Západné Tatry

Beware of wind-blown snow slabs and wet avalanches at altitudes up to 1800 m a.s.l. !

Beware of wind-blown snow slabs and wet avalanches at altitudes up to 1800 m a.s.l. !

Moderate avalanche danger is declared in the High, Low and West Mountains, level 2. The main avalanche problem is wind blown snow from the last snowfall. More than 30 cm of it has fallen, mainly on the northern side of the Tatras. The situation has been complicated by the wind, which has created dangerous snow slabs and pillows. Avalanche release is possible on steep slopes, especially with high additional loads. In warmer weather also watch out for avalanches from wet snow. Warming during the day and subsequent cooling at night will stabilise the snow.

More than 30 cm of new snow has been added in the last snowfall period. This has different hardnesses depending on whether it has fallen during windless or windy conditions. The critical layer is precisely the interface between the wind-beaten snow and the older felted snow or the hard base of the old hard snow. Layers of unstable square-grained snow are also present in places in the profile beneath the new snow. On sunny slopes the snow has become wet and then hardened at night, which stabilises the situation. A continuous snow cover is found at altitudes above 1200-1500 m above sea level, depending on orientation.

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