Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Caution: Prone to triggering wind slab and weak persistent weak layer are difficult to recognise!

Caution: Prone to triggering wind slab and weak persistent weak layer are difficult to recognise!

The avalanche risk is considerable above 2000 m and low below. Above around 2000 m, slab avalanches can be triggered in some places by individual winter sports enthusiasts and can be of medium size. The number and size of avalanche prone locations generally increase rapidly above the tree line, some of them are covered in snow and therefore difficult to recognise! Take particular care in the entrance areas to steep gullies and bowls as well as behind terrain edges, where prone-to-triggering snow packs are located. These and the transitions from little to more snow should be consistently avoided. Whumpfing collapsing sounds when stepping on the snowpack can indicate danger.

On a locally very varied snow surface lies partly fresh, prone to triggering wind slab snow from Wednesday, which is covered overnight and on Thursday by 10 -20 centimetres of mostly soft new fallen snow. In general, there are often areas with little snow next to considerable snowdrift accumulations. The older snowdrift accumulations and the old snow surface have been transformed in places and are soft and in places hard as a board. The old snowpack consists of crusts with faceted crystals in between and deep rime. A break usually occurs around the uppermost crust, but can also take deeper layers with it. The total snow depth is well below average.

Snowfall sets in during the first half of the night. By Thursday morning, around 10-15 cm of new fallen snow has accumulated, locally up to 20 cm. The snowfall will ease noticeably from midday. Dense clouds will often ensure poor visibility until the afternoon. The wind will blow moderately to briskly, this time from the west to north-west. It will be colder: at 2000 metres it will be -5 degrees, at 3000 metres around -11 degrees.

Hardly any decrease in avalanche danger, the weak layers in the snowpack remain prone to triggering.