Verwall Mountains West

Still weak layers in the old snow on high-altitude shady slopes

Still weak layers in the old snow on high-altitude shady slopes

Weak layers, avalanche prone locations can still be triggered even by minimum additional loading, i.e. the weight of one sole skier, although danger has receded. Danger zones occur mostly in steep shady terrain, small-to-medium slab avalanches can in places be triggered by low additional loading. Cautious route selection is recommended. Due to solar radiation and daytime warming, small loose-snow avalanches are possible on sunny slopes. On sunny steep grassy slopes, glide-snow avalanches are possible.

Temperatures have risen noticeably at high altitude, the proneness to triggering has diminished. In the upper part of the snowpack are expansively metamorphosed (faceted) crystals. Triggerable are the transitions from shallow to deep snow. These danger zones are not visible to the naked eye. Brisk winds from N/NW will generate small trigger sensitive snowdrift accumulations. On very steep sunny slopes there is a thin melt-freeze crust on the surface. Elsewhere the snowpack is often powdery. At intermediate altitudes there is surface hoar. Due to solar radiation and daytime warming the snowpack softens on sunny slopes.

Nocturnal hours: star-studded skies, cold. Sunday: sunny but cold winds, though not as brisk as yesterday. At 2000 m: -4 to +2 degrees. Light to moderate NE winds.

Zero-degree level rising to nearly 3000 m on Monday. Danger of dry-snow avalanches will diminish further. Due to solar radiation and daytime warming, risks of wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches will increase during the course of the day.