Avalanche forecast

Caution: trigger-sensitive snowdrifts at high altitudes, wet-snow + glide-snow avalanches below 2200m

Variably cloudy, intermittently sunny. Clouds passing through are mostly above summit level. It will remain dry, still quite windy, and mild. Zero-degree level: 2900m. At 2000 m rising from -2 to +6 degrees. Strong to stormy W/SW winds at high altitudes.

On Saturday morning the nocturnal snow showers will slacken off, clouds will begin to disperse, it will turn noticeably colder, the snowfall level descend to nearly 800m. The danger of wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches will recede somewhat.

Caution: trigger-sensitive snowdrifts at high altitudes, wet-snow + glide-snow avalanches below 2200m

Wide ranging fresh and older snowdrift accumulations of recent days are prone to triggering and can be triggered even by the weight of one single skier Danger zones lie especially above 2000m on steep shady slopes, in ridgeline areas, behind protruberances, in gullies and bowls. Older weak layers in the old snow can easily trigger in places on W/N/E facing slopes, particularly in Rätikon, Silvretta and Verwall regions, especially above 2000 m in rarely-frequented terrain in transitions from shallow to deep snow, e.g. entries into gullies and bowls. Triggered avalanches can grow to dangerously large size. Backcountry skiing and freeriding tours demand defensive route selection. Below 2600m on very steep sunny slopes, below 2200m, wet-snow avalanches and glide-snow slides can be expected. Danger will increase during the day due to warmth.

Not until early this morning die the stormy/gale-strength W/NW winds ease and skies clear. At high altitudes a thin crust formed, generally incapable of bearing loads. In higher ridge areas, wide-ranging trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations have been generated. Inside these layers are trigger sensitive weak layers. Weak layers occur also at mid-level inside the snowpack and are prone to triggering on W/N/E facing slopes. They are undetectable! In Rätikon, Verwall and Silvretta the covering of this layer is shallower, thus easier to trigger. Danger zones are found where the snow is shallow in transitions from shallow to deep snow especially in unfrequented terrain. In addition, superficially triggering avalanches can fracture down to deeper layers and make the avalanches far larger. Beneath 2200m the rainfall and warmth has made the snowpack thoroughly wet, it thereby forfeited its firmness.