Chiemgau Alps East

Wet slab-, loose-snow and glide-snow avalanches possible

Wet slab-, loose-snow and glide-snow avalanches possible

Avalanche danger from Ammergau to Berchtesgaden Alps is moderate. Main problem: wet snow. Naturally triggered wet loose-snow avalanches in steep rocky terrain and glide-snow avalanches on smooth grass-covered slopes and in forest lanes are possible in all aspects. Releases are usually small. In addition, snowdrifts are a problem at high altitudes. Danger zones are numerous, occur in steep ridgeline terrain in all aspects, behind discontinuities and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Snowdrift accumulations can be triggered as slab avalanches by one sole person and reach medium size.

Rising temperatures and intermittent rainfall will make the surface wet, the moisture will seep deep into the snowpoack, leading to a loss of firmness and instability of loose snow. In additional the water can remain stored on the the melt-freeze crusts and destabilize further the weak layers, gliding snow masses are the result. Huge temperature disparities (cold on warm) at high altitudes are creating trigger-prone weak layers in the uppermost part of the snowpack at high altitudes. On Thursday the snowfall level will gradually descend, fresh trigger-prone snowdrifts will be generated.

Wet-snow avalanche danger will slowly recede over the next few days as temperatures drop.