Tennen Mountains, Gosaukamm

Stark differences to high altitudes. Instable snowdrifts at high altitude.

Stark differences to high altitudes. Instable snowdrifts at high altitude.

Avalanche danger above 2000 m is HIGH (high), below that altitude danger is mostly MODERATE. The high danger level results from the ease with which skiers/boarders can trigger an avalanche and how large these releases can become. Danger zones occur in all aspects. The impulse of one sole skier can trigger an avalanche of medium-to-very-large size. Caution is urged on steep shady slopes, also below the treeline. The likelihood of naturally triggered avalanches is less today than yesterday. Isolated naturally triggered slab avalanaches can trigger naturally in heavily wind-loaded zones and loose-snow avalanches from steep rocky terrain due to higher temperatures and diffuse solar radiation during the afternoon.

The abundant fresh snow was heavily blown by storm-strength winds above the treeline, and irregularly distributed. Wind-exposed terrain at high altitudes is windblown, most of the fresh snow is located at forest rims and on south-facing to east-facing slopes. Due to higher temperatures on Saturday the likelihood of triggering has diminished on Saturday (snow settled). But not at high altitudes. Beneath the latest snowdrifts and the entire mass of fresh snow of the last three days (50-100 cm) there are still weak layers which can be triggered (blanketed powder and faceted weak layers beneath the latest melt-freeze crusts on north-facing slopes at high altitudes).

On Sunday it will be sunny, not as stormy (northerly winds reaching 30-40 km/hr). Temperature at 2000 m: -7 degrees. On Monday, sunshine. Mostly light winds. Temperature at 2000 m: -4 degrees; at 3000 m. -8 degrees.

Danger zones will decrease.