Allgäu Alps Central

Storm-strength wind is generating trigger-sensitive snowdrifts at higher altitudes. Rain ingress into the thoroughly wet snowpack, mainly in the afternoon, causes it to forfeit its firmness

Storm-strength wind is generating trigger-sensitive snowdrifts at higher altitudes. Rain ingress into the thoroughly wet snowpack, mainly in the afternoon, causes it to forfeit its firmness

At high altitude in the Allgäu the avalanche danger is considerable; below 2000m it increases from moderate to considerable during the course of the day. The main problem are snowdrifts, shifting to wet snow in the afternoon. Above the timberline, snowdrift accumulations can be triggered even by a single skier. Avalanche prone locations are found in steep terrain in all aspects and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls as well as behind protuberances in the terrain. Size and frequency of avalanche prone locations increase with ascending altitude. Avalanches can grow to medium size.With mild temperatures and water ingress due to rainfall up to 2200m, wet snow and glide snow avalanches can trigger naturally on steep slopes, in steep forest aisles or on smooth grass-covered slopes. In regions with plenty of snow and in areas where no avalanches have discharged on the slopes yet, large avalanches are possible.

Above 1200 m on Tuesday night 10-20 centimeters of new snow will be transported by westerly squalls. Trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations are generated that are deposited atop hard wind or melt-freeze crusts; at high altitude even atop a few centimeters of loose snow or atop the poorly bonded snowdrift layers of Tuesday. On shady slopes, layers consisting of expansively metamorphosed (faceted) poorly bonded crystals are found locally underneath wind or melt-freeze crusts. Faceted crystals partly also still persist close to ground level on shady slopes above 2200m. Rainfall ingresses up to 2000 m in the afternoon and weakens the snowpack at low and intermediate altitudes even further which is already thoroughly wet down to the ground. Bordering the ground the snowpack is in many places moist to wet which enhances gliding movements of the snow masses, in particular if additionally rain runs off through open glide cracks.

Heavy rainfall up to high altitude is expected on Thursday. The avalanche situation will remain tense.