Silvretta West

Caution on very steep shady slopes in high-alpine zones. Beware daytime increase in avalanche danger.

Caution on very steep shady slopes in high-alpine zones. Beware daytime increase in avalanche danger.

Winter sports enthusiasts can often trigger small-to-medium avalanches. Danger zones occur esp. on very steep NW/N/NE-facing slopes and are difficult to recognize. Backcountry tours require a cautious route selection. In high-altitude ridgeline terrain the fresh drifts need attentiveness. Due to daytime warming, the snowpack forfeits its firmness and danger rises to Level 2, moderate. Esp on steep sun-bathed slopes, small-to-medium wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches can be expected. In steep terrain, also wet loose-snow avalanches can be triggered. Backcountry tours should be launched early and brought to an end early in the day.

On very steep shady slopes at high altitudes, unfavorable intermediate layers are often evident in the old snowpack. Where there is no wind impact, the uppermost layers of often soft. The old snowpack is thoroughly wet up to high altitudes. Following good nocturnal outgoing longwave radiation the melt-freeze crust is capable of bearing loads in early morning hours. During the course of the day, it softens up from east-to-south-to-west, increasingly also on shady slopes, and thereby forfeits its firmness, more than in recent days.

Serene and brilliantly sunny weather. Gusty southerly winds, stronger in the typical foehn lanes. At 2000m: 2-10 degrees. Light to moderate SW winds, stronger on foehn impacted mountains.

Danger of dry-snow avalanches will recede only slowly. Following a night of cloudy skies, danger of wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches on Sunday morning.