Rätikon West

Attention winter sports enthusiasts: critical conditions widespread

Attention winter sports enthusiasts: critical conditions widespread

Main problem: fresh snow and freshly generated snowdrifts. Slab avalanches can be triggered even by minimum additional loading, e.g. one single winter sports enthusiasat. Avalanche prone locations occur in steep terrain in all aspects, also distant from ridgelines and particularly behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain, in gullies and bowls. Size and spread of the danger zones increase with ascending altitude. Whumpf noises and glide cracks in the snowpack surface are signals of danger. Also remote triggerings and naturally triggered avalanches are possible. Activities in backcountry away from secured ski runs demand a high degree of restraint. The inexperienced should not leave the secured ski areas. In addition, on steep, seldom-tracked shady slopes at high altitudes there are weak layers deeply embedded in the snowpack which can be triggered by large additional loading. If avalanches fracture down to these layers they can grow to large size. Furthermore, medium-sized loose-snow avalanches are possible in steep rocky terrain.

As a consequence of intermittently strong-to-stormy winds, the latest batch of fresh snowfall is being transported, more trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations generated. They often lie deposited atop unfavourable old snowpack layers consisting of surface hoar, melt-freeze crusts or soft layers. Bonding of fresh snow and drifts to this surface, also bonding inside the fresh snow itself, is frequently moderate-to-poor. At high altitudes on steep shady slopes in particular there are in places older unfavourable intermediate layers inside the snowpack. These danger zones are not visible to the naked eye. Natural and artificial triggerings, stability tests and reports from observers confirm the proneness to triggering of the snow cover.

Saturday: the heavy snowfall will taper off significantly by midday. In the afternoon, only minor snow showers in the mountains. Some clouds could disperse, particularly in the southern massifs. At 2000 m: -4 degrees. Stormy winds from the north, easing this afternoon.

Sunday will begin with sunshine. In the afternoon, cloud cover will move in. In the evening, precipitation will arrive. The snowpack remains prone to triggering and avalanche danger levels will recede only slowly. Avalanche danger levels will not change significantly.