Werdenfels Alps

The drifting snow situation is still tricky.

The drifting snow situation is still tricky.

The avalanche risk is considerable above the tree line in the morning and increases to high during the daytime changes, below it it is moderate. The main problem is wind slab avalanches. Slab avalanches can easily be triggered by individual winter sports enthusiasts or detach themselves. Avalanche prone locations are adjacent to ridgelines and distant from ridgelines on steep slopes of all aspects, behind slope discontinuities and in gullies and bowls, as well as in forest aisles and clearings. They increase in number and size with altitude. Above 1800 m, avalanches on very steep shady slopes can also tear through to deeper weak layers in the old snowpack and become large, especially in the afternoon with the renewed snowfall. Cracks when stepping on the snowpack and booming noises indicate the danger.

Small to medium-sized, spontaneous loose snow avalanches are possible from the steep terrain interspersed with rocks. Individual gliding avalanches are also possible.

There has been up to half a metre of new fallen snow in the last few days. The snow was transported by stormy winds from westerly directions and extensive snowdrift accumulations prone to triggering have formed. They lie on soft layers of snow, graupel or surface hoar. In the upper part of the old snowpack, prone to triggering layers are embedded in thin layers of harsh snow in places. Above 1800 m, on shady slopes, there are deeper weak layers of faceted crystals in the snowpack. The snow depths vary greatly across the terrain due to the strong winds.

The avalanche situation remains tense.