Werdenfels Alps

Caution: old snow problem at high altitudes!

Caution: old snow problem at high altitudes!

Moderate avalanche danger above 2000m. Main problem: trigger-sensitive intermediate layers in the old snowpack. Avalanche prone locations are mainly found in shady places with shallow snow, e.g., at entry points to gullies and bowls. Here, slab avalanches can trigger in particular by large additional loading. Triggered avalanches can grow to medium size. At intermediate altitudes it is still possible that isolated glide snow avalanches release naturally on steep, smooth grass-covered slopes. The glide snow avalanches tend to be small but can grow to medium size in the Allgäu.

In general, the snowpack has settled and consolidated well over the last few days due to mild temperatures. Up to high altitudes melt-freeze crusts of varying depths have formed at the snowpack surface. Trigger-sensitive layers consisting of expansively metamorphosed (faceted) crystals exist at high altitude at the snowpack base and near older snowdrift accumulations. These layers are more pronounced on the shady side where it is also more likely that fractures propagate. At low and intermediate altitudes the snowpack is moist down to the ground but compact. Gliding movements can still not be excluded.

In the next few days the avalanche danger will decrease further.