Werdenfels Alps

The drifting snow situation is still tricky.

The drifting snow situation is still tricky.

The avalanche risk is high above 1600 metres and moderate below that. The main problem is new fallen snow. Where the snow is bonded by the wind and in the area of older snowdrift accumulations, it can easily be triggered by individuals as slab avalanches or detach itself. Avalanche prone locations are adjacent to ridgelines and distant from ridgelines on steep slopes of all aspects, behind slope discontinuities, in gullies and bowls and sometimes also in forest aisles and clearings. They increase in number and extent with altitude. In addition, the new fallen snow can detach itself from the rock-interspersed steep terrain as a loose snow avalanche. They can become large, especially when avalanches break through to deeper weak layers in the old snowpack.

On very steep slopes with smooth ground, individual gliding avalanches are possible.

There is often soft new fallen snow on top of large snowdrift accumulations that are prone to triggering, lying on soft layers of snow, graupel or surface hoar. During the day, fresh wind slabs also form. In the upper part of the old snowpack, layers prone to triggering are embedded in thin surface crusts in places. Above 1800 m, there are deeper weak layers of faceted crystals in the snowpack on shady slopes. The snow depths vary greatly across the terrain due to the strong winds.

The avalanche situation remains tense.