Monregalese Valleys

The new snow and wind slabs of the last few days must be evaluated with care and prudence. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for careful route selection.

The new snow and wind slabs of the last few days must be evaluated with care and prudence. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for careful route selection.

The southwesterly wind will transport the new snow significantly. In gullies and bowls, and behind abrupt changes in the terrain the wind slabs will increase in size additionally. On wind-loaded slopes and in the regions exposed to precipitation large and, in isolated cases, very large avalanches are possible in starting zones where no previous releases have taken place. On steep shady slopes the avalanches can be released in deep layers of the snowpack. The new snow and wind slabs can be released easily, even by a single winter sport participant,. Ski touring and other off-piste activities, including snowshoe hiking, call for experience in the assessment of avalanche danger and careful route selection. Whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack serve as an alarm sign. As a consequence of the moist air individual small and, in isolated cases, medium-sized moist loose snow avalanches are possible.

Over a wide area over a wide area 50 to 80 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, has fallen since Monday above approximately 1600 m. Fresh snow and large quantities of wind-drifted snow are poorly bonded with the old snowpack in many places. Naturally triggered avalanches and whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack have confirmed a dangerous avalanche situation on steep slopes. Faceted weak layers exist in the bottom section of the snowpack on shady slopes.

Down to 1200 m and below snow will fall on Friday over a wide area.