Bregenzerwald Mountains

Main danger: fresh snowdrift accumulations and weak old snow

On Sunday, gray and cold. Only the high summits in Rätikon and Silvretta will penetrate through the cloud cover. Winds will slacken off somewhat. Depending on amounts of fresh snow and wind, avalanche danger levels could increase again.

Main danger: fresh snowdrift accumulations and weak old snow

Fresh (and already blanketed) snowdrifts are prone to triggering particularly in ridgeline zones, but also distant from ridgelines, wind-loaded gullies and bowls and behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain. Small to medium slab avalanches can be triggered by one sole winter sports enthusiast. If they fracture to deeper layers they can grow to large size. Above 2400 m on steep shady slopes there are unfavourable layers in the old snowpack. Activities in backcountry demand experience in avalanche danger assessment on-site. In steep rocky terrain the fresh snow can trigger small to medium loose-snow avalanches.

The loose fresh snow was transported by strong winds, snowdrifts now blanket older snowdrift accumulations of recent days in ridgeline and pass areas in particular. Exposed zones and knolls are often windblown, gullies and bowls are filled to the brim with drifts. Fresh snow and snowdrifts often lie deposited atop loose and soft layers, on older drifted masses or atop melt-freeze encrusted old snowpack surfaces and are often riddled with graupel. Bonding to the old snowpack deteriorates with ascending altitude. At high altitudes on steep shady slopes in particular, there are still weak layers deeply embedded inside the snowpack which are not visible to the naked eye.

Nocturnal hours: gray skies persist, light snowfall. Saturday: cold, NW winds will create inhospitable conditions, the peaks often shrouded in fog, light snowfall possible. Visibility often diffuse. Rätikon and Silvretta will have somewhat better conditions, bright intervals are not to be ruled out. At 2000 m: -14 degrees. Brisk NE winds.