Chiemgau Alps East

Wind slab is covered by soft snow and prone to triggering.

Wind slab is covered by soft snow and prone to triggering.

The avalanche risk is moderate above the tree line and low below it. The main problem is wind slab. Small to medium slab avalanches can still be triggered in a few places with little additional load. The avalanche prone locations are mainly above the tree line in steep terrain adjacent to ridgelines, below terrain edges and in gullies and bowls. They are difficult to recognise.

On very steep slopes with smooth ground, such as meadows, smaller gliding avalanches can release themselves.

In sunlight, small loose snow avalanches can detach themselves from extremely steep areas.

Wind slab lies on soft layers and graupel in all aspects. In an altitude band from approx. 1500 m to 2000 m, there is a melt-freeze crust underneath last week's fresh snow pack on the shady slopes, under which faceted crystals have formed. Some of these are still prone to triggering. The snowpack base is compact and largely stable. Deep-lying layers of faceted crystals at the base of the snowpack at higher elevations can hardly be disturbed. The snow on the ground is often wet. The surface snow becomes wet in the sun.

The wet snow problem comes to the fore over the Easter weekend.