Werdenfels Alps

Isolated loose-snow avalanches can trigger on shady slopes

Isolated loose-snow avalanches can trigger on shady slopes

Avalanche danger is low and rises to moderate in afternoon above 1600m. Wet snow is the major problem, wet loose-snow avalanches can trigger naturally or be triggered by skiers on sunny, extremely steep slopes, frequency of danger zones increases during the course of the day. Avalanches can grow to medium size. In some places, snowdrifts can trigger a slab avalanches by large additional loading. Danger zones occur in steep ridgeline terrain and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls, releases can reach medium size. On very steep grass-covered slopes and on very steep smooth ground, glide-snow avalanches can be expected, these can reach medium size in isolated cases.

A thin melt-freeze crust forms during the nighttime hours, then softens swiftly in the morning sunshine. During the day, mild temperatures up to high altitudes are moistening the snowpack, causing it to forfeit its firmness. Snow is still powdery only on steep shady slopes at high altitudes, but there, embedded graupel and weak layers in the uppermost part of the snowpack can be prone to triggering. At intermediate altitudes the fresh fallen snow is thoroughly wet over widespread areas. Gliding movements are possible.

With temperatures dropping, the danger of wet-snow avalanches will diminish.