Lawinenlagebericht

Quite favorable conditions in early morning / Rapidly increasing danger due to warmth and solar radiation

Quite favorable conditions in early morning / Rapidly increasing danger due to warmth and solar radiation

Fresh and older snowdrift accumulations are often prone to triggering, especially on north-facing slopes. Avalanche prone locations occur particularly in ridgeline and pass areas above about 2400m. These should be avoided, mostly because of the risks of being forced to take a fall. Danger of wet-snow avalanches swiftly rising, triggered naturally and by skiers below 2600 m, small-to-medium sized, sometimes large-sized. Glide snow avalanches can trigger especially on E/S/W facing slopes below 2600m, below 2200m in all aspects, loose-snow avalanches can also grow to large size. Medium-sized wet loose-snow avalanches can be triggered by one sole skier. Backcountry tours should start early, end early.

Nocturnal skies were partly to quite cloudy, reducing the outgoing longwave radiation. Thus, only a breakable crust was able to form, which will quickly soften during the day. Clouds and Sahara dust will greatly impede the sun today; moreover, the Sahara dust colors the snowpack yellow-brown, solar radiation is reflected to a lesser degree, which in turn increases the warmth inside the snowpack, which led to increased wet-snow avalanches up to 2600m yesterday in spite of diffuse light. Recently generated snowdrift accumulations on north-facing slopes lie atop an expansively metamosphosed (faceted) snowpack and are often prone to triggering.

Weak high-pressure front conditions, the sun is much impeded by cirrus clouds and widespread Sahara dust, making it gloomy and creating diffuse light. Mild and only light winds. At 2000 m: 6 degrees. Light northerly winds at high altitudes.

On Thursday night, cloudy skies, reduced outgoing longwave radiation. On Friday a NE air current will bring lots of clouds, impaired sunshine until aftrnoon, somewhat lower temperatures. Quite favorable conditions prevail during the morning, avalanche danger (wet-snow releases) increasing only slightly through the day.