North and center of Aran

Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for experience and great restraint. Wind slabs and weakly bonded old snow are to be assessed with care and prudence.

Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for experience and great restraint. Wind slabs and weakly bonded old snow are to be assessed with care and prudence.

As a consequence of new snow and a sometimes strong wind, easily released wind slabs formed in the last few days in particular at the southern and eastern borders of Aran. Sometimes avalanches are large. Weak layers exist in the snowpack in particular on steep shady slopes. Whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack and fresh avalanches are a clear indication of a weakly bonded snowpack. These avalanche prone locations are sometimes covered with new snow and are barely recognisable because of the poor visibility. As a consequence of the precipitation dry avalanches are possible as the day progresses, but they will be mostly small. The avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular in steep terrain at intermediate and high altitudes and in places that are protected from the wind.

Over a wide area up to 5 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, will fall above approximately 1800 m. Over a wide area wind slabs are lying on old snow containing large grains. The various wind slabs have bonded poorly with the old snowpack.

Gradual increase in danger of dry avalanches as a consequence of the new snow.