Werdenfels Alps

Avoid fresh wind slab!

Avoid fresh wind slab!

The avalanche risk is moderate above the tree line in the morning and increases to considerable from midday onwards. Below the tree line, the avalanche risk is low. The main problem is fresh wind slab that forms in the afternoon. Small to medium slab avalanches can then be triggered in many places by even a small additional load. Avalanche prone locations are in the steep terrain adjacent to ridgelines in the north-west, north to south-east aspects as well as in gullies and bowls. They increase in number and size with altitude.

Persistent weak layers are problematic throughout the day. Slab avalanches can occasionally be triggered in transition areas from little to much snow on very steep shady slopes with large additional loads. They reach medium size.

With south-westerly winds, fresh snowdrift accumulations develop at altitude. In many places, they come to rest prone to triggering on surface hoar and soft layers. The old snowpack consists of large, angular and rounded crystals and is partly interspersed with melt-freeze crusts. On the sunny slopes, there is little or no snow at all at medium altitudes.

With foehn storms, prone to triggering snowdrift accumulations continue to grow, especially at high altitudes.