Goldberg Group Central

Wet-snow avalanches are the main danger, they can trigger naturally at any time of day or night

Wet-snow avalanches are the main danger, they can trigger naturally at any time of day or night

Avalanche danger below 2800m is considerable, above that altitude danger is moderate. Wet-snow avalanches can release naturally in all aspects and grow to medium size. Esp. on steep W/N/E-facing slopes, increasingly frequent slab avalanches are possible. Thy can sweep along the thoroughly wet snowpack and grow to large size, esp. in high-altitude starting zones where there is sufficient snow. Avalanches in steep gullies can in isolated cases plummet down to green zones. In very steep grass-covered terrain, medium-sized glide-snow avalanches can trigger naturally all day long. Above 2600m on extremely steep slopes in extended northern aspects, isolated medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered by one sole skier.

The snowpack below 2600m is at least moistened in all aspects, on sunny slopes often up to high-alpine regions thoroughly wet. The snowpack cannot sufficient radiate outwardly during the nocturnal hours, forms only a thin melt-freeze crust not capable of bearing loads, and softening quickly in the morning hours. High air moisture and local rainfall is making the snowpack even wetter. Weak layers of faceted crystals evident only on extremely steep shady slopes above 2600m.

Skies on Sunday night will be partially cloudy, cloud cover will become dense in the latter part of the night and hinder outgoing longwave radiation. On Monday, clouds will disperse during the morning, though south of the Main Alpine Ridge dense clouds could accumulate from the south and shroud the highest peaks. A bit of rainfall is possible in places on the Main Ridge, snowfall above 2400-2600m. Moderate to brisk southerly foehn wind. At 2000m: 2-7 degrees; at 3000m: -1 degree.

Due to additional water seepage into the snowpack from rainfall, it is becoming thoroughly wet to a greater degree. Increasingly frequent wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches up to high-alpine zones.