Border Pennine Alps

Wind slabs are to be evaluated with care and prudence.

Wind slabs are to be evaluated with care and prudence.

Since Saturday the wind has been moderate to strong. In gullies and bowls, and behind abrupt changes in the terrain the wind slabs have increased in size. They can be released by a single winter sport participant. In some cases the wind slabs have bonded still only poorly with each other and the old snowpack. Fresh snow and large quantities of wind-drifted snow of the last few days must be evaluated with care and prudence. More dry avalanches are possible, but they can be large. Backcountry touring calls for careful route selection.

In particular at elevated altitudes snow depths vary greatly, depending on the infuence of the wind. Over a wide area new snow and wind slabs are lying on a weakly bonded old snowpack. Individual weak layers exist in the snowpack on wind-loaded slopes.