Goldberg Group Central

Evaluate snowdrifts and persistent weak layer problem with great caution

Evaluate snowdrifts and persistent weak layer problem with great caution

Avalanche danger above 2000m is MODERATE. Small-to-medium slab avalanches can be triggerd by minimum additional loading in places on north and east facing slopes, higher up also on south-facing slopes. The snowdrift accumulations are generally easy to recognize. Size and frequency of danger zones tend to increase with ascending altitude. As of 2300m, releases can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers inside the snowpack and grow to larger size. Small glide-snow and loose-snow avalanches can trigger naturally.

The snow cover has below average depths, is highly irregular and the layering is rather poor. With ascending altitude, increasingly frequent crusts with immediately adjacent faceted crystals are evident, mostly triggerable by large additional loading. On the surface there is less than 40cm of snowdrift, poorly bonded with the old snowpack. Weak layers of fresh snow and at the borderline to the old snowpack are still prone to triggering in some places.

Nighttime skies on Monday night will be partly cloudy, low temperatures at the valley floor, warmer at high altitudes. In early morning hours at 2000m: between -3 and -5 degrees, later in the day up to -2 degrees; at 3000m: -6 degrees. Tuesday will be sunny, with outstanding visibility. In the afternoon, some high-altitude cloudbanks will move in, visibility can become diffuse. Winds will slacken off during the night, be blowing only at light to moderate strength from the northeast, brisker at high altitudes (60 km/hr).

On Wednesday, mostly cloudy skies, minor snowfall. Older drifts are settling only slowly.