Avalanche forecast

Delicate situation, high danger in outlying terrain

Delicate situation, high danger in outlying terrain

Wide-ranging freshly generated snowdrift accumulations are the main danger. Avalanches can be triggered by minimum additional loading or trigger naturally. Also remote triggerings are possible. Avalanches can sweep along the old snowpack and grow to large size. Avalanche prone locations lie in W/N/E aspects above 2000 m in ridgeline terrain, wind-loaded steep slopes, gullies and bowls, as well as in transition zones from shallow to deep snow. Also in the old snow over 1800 m there are trigger-sensitive intermediate layers which can trigger especially by large additional loading. Cracks in the snowpack surface and ‘whumpf’ noises are alarm signals, indicators of danger. Due to daytime warming and solar radiation the likelihood of slab avalanches triggering on very steep sunny slopes increases somewhat during the day; on sunny rough or rocky slopes, naturally triggered avalanches can be expected. Activities in backcountry away from secured ski runs demand experience in assessing avalanche risks on-site and knowledge of the landscape. The inexperienced should not leave the ski pistes. In regions where snowfall is heavy, glide-snow avalanches and slides are possible.

Due to stormy NW winds, deep snowdrift accumulations have been generated. Bonding to the old snow beneath them is unfavorable and prone to trigger. Particularly on west-facing, north-facing and east-facing high altitude slopes, the drifts were deposited atop soft layers, bonding is poor, delicate. Inside the old snowpack, especially on shady slopes, there are layers of loose-snow and embedded graupel, easily triggered by large additional loading.

This mornng heavy cloud cover will create diffuse light conditions, the high peaks will have impaired visibility, isolated light snowfall is possible. By midday the clouds will disperse, it will turn sunny, skies might even be cloudless. Temperatures will rise noticeably, but winds remain brisk (no longer stormy). Temperature at 2000 m: -9 to -1 degree. Brisk NW winds.

Over the next few days avalanche danger will slowly decrease. The snowpack will remain prone to triggering, however.