin, at high altitude shady steep terrain, weak ground level layers can trigger in transltion zones from deep to shallow snow by large additional loading in particular. If avalanches fracture down to deeper layers of the snowpack they can grow to large size. Exposed zones can be placed at risk. At low and intermediate altitudes on steep grass-covered slopes, in forest clearances and on hillsides, increasingly frequent naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible.

There was another 10-15 cm of fresh snow registered widespread, in the northern and Arlberg regions up to 25 cm. Amid intermittently storm-strength winds the snow was transported, and danger zones increased particularly above the treeline. Fresh snow and drifts of recent days were deposited on top of a loosely-packed, in some spots bonded and consolidated and rain-encrusted, settled snowpack up to about 1800 m, which furthers gliding movement of the snowpack over smooth ground. Bonding inside the upper layers, often riddled with graupel, and to the old snowpack is moderate to poor, making it prone to triggering. At mid-level of the snowpack on high-altitude shady slopes, faceted crystals are evident. There is currently only limited data available from high altitude zones.

Wintery conditions, poor visibiity, low temperatures, more snow showers, particularly and Bregenzerwald and Arlberg regions a few additional centimetres of new snow is expected. Temperature at 2000 m: -9 degrees. High-altitude winds brisk to strong from the west, shifting to northerly.

Snow showers will come to an end tonight. Sunday will begin quite sunny, During the day, cloud cover wil increase and it will be very windy. The avalanche situation will continue to be tense.