Werdenfels Alps

Caution: Isolated avalanche prone locations at high altitude due to weak layers in old snow

Caution: Isolated avalanche prone locations at high altitude due to weak layers in old snow

Generally, avalanche danger is low in the morning and rises to moderate below 2400 m during the course of the day. Main problem: wet snow. Danger of naturally triggering, mostly small, superficial wet-snow avalanches increasing during the course of the day due to solar radiation and daytime warming. Isolated medium-sized glide snow avalanches can be expected on smooth steep grass-covered intermediate altitude slopes and in sparsely wooded zones. Glide cracks indicate danger. At high altitude weak layers in the old snowpack constitute an additional avalanche problem. In a few places in extremely steep north-facing ridgeline terrain slabs can be triggered by large loading, especially in zones with shallow snow such as at entry points into steep gullies. Avalanches attain medium size.

In the morning, the old snowpack has generally settled well and solidified. In particular on sun-drenched slopes a melt-freeze crust forms during the night which softens again during the day. On shady slopes there is still settle powder snow. Due to solar radiation and daytime warming the uppermost snow layers near the surface are becoming thoroughly moist and thus forfeit their firmness. In sunny terrain the ground has become bare up to high intermediate altitudes. In some places at high altitude intermediate weak layers consisting of expansively metamorphose (faceted) crystals have persisted at ground level but also in the upper half of the snowpack.

As of Saturday, rain and strong westerly winds are expected up to high altitudes. Therefore, drift snow will become the predominant problem at high altitude again.