Werdenfels Alps

AVOID zones below glide cracks. Breaking cornices are becoming increasingly frequent.

AVOID zones below glide cracks. Breaking cornices are becoming increasingly frequent.

Avalanche danger above 1600m is moderate, below that altitude danger ris low. Main problem: wet snow. Isolated wet loose-snow avalanches can be expected in extremely steep terrain which has not yet discharged. Broken cornices are on the increase. Wet glide-snow avalanches are possible over smooth groundm, on grass-covered slopes, in sparsely wooded zones and over smooth rock plates. At high altitudes there is still sufficient snow, esp. on shady slopes, for avalanches to grow to medium size.

During clear nocturnal phases, outgoing longwave radiation is strong enough to generate a hardened and melt-freeze encrusted surface in early morning. This then softens and the sink-in depths increase. The snowpack on shady slopes is thoroughly wet up to high altitudes. On south-facing slopes up to high altitudes, hardly any snow on the ground. On shady slopes, there is snow on the ground above 1400m.

The snowpack is gradually receding, and with it, avalanche danger.