Varaita and Po Valleys

Wind slabs along the border with France.

Wind slabs along the border with France.

The wind slabs can be released on steep northeast, southeast and southwest facing slopes above approximately 2200 m. Caution is to be exercised in particular in gullies and bowls, and behind abrupt changes in the terrain, in particular along the border with France. Isolated small and, in isolated cases, medium-sized dry slab avalanches are possible.

In some regions 10 to 20 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, fell in the last few days above approximately 1800 m. The sometimes storm force wind has transported a lot of snow. Snow depths vary greatly, depending on the infuence of the wind. Various wind slab layers are lying on a weakly bonded old snowpack. Towards its base, the snowpack is faceted and weak. Only a small amount of snow is lying for the time of year in all altitude zones.

The weather conditions will facilitate a gradual strengthening of the snow drift accumulations.