Lechquellen Mountains

Considerable avalanche danger at high altitudes

Considerable avalanche danger at high altitudes

As a result of foehn wind impact, fresh, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations have been generated particularly in ridgline and pass areas. In addition, one single winter sports enthusiast can trigger slab avalanches in the old snow. If these sweep away the entire snowpack, they can grow to medium size. Danger zones are found especially on steep shady slopes, but also occur in wind-loaded gullies and bowls in all aspects. Whumpf noises and fractures in the snowpack surface are alarm signals. Also remote triggerings continue to be possible. Activities in backcountry, away from secured ski runs, demand experience in evaluating the terrain and assessing avalanche dangers.

As a result of brisk-to-strong velocity southerly winds, fresh snowdrifts have accumulated especially in ridgeline and pass areas which on shady, high-altitudes slopes lie atop a loosely-pack fundament of old snow and are prone to triggering. Bonding of the fresh snow and drifts from last week to the often faceted, expansively metamorphosed old snowpack surface and inside the unfavorably structured layers of old snow continues to be moderate-to-weak. Remote triggering, settling noises and fractures on the surface of the snowpack confirm the ongoing proneness to triggering.

Frequently very sunny and still relatively mild mountain and skiing weather. In the Rätikon and Silvretta, mountains may be shrouded in fog coming in from Switzerland, elsewhere there are few clouds, sunshine will be dominant. Zero-degree level at 2500m. Temperatures at 2000m: +4 degrees; at 3000m: -3 degrees. Moderate to brisk southerly winds at high altitudes.

No significant change is anticipated. At higher altitudes, weak layers in the old snow and freshly generated snowdrifts are prone to triggering widespread.