Chiemgau Alps East

Mostly small avalanches are triggerable. Risk of falling!

Mostly small avalanches are triggerable. Risk of falling!

Avalanche danger in the Bavarian Alps is moderate above the treeline, below that altitude danger is low. The fresh snowdrifts are the problem: avalanche prone locations are found above the treeline in steep ridgeline terrain in N/E/S aspects and in freshly wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Slab avalanches can trigger in many spots even by minimum additional loading, i.e. from the weight of one sole skier. On ridgeline slopes where snowfall has been heavy avalanches can in isolated cases grow to medium size, otherwise they are mostly small.

Only in isolated barrier cloud regions will there be measurable amounts of fresh snow by Friday evening, accompanied by strong westerly winds, and thus, transported. Small snowdrift accumulations will be deposited atop a highly varied old snowpack surface, often inadequately bonded with it. The old snowpack is generally settled and stable. All in all, the snowpack has below-average depths, at lower altitudes a solid base is lacking.

The snowfall forecast for Saturday will increase avalanche danger levels in the eastern Bavarian Alps.