Verwall Mountains West

Away from secured ski slopes, a dangerous avalanche situation widespread.

Low-lying cloud cover will hamper visibility. Snow showers will taper off during the morning. In afternoon, possible windows of sunshine, particularly in high alpine regions. Temperature at 2000m: -11 degrees; at 3000m: from -16 degrees. Brisk northeasterly winds at high altitudes.

The danger of dry-snow avalanches is diminishing. Due to solar radiation, moist slides can be expected from the fresh fallen snow during the course of the day.

Away from secured ski slopes, a dangerous avalanche situation widespread.

As a result of large amounts of fresh snow and drifts, naturally triggered slab avalanches can be expected. They will mostly be medium-sized. As the precipitation tapers off, naturally triggered avalanche activity will diminish during the course of the day. Outside of that, avalanches can easily be triggered by one single winter sports enthusiast, even in flattish parts of slopes. Danger zones occur over far-reaching areas, and increase during the course of the forecast period as precipitation increases. For activities outside the secured slopes in ski areas, experience in assessing the terrain and avalanche risks are imperative. A defensive route selection is recommended.

Since Wednesday, 40-50cm of fresh snow has been registered. The snowfall was accompanied by strong-to-storm strength NW winds, thereby generating often large-sized, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations. In the interim there have also been repeated showers of graupel. Tonight, an additional 10cm of fresh snowfall is anticipated. Fresh snow and drifts lie deposited atop a loosely-packed surface on shady slopes, atop a melt-freeze crust on sunny slopes. Beneath a further melt-freeze crust in the uppermost third of the snowpack there are often faceted crystals. The mid-section of the snowpack consists widespread of well consolidated, compact layers which on shady high altitude slopes blanket a poorly-structured old snowpack fundament.