Avalanche forecast

Circumvent snowdrifts

Circumvent snowdrifts

Snowdrift accumulations which are prone to triggering will be generated particularly in gullies, bowls and behind protruberances in the landscape due to fresh snow and increasingly storm-velocity winds. Snowdrifts can be triggered by one single skier. Avalanches can in isolated cases trigger naturally at the foot of rock cliffs and grow to medium size esp in zones where snowfall has been heavy. They can also trigger in the weak layers in isolated cases and grow to medium size. Particularly unfavorable are shady slopes. Size and frequency of danger zones will tend to increase with ascending altitude.

Up to 20 cm of fresh snow is expected above 1800m, locally more. Often storm-strength winds will transport the fresh fallen snow, in some places also the old snow. The fresh snowdrift accumulations will be poorly bonded with the old snowpack, deposited atop a weak old snowpack surface particularly above 1800m. The fresh drifts lie deposited atop an old snowpack which is expansively metamorphosed, weak and faceted. The snowpack is highly diverse even over small areas.

On Thursday, dense clouds all day long, rainfall especially in the morning hours, then also snowfall (snowfall level at 1400-1800m). Moderate to strong velocitdy SW winds, stormier at high altitudes. At 2000m: 0 degrees at midday; at 1000m: 4-7 degrees.

Cirvumvent fresh snowdrifts