Chiemgau Alps East

Older snowdrifts often prone to triggering

Older snowdrifts often prone to triggering

Avalanche danger is low, in isolated cases small drifts can trigger small sized slab avalanches by minimum addtional loading, e.g. the weight of one single skier. Danger zones occur particularly in steep terrain near ridgelines on S/W/NW facing slopes and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. They are covered by a small amount of fresh snow, thus are difficult to recognize. The risks of being forced to take a fall outweigh those of being buried in snow masses.

A few centimetres of loosely-packed powder snow now blanket small, older snowdrift accumulations on windward slopes. These drifts often lie atop trigger-sensitive intermediate layers. The old snowpack at high altitudes show marked effects of wind, the snow depths are highly varied.

Little change in avalanche danger levels is anticipated.