Weisseck, Muhr Valley

The old snowpack is generally poorly constructed and requires defensive behaviour

The old snowpack is generally poorly constructed and requires defensive behaviour

The avalanche risk increases rapidly with altitude and is considerable above around 2000 metres and low below. In some places, slab avalanches can be triggered by individuals and can be of medium size. Transitions from little to more snow should be consistently avoided. Caution should also be exercised at the entrances to steep gullies and behind terrain edges, where prone to triggering snow packs are located. These are sometimes covered in snow and therefore difficult to recognise. Avalanches that are triggered near the surface in fresh wind slabs can tear through to deeper weak layers. Whumpfing collapsing sounds when stepping on the snowpack can indicate danger. Remote triggering is possible.

The snowpack is highly variable and areas with little snow alternate with considerable snowdrift accumulations. In general, 10-20 cm of fresh new and drift snow lies on older, mostly hardness wind slabs, which are in the initial stages of kinetic metamorphism. Below this, the old snowpack consists of deep rime and angular forms interspersed with crusts. Fractures in the persistent weak layer usually occur around the uppermost crust, but can also entrain deeper layers. The snow depth is well below average at all altitudes.

During the course of the night and on Sunday, extensive and sometimes quite dense medium-high cloud fields will also move through above the high fog patches near the valley. The sun will have a hard time with partly limited visibility and will only break through the clouds occasionally and often in a very subdued manner. The wind will be weak at all altitudes. Temperatures at 2000 metres around -6 degrees, at 3000 metres around -12 degrees.

Only a slow decline in avalanche danger. The weak layers in the snowpack remain prone to triggering.