Nock Mountains

Persistent weak layer remains the main danger

Persistent weak layer remains the main danger

The avalanche risk is moderate above the tree line and low below. In a few places, especially in the extended northern exposures, medium slab avalanches can be triggered by individuals, especially at the transitions from little to more snow. Danger areas are difficult to recognise, which is why defensive route selection is still advised. Individual gliding avalanches occur on steep grassy terrain. Wet loose snow avalanches and snow slabs from sunny slopes that have not yet been unloaded are also possible.

The snowpack cools down well overnight and crusts can form. In the morning hours, the melt-freeze crust is stable, but softens again on the sunny slopes during the day. In general, the snowpack on the sunny slopes is damp or wet up to high altitudes, while on shady slopes from around 2000 metres there is still dry, sometimes soft snow that is increasingly settling. However, the connection to the angular old snow below is still poor, weak layers can be found at the transition to the old snow as well as deeper in the old snowpack. Deep and sunny middle layers are often already snowed out.

The night will be clear and mostly cloudless. Thursday will be characterised by sunny, high-pressure weather. Visibility will be excellent, with weak to moderate easterly winds in the northern Alps from midday. At 2000 metres between 1 and 3 degrees, at 3000 metres around -4 degrees.

Little change in avalanche danger. The persistent weak layer problem is only slowly weakening.