Chiemgau Alps East

Stable conditions, latent gliding snow problem

Stable conditions, latent gliding snow problem

Avalanche danger is low. Glide snow avalanche danger persists which can release naturally at any time on individual steep slopes with smooth ground in any aspect. Releases are mostly small. Avoid zones below glide cracks. In addition, isolated wet loose slides can be triggered by a person engaged in winter sports. Avalanche prone locations occur in windless extremely steep south-facing terrain. Heed danger of being swept along. Danger of taking a fall on hard snowpack surface.

The snowpack surface is becoming increasingly compact.The different layers within the snowpack are dissolving. Due to nocturnal outgoing longwave radiation the snowpack surface freezes which had softened during the day. In windless zones on the sunny side it slowly turns into firn again. In wind-exposed or shady zones the snowpack surface can stay hard all day. At intermediate altitude the snowpack consists of melted forms and is thoroughly moist, forfeits its firmness and where there is only little snow left is no longer capable of bearing loads. The snowpack base is wet. Gliding movements over slopes with smooth ground are possible. There are locally weak layers consisting of faceted crystals in shady summit zones at high altitude. Fracture propagation over wide-spread areas is not likely. Below 1300 m there is hardly any snow left.

Foehn is forecast for Friday. Milder temperatures will continue to reduce the snowpack depth further. Avalanche danger will not change significantly.