Západné Tatry

Beware of windslabs at high altitudes above 1800 m asl.

Beware of windslabs at high altitudes above 1800 m asl.

The main avalanche hazard at high altitudes is wind-blown snow deposited on the leeward sides in the form of snow slabs and pillows. Avalanche release is possible here with higher additional loads. Danger spots in the terrain are relatively easy to see for experienced ski mountaineers and climbers, they are located under saddles, ridges, rock walls and in places where the slope changes. At lower and middle altitudes and in places where there is a lack of newer snow, the snow cover is hard to icy after previous temperature changes.

The snow cover froze and stabilised due to the strong warming and rain, and the subsequent cooling. Newer snow is generally found only at elevations above the treeline and even here it is very irregularly distributed. Strong winds, which changed direction, transported it to leeward places and created snow slabs and pillows. The snow cover is well below average at altitudes up to 1200 m above sea level. The highest snow cover in the Slovak mountains is in the Western Tatras above the forest zone.

Constant avalanche danger