Avalanche forecast

Caution: snowdrifts + persistent weak layer

Cold, often windy, but cloudless conditions reign in the mountains. Sunshine all day long in Vorarlberg, the skies will be cloudless. The NE winds will remain brisk, making it seem colder. Temperature at 2000 m: -7 to -4 degrees. Moderate to brisk NE winds at high altitudes.

Sunshine will dominate until Wednesday. Temperatures will rise slightly with each passing day. The danger of dry-snow avalanches will incrementally recede.

Caution: snowdrifts + persistent weak layer

Freshly generated and older snowdrifts can be triggered by one single skier in some places. Avalanche prone locations are found particularly on wind-loaded steep ridgeline slopes, behind protruberances and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls above 2000 m. Freshly generated snowdrift accumulations are easy to recognize and should be circumvented in steep terrain whenever possible. Older drifts are often still prone to triggering, but are now covered and difficult to recognize, particularly on shady and east-facing slopes at high altitudes. Naturally triggered avalanches (mostly small loose-snow avalanches) are possible in steep terrain, particularly on sunny slopes. Weak layers in the old snow can be triggered particularly in Rätikon, Silvretta and Verwall on NW/N/NE facing slopes, and then grow to large size. Activities in backcountry demand experience in assessing avalanche risks on-site and careful route selection. At intermediate altitudes, small to medium-sized glide-snow avalanches are possible on smooth, very steep sunny slopes.

Star-studded nighttime skies, cold, a melt-freeze crust formed on some sunny intermediate altitude slopes. Easterly winds yesterday were blowing in particular in Silvretta, Rätikon, Verwall and Lechquellen massifs, often at strong velocity, generating small, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations in exposed pass and ridge areas. Older snowdrift accumulations are still prone to triggering in places, but blanketed by fresher snow and thus, difficult to recognize. Particularly on shady and east-facing slopes at high altitudes these accumulations are poorly bonded with the old snowpack. On wind-protected low altitude slopes the uppermost layers are powdery nd soft. Inside the snowpack on high-altitude shady slopes there are still weak layers, they are now well covered and unlikely to trigger. At intermediate altitudes the snowpack is moist, which reinforces gliding movement.