Valsavaranche

Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for extensive experience and restraint.

Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for extensive experience and restraint.

As a consequence of new snow and a moderate wind from westerly directions, large surface-area wind slabs will form. Wind slabs can be released, even by a single winter sport participant and reach medium size. Additionally avalanches can also be released in near-ground layers and reach quite a large size in all aspects. The avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular on very steep northeast, east and southeast facing slopes, in particular adjacent to ridgelines and in pass areas. These avalanche prone locations are numerous and are difficult to recognise. Whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack and natural avalanches serve as an alarm sign.

Up to 40 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, will fall until Tuesday above approximately 2500 m. As a consequence of the moderate to strong northwesterly wind, snow drift accumulations formed. These are poorly bonded with the old snowpack in all aspects. The strong wind has transported the fresh and old snow significantly. Faceted weak layers exist in the bottom section of the snowpack at intermediate and high altitudes. In all aspects below approximately 2200 m less snow than usual is lying.