Lechquellen Mountains

Beware: the snowpack is still prone to triggering at high altitudes

Beware: the snowpack is still prone to triggering at high altitudes

A single winter sports enthusiast can trigger slab avalanches in the old snow. If a release sweeps away the entire snowpack the avalanche can grow to medium size. Danger zones are located expecially on steep shady slopes, but also in wind-loaded gullies and bowls in all aspects. Whumpf noises and fractures on the surface are alarm signals. Also remote triggerings continue to be possible. Activities in outlying terrain away from secured ski runs require experience in evaluating the terrain and assessment of avalanche dangers. In addition, as a result of foehn-wind impact, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations have been generated particularly in ridgline and pass areas.

The old snowpack is overall unfavorably structured. Intermediate layers inside the snow cover continue to be only moderate-to-weakly bonded together. Settling noises, fractures in the surface and avalanche releases continue to confirm the ongoing proneness to triggering of the snowpack. In addition, older snowdrift accumulations on shady high-altitude slopes can be prone to triggering in places.

Sunny weather in the mountains, often cloudless skies. Temperature at 2000m: 0 degrees; at 3000m: -6 degrees. Light winds from varying directions at high altitudes, later in the day shifting to southwesterly.

Avalanche danger will recede only gradually. At high altitudes, weak layers inside the snowpack continue to be prone to triggering.