Werdenfels Alps

Rain up to high altitudes weakens the snowpack; snowdrifts are generated in the highest summit regions.

Rising temperatures and rain up to high altitudes will weaken the snowpack. Bordering the ground the snowpack is in many places moist to wet which enhances gliding movements of the snow masses, in particular if additionally rain runs off through open glide cracks. At intermediate altitudes the layers within the snowpack consisting of crusts and loose snow are gradually dissipating. At highest altitudes trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations were generated. These were deposited atop hard wind or melt-freeze crusts or atop a few centimeters of loose new snow. Close to the ground, partly faceted crystals still persist on shady slopes above 2200 m. Only little snow remains below 1400m.

Rain up to high altitudes weakens the snowpack; snowdrifts are generated in the highest summit regions.

Considerable avalanche danger above 1400 m, below that it is moderate. Main problem: wet snow. Wet loose snow and slab avalanches as well as glide snow avalanches can trigger naturally in all aspects in steep rocky terrain, in forests with sparse trees or on smooth grass-covered slopes that have not yet discharged. Avalanches can grow to medium size - at high altitudes even large size - where more deeply embedded weak layers are weakened because of penetrating water.At highest summit altitudes above 2200 m snowdrift accumulations can be triggered by one sole skier. Avalanche prone locations are found in steep ridgeline terrain in all aspects as well as in wind-loaded gullies and bowls and behind protuberances in the terrain. They increase in frequency and size with ascending altitude. Avalanches are mostly medium-sized.

The weather will improve and the avalanche situation will become less tense.