Rieserferner Mountains

Wind slabs and weakly bonded old snow require caution, especially at elevated altitudes.

Wind slabs and weakly bonded old snow require caution, especially at elevated altitudes.

The fresh wind slabs can be released by a single winter sport participant. The avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular on very steep southwest, north and east facing slopes above approximately 2200 m. Caution is to be exercised in particular adjacent to ridgelines. At elevated altitudes the likelihood of avalanches being released is greater. Dry avalanches can additionally in some places be released in near-surface layers in particular on very steep sunny slopes, in particular above approximately 2500 m. Avalanches can reach large size in isolated cases. On extremely steep sunny slopes loose snow avalanches are to be expected, in the event of prolonged bright spells especially.

10 to 20 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, has fallen since yesterday. As a consequence of the moderate to strong northerly wind, fresh snow drift accumulations will form. These are lying on soft layers at elevated altitudes. Faceted weak layers exist in the top section of the snowpack in particular on sunny slopes, especially above approximately 2500 m. In very isolated cases weak layers exist in the bottom section of the old snowpack, especially on steep shady slopes at elevated altitudes in areas where the snow cover is rather shallow. The solar radiation will give rise to a loss of strength within the snowpack.

The snowpack remains prone to triggering at elevated altitudes.