Avalanche forecast

Západné Tatry

HZS
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Avalanche danger

Above treeline
3 · Considerable
Below treeline
2 · Moderate
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Out of date — this forecast expired 7 months ago. You’re viewing past conditions, not the current bulletin.

Highlights

Beware of wind-blown snow on all orientations. Soft, angular-grained snow in the northern sector.

Avalanche problems

  • Wind slab

    • Above treeline
    Size
    2

    Stability: poor · Frequency: many

  • Persistent weak layers

    • Above 1,700 m
    Size
    2

    Stability: poor · Frequency: some

Avalanche Activity

Beware of wind-blown snow on all orientations. Soft, angular-grained snow in the northern sector.

In the High and Western Tatras there is an INCREASED avalanche danger, 3rd degree. The avalanche danger has spread to all orientations due to strong winds. Snow slabs and cushions have formed under rock walls, just below saddles, in couloirs and moguls. Avalanche release in these places is possible with only a small additional load. Small and medium-sized spontaneous avalanches may also occur occasionally. In the northern sector, soft, angular-grained snow remains an avalanche problem and is difficult to detect in the snow cover.

Snowpack Structure

Due to snowfall combined with very strong winds (above 20 m/s), the snow cover changed very quickly. Places where large amounts of snow (even more than 50 cm) are piled up alternate with places that are blown into older hard ground, grass and rocks. Most of the snow is blown into the forest and slash zone. Due to the very cold air, this snow is unable to bind with the substrate, which consists of older snow or wind-blown slabs. Therefore, under the new snow, even under the older layer, a soft, angular-grained snow is formed, which is very difficult to detect in the terrain.

Tendency

Persistent

Bulletin data: Stredisko lavínovej prevencie HZS (via EAWS / avalanche.report)

Regions covered