Avalanche forecast

Caution: trigger-sensitive snowdrifts at high altitudes, wet-snow + glide-snow avalanches below 2200m

On Sunday, light snowfall in the morning hours in particular. The snowfall level will ascend to 1400 m. On Monday, often heavy snowfall and storm strength wind. The avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly, the snowdrift accumulations remain treacherous.

Gray nocturnal skies will carry over into the day, accompanied by snowfall and reduced visibility. Snow showers will taper off by this afternoon, visibility gradually improve. Temperatures are noticeably lower than yestereday, winds will slacken off somewhat. Temperature at 2000 m: -7 degrees. Winds initially still strong to stormy, later on easing to brisk, from the west.

Caution: trigger-sensitive snowdrifts at high altitudes, wet-snow + glide-snow avalanches below 2200m

Fresh and older snowdrift accumulations of recent days are prone to triggering and can be triggered even by the weight of one single skier Danger zones lie especially above 2200m on steep shady slopes, in ridgeline areas, behind protruberances, in gullies and bowls. They are covered by fresh snow and difficult to recognize. Older weak layers in the old snow can easily trigger in places on W/N/E facing slopes, particularly in Rätikon, Silvretta and Verwall regions, especially above 2000 m in rarely-frequented terrain in transitions from shallow to deep snow, e.g. entries into gullies and bowls. Triggered avalanches can grow to dangerously large size. Backcountry skiing and freeriding tours demand defensive route selection. Due to fresh snow, small loose-snow avalanches are possible. On very steep sunny grass-covered slopes below 2200m, wet-snow avalanches and glide-snow slides are possible.

Stormy westerly winds during the night raged as 5-15 cm of fresh snow fell. The snowfall level descended from about 2000m down to 900m. At higher altitudes, fresh snowdrifts accumulated, they lie on sunny slopes mostly atop a melt-freeze crust not capable of bearing loads. Bonding of fresh and older drifts to the old snowpack is poor and prone to triggering, particularly on shady slopes. Weak layers occur also at mid-level inside the snowpack and are prone to triggering on W/N/E facing slopes. They are undetectable! In Rätikon, Verwall and Silvretta the covering of this layer is shallower, thus easier to trigger. Moreover they can fracture to deeper layers of the snowpack and grow to large size. Beneath 2200m the rainfall and warmth has made the snowpack thoroughly wet, it will thereby forfeit its firmness.