Werdenfels Alps

At high altitudes snowdrift accumulations were generated in all aspects that are prone to triggering. At intermediate altitudes the snowpack is wet.

At high altitudes snowdrift accumulations were generated in all aspects that are prone to triggering. At intermediate altitudes the snowpack is wet.

Avalanche danger above 2000m is considerable, danger below that altitude is moderate. Main problem: snowdrifts at high altitude. Avalanche prone locations are found adjacent to and distant from ridgelines on steep slopes in all aspects, behind terrain protuberances as well as in gullies and bowls filled with snowdrift deposits. Medium-sized avalanches can be triggered even by small additional loading such as a single skier; in the Allgäu even large slab avalanches can be triggered in snowdrifts. In the Werdenfels Alps and the Berchtesgaden Alps, too, avalanches can grow to large size if they fracture down to more deeply embedded layers in the old snowpack. Weak intermediate layers in the old snow are typically found in the north sector and can in addition still be triggered in places with little snow such as the entry into gullies. Potentially wet loose snow and slab avalanches in steep rocky terrain due to mild temperatures and solar radiation. At intermediate altitudes, glide snow avalanches can also trigger naturally on smooth steep grass-covered slopes. The avalanches are mostly small to medium-sized.

Heavy storms generated many snowdrift accumulations at high altitude that are prone to triggering. Weak layers are embedded in the snowdrifts and next to the old snowpack surface. Embedded in the old snow are locally also faceted crystals underneath a melt-freeze crust. The weak layer becomes more pronounced with ascending altitude and in some places it is dangerously near the upper surface. The danger is undetectable above the snowpack. At intermediate altitudes the snowpack is in many places thoroughly moist. It is often also wet down to the ground which promotes gliding of the snow masses. A thin superficial melt-freeze crust can form on Thursday night.

With cooler temperatures on Saturday the danger of wet avalanches will slightly recede.