Border Pennine Alps

Wind and new snow above the tree line: Dry avalanches at intermediate and high altitudes.

Wind and new snow above the tree line: Dry avalanches at intermediate and high altitudes.

As a consequence of new snow and a moderate to strong wind, sometimes large wind slabs formed in the last two days in high Alpine regions. Wind slabs can be released, even by a single winter sport participant. Medium-sized and, in isolated cases, large natural avalanches are possible in particular on steep sunny slopes. In particular low altitudes: On very steep grassy slopes these can slide on the ground. The current avalanche situation calls for careful route selection.

20 to 40 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, has fallen above approximately 2000 m. The rain gave rise on Tuesday to thorough wetting of the snowpack below the tree line. The spring-like weather conditions gave rise to increasing settling of the snowpack in particular at low and intermediate altitudes. Above approximately 2000 m there is still a very large amount of snow.