Werdenfels Alps

Pay heed to danger of taking a fall on icy surfaces! Glide snow possible.

Pay heed to danger of taking a fall on icy surfaces! Glide snow possible.

Avalanche danger is moderate below 2400 m, above that altitude it is low. Main problem: glide snow. Below approx. 2400 m possibility of glide snow avalanches on steep slopes with smooth ground and still enough snow. They can release spontaneously in any aspect and at any time of day or night. At higher altitudes glide snow avalanches can grow to medium size; elsewhere they are mostly small. Glide cracks indicate danger zones. With increasing altitude there are isolated trigger-sensitive locations in the old snow in extremely steep terrain where snow is rather shallow as well as at entries into gullies and bowls. Slab avalanches are mostly only triggerable by large additional loading, such as by a person walking on foot. Slab avalanches can reach medium size.

Due to the heavy clouds and mild temperatures during Thursday night, only a thin melt-freeze crust can form at intermediate altitude that softens swiftly during the day. At high altitude the snowpack surface often stays hard and icy. Up to high altitudes, the snowpack is thoroughly moist underneath the melt-freeze crust and frequently wet down to the ground. Therefore, gliding movements over smooth ground are possible. On very steep shady slopes weak layers can still be found in isolated cases near melt-freeze crusts. The snowpack depths vary considerably; ridges and crests are utterly wind blown. Below 1400 m more and more of the surfaces are becoming bare of snow again. In the Bavarian Alps it is now almost impossible to go backcountry skiing without having to carry the skis for part of the route.

Since the weather will remain stable the avalanche danger is not likely to change much on the weekend.