Lechquellen Mountains

Winter sports enthusiasts beware: still high avalanche danger widespread

Winter sports enthusiasts beware: still high avalanche danger widespread

The large amounts of fresh snow and drifts are prone to triggering. Avalanches can easily be triggered by one single winter sports enthusiast or be triggered naturally. Exposed areas can be placed at risk. Danger zones occur on steep slopes near to and distant from ridgelines, behind drops in the landscape and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Frequency and spread of avalanche prone locations increase with ascending altitude. Whumpf noises and fractures which appear when treading upon the snowpack, as well as freshly released avalanches are alarm signals. Activities in outlying terrain are currently dangerous.

The large amounts of fresh fallen snow are continually being transported, new snowdrift accumulations generated, but they are difficult to recognize since constantly getting blanketed with fresh snowfall. Fresh snow and drifts have settled somewhat, but bonding to the unfavorable is usually weak. Large avalanche releases from artificial (explosive) triggerings and triggerings by winter sports enthusiasts confirm just how prone to triggering the snowpack is.

Summits will be shrouded in clouds on Thursday. During the morning hours in Rätikon and Silvretta, later on in the other mountain massifs, snowfall will set in. Significant snowfall is again anticipated, particularly in high alpine regions. Temperature at 2000m: from -2 dropping to -5 degrees; at 3000m: from -8 to -11 degrees. Brisk southwesterly winds, shifting to westerly.

Avalanche danger is slowly diminishing. For winter sports enthusiasts the situation remains treacherous.