Glockner Group Pasterze

Evaluate persistent weak layers with caution

The hardened snowdrifts from the last few days now blanket a weak old snowpack surface above 2600m on W/N/SE facing slopes. Inside the old snowpack there are expansively metamosphosed, faceted crystals, particularly on shady wind-protected slopes. The snowpack is highly irregular, even over small areas. At all altitudes there is too little snow on the ground for this juncture of the season.

On New Year’s Day, again cloudless skies and mild temperatures in the mountains, sunshine all day long, outstanding visibility, winds intensifying slightly during the daytime, increasingly blowing from the southwest, gusts reaching 50 km/hr in exposed terrain during the afternoon. Temperatures nearly unchanged. At 3000m: -4 degrees; at 2000m: +2 degrees; at 1000m: +9 degrees.

Avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly.

Evaluate persistent weak layers with caution

The hardened snowdrift accumulations of recent days can be triggered generally by large additional loading on steep W/N/SE facing slopes above 2600m. One single skier can trigger them only in isolated cases. Isolated danger zones occur particularly in gullies, bowls and behind protruberances in the landscape. Avalanches can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers inside the snowpack on shady slopes in particular, and then grow to medium size. Size and frequency of danger zones tend to increase with ascending altitude. Apart from the danger of being buried in snow masses, the risks of being swept along and forced to take a fall require consideration.