Allgäu Alps West

Main danger: snowdrift accumulations and weak layers in the old snow

Main danger: snowdrift accumulations and weak layers in the old snow

Mostly moderate avalanche danger prevails. Small fresh drifts are sometimes prone to triggering on shady slopes in wind-protected ridgeline terrain. The tend to increase with ascending altitude. Also, above 2400 m on steep shady slopes there are unfavourable layers in the old snowpack. Settling noises, glide. cracks are signals of danger. As a result of daytime warming and solar radiation, small-to-medium wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches are possible, particularly on sunny slopes. The risks of being forced to take a fall should not be underestimated.

At high altitudes, light winds, up to 10 centimetres of fresh snow, which will be intensively transported in ridgeline and pass areas. The fresh drifts are prone to triggering. They lie deposited atop loose and soft layers or melt-freeze encrusted surfaces. Bonding is only moderate. At high altitudes, esp. on steep shady slopes there are weak layers evident inside the snowpack. These danger zones are not visible to the naked eye. Below 1600 m there is only little snow on the ground; below 1200 m the ground is mostly bare. Reports from outlying terrain are sparse.

Thursday: the peaks will be wreathed in fog, snowfall/rainfall in many places, the snowfall level at 1800 m. Most of the fresh snow will fall from Bregenzerwald to the Arlberg region (2-5 cm). Further south, dry spells are possible. Strong winds at high altitudes. At 2000 m: 0 degrees. Brisk to strong W/NW winds.

An intermediate high will give us a sunny Friday. Winds will slacken off, temperatures rise. Avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly.