Valsavaranche

Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for experience and restraint.

Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for experience and restraint.

As a consequence of new snow and a moderate to strong wind from westerly directions, sometimes deep wind slabs formed since Sunday. They can be released, even by a single winter sport participant and reach medium size. These avalanche prone locations are sometimes covered with new snow and are barely recognisable. Additionally avalanches can also be released in near-ground layers and reach quite a large size. The avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular on very steep northeast, east and southeast facing slopes, in particular at transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack. Whumpfing sounds serve as an alarm indicating the danger.

20 to 40 cm of snow has fallen since Monday above approximately 2000 m. As a consequence of the moderate to strong westerly wind, the snow drift accumulations have increased in size. These are bonding only slowly with the old snowpack in all aspects. The strong wind has transported the new snow. In particular at high altitude snow depths vary greatly, depending on the infuence of the wind. Faceted weak layers exist in the bottom section of the snowpack at intermediate and high altitudes. In all aspects below approximately 2200 m less snow than usual is lying.

The avalanche danger will persist.