Chiemgau Alps East

Snowdrifts prone to triggering. Also: persistent weak layer at high altitude.

Snowdrifts prone to triggering. Also: persistent weak layer at high altitude.

The main problem: snowdrifts. Trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations are found in all aspects, near to and distant from ridgelines, in gullies, bowls and behind protruberances. Slab avalanches of medium size can be triggered naturally or by minimum additional loading. Avalanche prone locations tend to increase with ascending altitude. Furthermore, above 1800 m in all aspects, a persistent weak layer threatens. More deeply embedded intermediate layers can be triggered as a slab. At high altitudes there are weak layers at ground level in some places, particularly in transition zones from shallow to deep snow, which can trigger. Large-sized avalanches cannot be ruled out. Apart from that, a gliding snow problem threatens on steep grass-covered slopes and in forest clearances, although the releases generally remain small sized. Glide cracks (“wishbones”) are red flags!

Deep, freshly generated snowdrifts have been deposited in wind-protected terrain atop surface hoar at intermediate altitudes, elsewhere often atop a loose old snowpack surface. Inside the snow cover are trigger-sensitive intermediate layers. The old snowpack also has layers of large, faceted snow crystals. At intermediate altitudes thses are found near melt-freeze crusts, at high altitudes at the bottom of the snowpack fundament. On steep grass-covered slopes and in mountain forests the snowpack at ground level is moist, which furthers gliding movements.

With the approaching warm front, the situation remains tense.