Chiemgau Alps East

Snowpack compact and largely stable, despite wetness

Snowpack compact and largely stable, despite wetness

Low avalanche danger prevails in the Bavarian Alps. At intermediate altitudes, isolated wet-snow avalanches are the main problem. They are mostly small-sized and can trigger naturally, particularly in steep rocky terrain and on smooth grass-covered slopes where there is sufficient snow and no avalanches have yet discharged. The problem of wet glide-snow and loose-snow avalanches is expected to intensify somewhat during the course of the day. At high altitudes, in addition, weak intermediate layers inside the old snowpack require special attentiveness. Slab avalanches of medium size can be triggered in extremely steep terrain by large additional loading. This can occur especially on shady slopes above 2200 m in transition zones from shallow to deep snow, for example at entries into gullies and bowls.

The snowpack is generally quite compact and stable. Thus, water which is seeping into the snowpack at intermediate altitudes as a result of warm temperatures, rain and a lack of nocturnal outgoing radiation, is weakening the snowpack only minimally. Gliding movements over wet ground are increasing somewhat. At high altitudes on Friday and during the night, small snowdrift accumulations were generated and will continue to do so. They were deposited atop an old snowpack surface which manifests a highly irregular melt-freeze crust. Furthermore, beneath the melt-freeze and wind crusts, and in some places at ground level, there are intermediate layers prone to triggering, as they are expansively metamorphosed (faceted), most frequently found above 2200 m on shady slopes.

Over the next few days it will be warm, without much precipitation. No significant change is expected in avalanche danger levels.