Silvretta West

Caution: freshly generated snowdrift accumulations prone to triggering in places

Caution: freshly generated snowdrift accumulations prone to triggering in places

Fresh drifts require attentiveness in high-altitude ridgeline and pass areas, they can be released by one sole skier and are mostly small-sized. The risks of being swept along and forced to take a fall deserve adequate consideration. Weak layers in the old snow can be triggered in steep shady terrain above 2400m, esp. in transitions from shallow to deeper snow and in zones where the snow is shallow. On very steep sunny slopes, moist slides and small loose-snow avalanches are possible. The danger of small, in isolated cases medium-sized glide-snow avalanches is still difficult to assess. Caution urged below glide cracks.

The below-average snowpack is well consolidated by and large. In high altitude pass and rigeline zones, small fresh, often trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations require attentiveness, esp. on steep shady slopes these drifts have been deposited. On sunny slopes the most recent snowfall is already moist and is forming a melt-freeze crust. During the daytime hours, this crust softens up again. On shady steep slopes at high altituds there are weak layer evident in the lower part of the snowpack.

Nocturnal skies cloudless by and large. On Tuesday in the mountains, generally sunny, only a few high altitude clouds in the afternoon, no disturbance to the sunshine. At 2000m: -6 to -2 degrees. Mostly moderate, intially brisk NW winds at high altitude.

Ground-level weak layers at high altitudes often remain prone to triggering