Allgäu Prealps

Assess snowdrifts critically

Assess snowdrifts critically

Particularly in ridgeline steep terrain, in wind-loaded gullies and bowls and also distant from ridgelines behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain, slab avalanches of medium size can trigger even by minimum additional loading, e.g. from the weight of one sole skier. Danger zones tend to increase in size and frequency with ascending altitude. In addition, at intermediate altitudes on slopes where the ground is smooth, isolated small-to-medium glide-snow avalanches can trigger naturally.

The snowfall continues. In wind-exposed zones, variably and strong gusty winds are generating trigger-sensitive intermediate layers inside the freshly generated snowdrift accumulations. At high altitudes in the Berchtesgadener Alps on shady slopes, bonding to the old snowpack surface is problematic, elsewhere bonding is good, the snowpack stable. The snowpack is thoroughly wet up to intermediate altitudes, often wet down to the ground. At low altitudes, on south-facing slopes up to intermediate altitudes the snowfall is being deposited on bare ground.

As temperatures rise next week, the wet-snow problem will again come to the forefront.