Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Wind impact above the timberline

Wind impact above the timberline

Avalanche danger above 2400 m is considerable, below that altitude danger is moderate, most danger stems from soft slab avalanches. Fresh drifts can be triggered even by 1 person in steep terrain, and reach medium size. Danger zones occur in all aspects, increase with ascending altitude, are often blanketed over and hard to recognize, exacerbated by poor visibility. In high alpibne zones it is possible that slab fracture down to more deeply embedded layers of the snowpack and grow to large size. Avalanches can trigger naturally in extremely steep rocky terrain (small-to-medium). Danger of naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches persists below 2300 m. Where snow is deep enough, they can reach medium size. Avoid zones below glide cracks.

By Monday morning 25-40 cm of fresh snow will have fallen widespread (most in the west), with only light winds, nonetheless brittle drifts deposited on leeward slopes, bonding mostly adequate but weak layers are possible inside the freshest snow. The old snowpack base is still moist, due to the weight-load of the fresh snow it can glide downhill over the warm ground.

A bit of nocturnal snowfall on Sunday night (5 cm), in exposed high terrain brisk northerly winds (40-50 km/hr) will be blowing, elsewhere only light winds. On Monday, reduced visibility, minor snowfall possible, the northerly winds will be at moderate strength (30-40 km/hr, later slackening off). At 2000 m: -10 degrees, at 3000 m -13 degrees.

Avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly. Caution urged esp. in wind-exposed steep terrain.