Bregenzerwald Mountains

Caution: daytime cycle of avalanche danger

Caution: daytime cycle of avalanche danger

Avalanche danger in the morning hours is low, rises during the afternoon hours to moderate above 1600m. On steep slopes in all aspects which have not yet discharged, wet-snow avalanches can release naturally or be triggered by winter sports enthusiasts and, in high altitude zones, grow to medium size. In isolated cases small-to-medium glide-snow avalanches are possible.

During a night of clear skies, little wind and dry air, the snowpack can consolidate superficially and in many places form a melt-freeze crust capable of bearing loads. Through higher daytime temperatures and solar radiation, the crust then softens rapidly and the snowpack loses its firmness. Beneath the melt-freeze crust the snowpack is thoroughly wet up to high altitudes. At high altitudes there is up to 15cm of fresh snow lying deposited atop the moist old snowpack surface. On south-facing slopes the fresh snow fell on bare ground at intermediate altitudes. In the foehn lanes, fresh trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations can be generated, deposited esp. in high-alpine zones ato soft layers on steep shady slopes and thus, prone to triggering.

Intermediate high: following a minimally cloudy night, sunshine will dominate on Saturday, with light foehn wind impact. Later on, convective cloud build-up. Temperatures will rise. At 2000m: -2 to +6 degree. Light-to-moderate strength SW winds, stronger in the foehn lanes.

Easter Sunday will be quite sunny. Avalanche danger will be increasingly determined by the daytime danger cycle.