Pollein and Saint-Marcel

Fresh and older wind slabs represent the main danger. Weak layers in the old snowpack necessitate caution.

Fresh and older wind slabs represent the main danger. Weak layers in the old snowpack necessitate caution.

The wind slabs of Wednesday remain in some cases prone to triggering. The fresh snow of the last five days as well as the wind slabs can still be released in some cases. These are covered with new snow and therefore difficult to recognise. The avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular at transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack, when entering gullies and bowls for example. To some extent avalanches can be released in deep layers and reach medium size. Whumpfing sounds serve as an alarm indicating the danger. Artificially triggered avalanches and stability tests confirm this situation. On very steep sunny slopes the likelihood of avalanches will increase during the day. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for careful route selection. Caution is to be exercised in particular along the border with Switzerland and in the regions neighbouring those that are subject to danger level 3 (considerable). Several small to medium-sized slab avalanches have been released by people in the last few days. On extremely steep sunny slopes small and medium-sized dry and moist snow slides are to be expected from the middle of the day, in particular at the base of rock walls, and in steep rocky terrain.

30 to 50 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, fell in the last seven days. The strong wind has transported the new snow. Adjacent to ridgelines and in pass areas and at high altitudes and in high Alpine regions a little snow is lying. Weak layers exist in the old snowpack in all aspects. At low and intermediate altitudes less snow than usual is lying.

As the day progresses as a consequence of warming during the day and solar radiation there will be a gradual increase in the danger of moist snow slides.