Bregenzerwald Mountains

Weak old snow and fresh snowdrifts prone to triggering

Weak old snow and fresh snowdrifts prone to triggering

Fresh fallen snow and freshly generated snowdrifts are poorly bonded with the weak old snowpack. One single person can trigger slab avalanches in the drifts and old snow. If the fracture sweeps away the entire snowpack, the release can grow to medium size. Danger zones are located in all aspects, but especially on shady slopes and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Frequency and spread of avalanche prone locations increase with ascending altitude. Activities in backcountry demand defensive conduct.

Fresh snowfall is anticipated: up to 15cm, 20cm from region to region. This and the loosely-packed old snow will be transported by the intermittently strong-to storm velocity winds. Fresh snow and drifts will be deposited frequently on top of a faceted, loosely-packed old snowpack surface or atop surface hoar and bond poorly with it. The old snowpack is unfavorably metamorphosed.

Nighttime hours: widespread and persistent snowfall. Snowfall level ascending in the region from Rhine Valley and Vorderwald to nearly 1000-1200m, accompaned by penetrating westerly winds in the evening and during the nocturnal hours. Friday: stormy in the mountains. Snowfall will recede to the barrier cloud regions of the Arlberg and Silvretta and taper off somewhat. Temperature at 2000m: from -3 to -6 degrees; at 3000m: from -10 to -15 degrees. Strong to storm-strength westerly to southwesterly winds at high altitudes, in places with storm-strength gusts.

Very cold plus strong-to-storm velocity winds and, starting on Saturday, increasingly frequent snowfall. Avalanche danger expected to increase inside the respective danger level.