Bregenzerwald Mountains

Attention winter sports enthusiasts: fresh snow and fresh snowdrifts are trigger-sensitive

Attention winter sports enthusiasts: fresh snow and fresh snowdrifts are trigger-sensitive

Fresh snowdrift accumulations are frequently prone to triggering, anda increase in size and spread with ascending altitude and during the course of the day. One person can triggered small-to-medium slab avalanches in gullies and bowls, behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain. Whumpf noises and glide cracks are signals of danger. Also, on steep, seldom-tracked shady slopes at high altitudes, deeper layers can be triggered by large additional loading. Activities in outlying terrain demand experience in assessing avalanche dangers on-site.

By Thursday evening up to 40 cm of fresh snow is expected over widespread areas, up to 50 cm in the Allgau Alps. Amid strong-to-stormy NW winds it will be transported far-reachingly and more trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations will be generated, deposited atop an unfavourable snowpack surface, often with surface hoar, melt-freeze crusts or soft layers. Bonding of fresh snow and drifts to the layers beneath them is moderate to poor. At high altitudes esp. on steep shady slopes, older unfavourable layers are evident. These spots are not visible to the naked eye.

Nocturnal hours: heavily overcast skies, light snowfall in the mountains in particular (snowfall level at 600 m). Thursday: compact cloud cover, poor visibility, heavy snowfall (focus: Hinterwald, Arlberg, Verwall). Icy-cold NW winds will increase the subjective feeling of cold and generate snowdrift accumulations. At 2000 m: -6 degrees. Strong to stormy NW winds.

Friday will be quieter, with dispersed clouds. The snowpack will remain highly prone to triggering. Avalanche danger will not change significantly.