Chiemgau Alps East

Loose-snow avalanches will trigger naturally in the sunshine

The powerful energy transmitted by the sun is loosening bonded snow so that the fresh fallen snow on steep slopes can trigger as loose-snow avalanches. Gusty and often stormy winds from varying directions accompanied the snowfall over the last few days and generated new snowdrift accumulations. In many places, graupel is embedded in the new snow. At intermediate altitudes the fresh snow was often deposited atop wet ground which prior to the precipitation was bare of snow.

Avalanche danger will gradually recede, wet snow will become the problem.

Loose-snow avalanches will trigger naturally in the sunshine

Above 1500m avalanche danger is considerable, below that altitude danger is moderate. Snowdrift accumulations are the major problem, esp. on sunny, extremely steep slopes where loose-snow avalanches can trigger naturally. At high altitudes avalanches can in isolated cases grow to large size. Exposed transportation routes and hiking trails can be at risk. Fresh snow and drifts at high altitudes can trigger slab avalanches at high altitudes even be minimum additional loading, Caution esp. in steep ridgeline terrain and in gullies and bowls. In addition, on very steep grass-covered dlopes and in very steep sparsely wooded forest zones, glide-snow avalanches can be expected, esp. wherever the ground was bare of snow prior to this bout of precipitation, glide-snow avlanches can grow to medium size.