Tennen Mountains, Gosaukamm

Isolated glide-snow avalanches, small-area persistent weak layer

Isolated glide-snow avalanches, small-area persistent weak layer

Avalanche danger is LOW. Below 2400 m the main danger is from very isolated glide-snow avalanches (mostly small, seldom medium-sized) in extremely steep grass-covered terrain. At high altitudes, esp. above 2400 m, there are isolated avalanche prone locations for slab avalanches: steep slopes distant from ridgeline and very steep gullies, particularly in N/E/S aspects. Caution in transitions from shallow to deeper snow.

Below 2200 m the snowpack is often very moist and glides over smooth grassy ground. It often has a breakable melt-freeze crust, sometime unpleasantly cut. Lower temperatures and lack of solar radiation on Monday will hardly permit the snow to transform to firn, including on sunny slopes. At high altitudes the surfaces show striking effects of wind: windblown, wind-hardened, wind swirls, etc. Only in high alpine regions are there small snowdrift patches formed by W winds. A potential fracture point (faceted, soft) is located beneath the melt-freeze crusts, elsewhere the old snowpack is not prone to triggering. The minimal precipitation on Monday will not be avalanche-relevant.

On Tuesday, heavy cloud until past midday, light conditions diffuse. In high alpine regions, somewhat reduced visibility, improving in the afternoon. At high altitudes from Steinberge eastwards, southerly winds blowing at 40-60 km/hr. It will turn mild again: at 2000 m: 3 to 7 degrees; at 3000 m: -2 degrees. On Wednesday, snowfall right from the start, visibility often quite limited. By evening, 15-30 cm expected, on Steinernen Meer/Hochkönig up to 40 cm. Intensifying winds (40-60 km/hr) will transport the fresh snow. At 2000 m, dropping from -3 to -10 degreers; at 3000 m from -6 to -15 degrees.

Pronounced snowdrift problem at high altitudes plus poor visibility on Wednesday require experience in avalanche assessment on-site.