Allgäu Alps Central

High avalanche risk in the high altitudes due to lots of new fallen snow and wind.

High avalanche risk in the high altitudes due to lots of new fallen snow and wind.

The avalanche risk is high above 2000 metres and considerable below that. The main problem is wind slab avalanches. Slab avalanches can easily be triggered by individual winter sports enthusiasts or detach themselves. Avalanche prone locations are adjacent to ridgelines and distant from ridgelines on steep slopes of all aspects, behind slope discontinuities and in gullies and bowls, as well as in forest aisles and clearings. They increase in number and size with altitude. Above 1800 m, avalanches on very steep shady slopes can also tear through to deeper weak layers in the old snowpack. At high altitudes, avalanches can become large in places. Cracks when stepping on the snowpack and booming noises indicate the danger.

Small to medium-sized, spontaneous loose snow avalanches are possible from the steep terrain interspersed with rocks.

Stormy winds and abundant fresh snowfall are causing the already extensive snowdrift accumulations to grow further. The fresh and older snowdrift accumulations are very prone to triggering. They lie on soft layers of snow or surface hoar. In the upper part of the old snowpack, thin wind and melt-freeze crusts are prone to triggering in places. Above 1800 m, on shady slopes, there are deeper weak layers of faceted crystals in the snowpack. The snow depths vary greatly across the terrain due to the strong winds.

The avalanche situation will remain tense throughout the week.