Bregenzerwald Mountains

Pay close heed to snowdrifts at high altitudes

Pay close heed to snowdrifts at high altitudes

Fresh drifts are trigger-prone to increasing altitude and on steep shady slopes. Such danger zones will increase during the daytime hours due to wind impact. A small-to-medium slab and in steep terrain also loose-snow avalanche can be triggered by 1 person. Older snowdrift masses can be triggered esp. by large additional loading, the danger zones have been covered by fresh snow and are hard to recognize. On very steep and rocky slopes, slides and loose-snow avalanches can be expected during the course of the day due to solar radiation. Glide-snow avalanches can trigger at any time of day or night and grow to medium size in zones where snowfall has been heavy. Caution below glide-cracks.

The fresh snow was able to settle somewhat and, particularly on sunny slopes, consolidate. Fresh snow and drifts are well bonded. At high altitudes and on shady slopes bonding is worse. Older snowdrift masses lie deposited on soft layers, esp. on high-altitude shady slopes. The old snowpack is compactd and stable. At low and intermediate altitudes it is wet down to the ground.

Saturday daytime: Quite sunny with intermittent cloudbanks. In the Silvretta the peaks may be shrouded in fog. At 2000 m: -4 to +1 degree. Brisk SW winds in foehn zones and high-alpine regions.

On Sunday, widespread cloud cover, hardly any sunshine, strong-to-stormy SW winds. In the southern regions, minor snowfall. Winds will transport the snow further, generate new drifts. Avalanche danger could increase again.