Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Persistent weak layer on shady high altitude slopes. Wet-snow/glide-snow avalanches below 2000m.

Persistent weak layer on shady high altitude slopes. Wet-snow/glide-snow avalanches below 2000m.

Avalanche danger is MODERATE. Weak layers inside the old snowpack can on shady slopes above approximately 2300 m still be triggered, particularly on wind-protected slopes at the foot of rock walls or behind abrupt discontinuties in the terrain. Danger zones are rare, difficult to recognize. Avalanches can grow to medium size. The westerly winds are generating fresh snowdrift accumulations, depositing them often atop a melt-freeze crust. They are small but are prone to triggering. The quite mild temperatures and a bit of rainfall starting in late afternoon below 2000 m make small wet loose-snow slides likely in extremely steep terrain. In addition, glide-snow avalanches on steep grassy slopes in all aspects are possible. Due to the shallow snowpack, releases will remain small-sized.

The snowpack is unfavourable over widespread areas and still shallow or has even receded to the the higher temperatures. On high alpine shady slopes the layering is often a sequence of melt-freeze crusts and faceted crystals inside the fundament, in places with blanketed surface hoar. This applies particularly to wind-protected terrain. The fresh snowdrifts from Friday are being deposited on a melt-freeze crust in some places. Due to milder temperatures the snowpack is wet up to intermediate altitudes. The snow thereby forfeits is firmness and is set into moition on extremely steep slopes as small loose-snow avalanches. Below about 1500 m there is only little snow on the ground.

Friday: heavy clouds all day long, poor visibility, strong westerly winds. The snowfall level will ascend to 2000 m during the daytime. At 2000 m: 0 degrees; at 3000 m: between -5 and -3 degrees. Saturday: heavy clouds and rainfall/snowfall (snowfall level somewhat lower: at 1500 m). During the afternoon, clouds will disperse somewhat, drier weather will arrive. At 2000 m: -1 to +1 degree; at 3000 m: -7 or -6 degrees.

No significant change is anticipated.