Werdenfels Alps

Small snowdrifts accumulating at higher altitudes - prone to triggering!

Small snowdrifts accumulating at higher altitudes - prone to triggering!

Avalanche danger is generally low. Main problem: wet snow. During the course of the day, isolated small superficial wet snow avalanches can trigger naturally. Isolated up to medium-sized glide snow avalanches can trigger on smooth steep grass-covered intermediate altitude slopes and in sparsely wooded zones. Glide cracks indicate danger. In addition, a snowdrift problem emerges at higher altitudes. Fresh small snowdrift accumulations are deposited in steep ridgeline terrain in N/E aspects and can be triggered even by minimum additional loading. Slabs are small; the danger of taking a fall in steep terrain outweighs that of being buried in snow masses.

The snowpack has generally settled well and consolidated. Only on shady slopes is there still compact powder. Due to rain showers and daytime warming the near surface snowpack layers are moistening at intermediate altitude, i.e., the snowpack forfeits its firmness. In sunny terrain the ground has become bare up to high intermediate altitudes. During the course of the day brisk westerly to southwesterly winds are generating small snowdrift accumulations at higher altitudes which are deposited atop poorly bonded snow and are prone to triggering.

On the weekend the avalanche situation can exacerbate at high altitude because of heavy westerly winds and snowdrifts.