Werdenfels Alps

Terminate backcountry tours early. Beware sink-in depths.

Terminate backcountry tours early. Beware sink-in depths.

Avalanche danger increases during the course of the day above 1600 m to considerable, otherwise it is moderate. Main problem: wet snow. In very steep terrain with sufficient snow cover, loose-snow avalanches can trigger naturally. Wet-snow avalanches increase rapidly on E/S facing slopes, then spread to other aspects. In addition, glide-snow avalanches can trigger naturally in steep smooth terrain which has not yet discharged. Wet-snow avalanches are usually small, larger ones possible, esp. in the Allgäu. Hiking trails which are bare of snow can be endangered by wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches.

During the mild, cloudy nights the snowpack can hardly consolidate. High temperatures and solar radiation reinforce the moistening of the snowpack during the daytime at all altitudes and in all aspects. Water seeps down to the ground, reinforcing gliding movements over smooth ground. On sunny slopes and below 1600 m there is little snow on the ground.

Wet-snow and glide-snow avalanche danger will recede as temperatures fall in mid-week.