Northern Lepontine Alps

At transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack, when entering gullies and bowls for example the avalanche prone locations are more prevalent.

At transitions from a shallow to a deep snowpack, when entering gullies and bowls for example the avalanche prone locations are more prevalent.

The no longer entirely fresh wind slabs represent the main danger. These can be released by a single winter sport participant in particular on steep north, east and southeast facing slopes above approximately 2200 m. The avalanches can be released in the various wind slab layers and reach large size. Whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack and natural avalanches serve as an alarm sign.

The new snow is lying on soft layers on wind-protected shady slopes. Faceted weak layers exist deeper in the snowpack in particular here. The soft wind slabs are bonding only slowly with the old snowpack. Adjacent to ridgelines and in gullies and bowls the amount of snow is subject to significant local variations.