Allgäu Alps West

Naturally triggered avalanches still expected

Dangerous avalanche situation persists apart from heavily skied terrain

Large amounts of fresh snow and drifts from last week blanket a weak old snowpack. Avalanches can easily be triggered by one single winter sports enthusiast in all aspects, especially in little-skied terrain. Danger zones increase with ascending altitude, occur widespread in terrain near to and distant from ridgelines. Caution urged in transitions from shallow to deep snow, for example, at entries into gullies and bowls. Remote triggerings are possible. Avalanches can be large-sized and plummet over flattish passages. As a result of renewed rainfall and the snowpack becoming ever wetter, wet slab avalanches can be expected at low and intermediate altitudes. If these fracture to deeper down layers of the snowpack, they can in isolated cases grow to large size. On steep grass-covered slopes, glide-snow avalanches can trigger. Zones with glide cracks should under all circumstances be avoided.

During the night there was 20mm of rainfall registered in the northern regions of highest precipitation. During the daytime, another 10mm can be added to that. Above 2000m, about 15 cm of fresh snow, accompanied by strong-velocity winds. The large amounts of fresh snow from the last few days have been repeatedly transported in varying directions, snowdrift accumulations are poorly bonded with the old snowpack. Weak layers are widely prevalent in the lower part of the snowpack. The extraordinary avalanche activity last week confirms just how prone to triggering the weak layer is. This layer persists apart from heavily skied zones and in starting zones which have not yet discharged. At low and intermediate altitudes the snowpack is thoroughly wet. Even at higher altitudes there are breakable crusts, particularly in areas exposed to the sun.

Rainfall at night and until midday, snowfall above 1800m. During the afternoon hours, clouds will disperse somewhat. Temperature at 2000m: -3 to +1 degree, at 3000m at -5 degrees. Initially strong to storm-strength northwesterly winds at high altitudes will slacken off significantly during the afternoon..

Avalanche danger is gradually diminishing, but the situation for winter sports enthusiasts remains extremely treacherous in little-skied terrain