Lechquellen Mountains

At high altitudes considerable avalanche danger. Rise in danger during daytime hours.

At high altitudes considerable avalanche danger. Rise in danger during daytime hours.

Main danger: weak layers inside the old snowpack. Danger zones occur mostly in wind-loaded high-altitude shady steep terrain, behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain and in gullies and bowls. Due to intensive solar radiation and daytime warming the snowpack forfeits its firmness and the likelihood of triggering increases. Small-to-medium slab avalanches can be triggered even by the weight of one sole skier. Naturally triggered avalanches are possible on very steep slopes. As a result of daytime warming and solar radiation, most slides and small loose-snow avalanches are possible on very steep sunny slopes. On steep grass-covered slopes glide-snow avalanches are possible.

With increasing altitude, bonding inside the fresh snow and snowdrift layers esp. to the old snowpack surface deteriorates and is prone to triggering. On high-altitude very steep shady slopes the snowpack at mid-level has unfavourable layers. Due to warming and radiation it forfeits its firmness and the danger of triggering, including naturally triggered releases, rises. Even one sole skier can trigger avalanches. Esp. on steep W/N/E facing slopes above 2000 m on Thursday in the Silvretta and Verwall several medium-sized and also large-sized naturally triggered avalanches were observed. At low altitudes there is little snow on the ground.

Nocturnal hours: variably cloudy skies, increasing foehn impact, dry, above zero: -1 to +4 degrees. Saturday: serene weather conditions, dry, very warm, noticeable southerly winds. At 2000 m 6-9 degrees. Light westerly winds at high altitudes, in the lanes: brisk southerly winds.

Little change on Saturday, sunshine will dominate. Danger of dry-snow avalanches will gradually recede. Danger of wet-snow avalanches will again increase.