Chiemgau Alps East

Start and end backcountry tours early!

Start and end backcountry tours early!

As the day progresses the avalanche danger rises from low to moderate. Wet-snow is the main problem. Moist and wet avalanches are expected to trigger during the course of the day in steep sun-exposed terrain. These can also slide over the smooth ground. At higher altitudes it cannot be excluded that isolated avalanches grow to medium size. In addition, the new snow of the last few days can be triggered by a single person as small slabs in extremely steep terrain. This can in particular happen on wind-impacted high altitude slopes adjacent to ridgelines. Risks of taking a fall outweigh those of being buried in snow.

With clear skies during Sunday night the snow that fell during the weekend will continue to settle and will form a thin melt-freeze crust on the sunny side which softens rapidly due to solar radiation. As the day progresses, moisture seeps into the snowpack which forfeits its firmness and starts sliding. The fundament at intermediate altitudes is frequently wet. On the shady side the loose fresh snow blankets a compact and by and large stable old snowpack. Below 1300 m there is hardly any snow on the ground.

As of Tuesday snowdrifts will accumulate at higher altitudes; elsewhere wet snow remains a problem.