Werdenfels Alps

Weak layers in old snowpack in places triggerable by large additional loading.

Weak layers in old snowpack in places triggerable by large additional loading.

Avalanche danger above 2000m is moderate; below it is low. Main problem: weak layers inside the old snowpack. Avalanche prone locations are found in extremely steep shady terrain as well as at transitions from shallow to deep snow, e.g., at the entry points into gullies and bowls. Here, avalanches can in places be triggered by large additional loading. If more deeply embedded layers are triggered they can grow to larger size. In addition, small snowdrift accumulations in extremely steep terrain close to the summits are prone to triggering.

At intermediate altitudes a few centimeters of snow that were transported by wind were deposited atop a compact, encrusted, and mostly stable old snowpack. At high altitude these were deposited atop a wind-impacted, inconsistent snowpack surface. At high altitudes, locally faceted crystals still persist in the old snowpack underneath a more deeply embedded melt-freeze crust. This layer can still be prone to triggering, in particular in patches with little snow. At intermediate altitudes the snowpack is wet down to the ground; gliding movements of the snow masses cannot be excluded.

As a consequence of new snow and wind the avalanche danger will rise again at the beginning of the week.