Verwall Mountains West

Main danger: snowdrift accumulations and weak layers in the old snow

Main danger: snowdrift accumulations and weak layers in the old snow

Mostly moderate avalanche danger prevails. Fresh drifts are sometimes prone to triggering on shady slopes in wind-protected ridgeline terrain. The tend to increase with ascending altitude. Also, above 2400 m on steep shady slopes there are unfavourable layers in the old snowpack. There, unfavourably layered snowpack masses are prone to triggering in places. As a result of daytime warming and solar radiation, small-to-medium wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches are possible, particularly on sunny slopes. The risks of being forced to take a fall should not be underestimated.

At high altitudes, light winds, 5-10 centimetres of fresh snow, which was intensively transported in ridgeline and pass areas. The fresh drifts are prone to triggering. They lie deposited atop loose and soft layers or melt-freeze encrusted surfaces. Bonding is only moderate. At high altitudes, esp. on steep shady slopes there are weak layers evident inside the snowpack. These danger zones are not visible to the naked eye. Below 1600 m there is only little snow on the ground; below 1200 m the ground is mostly bare. Reports from outlying terrain are sparse.

During the night: rainfall will slacken off, the latter part of the night will be dry. In Rhine Valley and at Lake Constance, high fog-like residual cloud will persist, elsewhere the clouds will disperse. Friday: apart from residual cloud at the edge of the Rhine Valley and the Alpine Prealps, sunshine right from the start. Cirrus clouds passing through will not be a disturbance. Winds will ease. Temperature at 2000 m: 0-3 degrees. Moderate to brisk westerly winds.

Saturday will be intermittently sunny, and quite mild. Foehn wind will arise in the mountains. Avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly.