Valsavaranche

Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for extensive experience and restraint.

Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for extensive experience and restraint.

As a consequence of new snow and a moderate to strong wind from westerly directions, large wind slabs formed since Sunday. In addition further wind slabs will form as the day progresses. They can be released, even by a single winter sport participant and reach medium size. Additionally avalanches can also be released in near-ground layers and reach quite a large size in all aspects. The avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular on very steep northeast, east and southeast facing slopes, in particular adjacent to ridgelines and in pass areas. These avalanche prone locations are numerous and are barely recognisable because of the poor visibility. Whumpfing sounds serve as an alarm indicating the danger.

Up to 30 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, has fallen since Sunday above approximately 2000 m. As a consequence of the moderate to strong westerly wind, the snow drift accumulations have increased in size. These are poorly bonded with the old snowpack in all aspects. The strong wind has transported the fresh and old snow significantly. Faceted weak layers exist in the bottom section of the snowpack at intermediate and high altitudes. In all aspects below approximately 2200 m less snow than usual is lying.