Allgäu Alps West

Main danger: wet-snow/glide-snow avalanches

Main danger: wet-snow/glide-snow avalanches

Due to striking rise in temperatures and solar radiation, avalanche danger will increase from moderate in the morning to considerable. During the course of the day, esp. on sunny slopes but also in shady terrain, increasingly frequent wet-snow avalanches can be expected. Wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches can grow to medium size in starting zones where there is enough snow, releases can grow large and endanger exposed areas. Small-to-medium slab avalanches can be triggered by 1 person. Backcountry tours require a cautious route selection and should be terminated early in the day. Near-surface layers of the old snowpack are triggerable mostly by large additional loading. The often huge cornices also forfeit firmness due to higher temperatures and moistening, they can break or collapse.

Below 2300 m the old snowpack is thoroughly moist and wet down to the ground. The surface freezes at night depending on cloud cover andthus, nocturnal outgoing radiation is insufficient to consolidate it, only a thin melt-freeze crust can form which then quickly softens. Due to strong warmth impulse, the snowpack rapidly loses its firmness in the morning hours and weakens the snowpack.

Nocturnal hours: dry, mild, reduced nocturnal longwave radiation. Saturday daytime: Mostly sunny but for a few cirrus clouds high above summit level. The zero-degree level will ascend to 4000 m! At 2000 m: 4-14 degrees. Moderate to brisk SW winds.

Sunday will again be very mild, visibility will be hampered by Sahara dust in the air. Often strong southerly winds. Avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly. Wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches will remain the main problem.