Kitzbühel Alps Wildschönau

Wind slabs and weakly bonded old snow are to be critically assessed.

Wind slabs and weakly bonded old snow are to be critically assessed.

The fresh and somewhat older wind slabs are lying on the unfavourable surface of an old snowpack on west to north to east facing aspects above the tree line. These can be released easily, even by a single winter sport participant,. Caution is to be exercised in particular in gullies and bowls, as well as adjacent to ridgelines. Such avalanche prone locations are sometimes covered with new snow and are therefore difficult to recognise. In isolated cases the avalanches are medium-sized. In some places avalanches can be triggered in the weakly bonded old snow. This applies in particular on steep west, north and east facing slopes above the tree line. Remotely triggered avalanches are possible in isolated cases. In the regions neighbouring those that are subject to danger level 3 (considerable) the prevalence and size of the avalanche prone locations will increase.

Up to 10 cm of snow will fall. The no longer entirely fresh wind slabs are lying on top of a weakly bonded old snowpack in particular on west, north and east facing slopes. These are lying on surface hoar especially on wind-protected shady slopes. The snowpack will be generally subject to considerable local variations. Only a small amount of snow is lying for the time of year in all altitude zones.

Wind slabs and weakly bonded old snow require caution.