Chiemgau Alps East

Possibility of wet avalanche due to daytime warming.

Possibility of wet avalanche due to daytime warming.

Above approx. 1500m avalanche danger rises from low to moderate as the day progresses; below that altitude it stays low. Main problem: wet snow. As a result of increasing warming small to medium-sized wet avalanches can trigger in extremely steep terrain with still enough snow. In addition, glide snow avalanches are possible on steep slopes with smooth ground. Glide cracks are red flags of this risk. Apart from that, at high altitude isolated medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered by large additional loading such as collapsing cornices. This happens in particular in steep shady terrain adjacent to ridgelines.

A melt-freeze crust forms during the night which softens swiftly during the day due to warm temperatures and solar radiation. Moistness or wetness of the snowpack progresses, thus enhancing wet avalanches and gliding movements of snow masses. Up to high intermediate altitudes not much snow left. At high altitude the snow of the most recent precipitation period settles and bonds increasingly; in shady terrain the transition to Saharan dust layers is not totally stable.

Due to continuing mild temperatures and rain the wet snow problem will persist.