Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Circumvent snowdrifts esp. at high altitudes

Circumvent snowdrifts esp. at high altitudes

Avalanche danger is MODERATE. The snowpack has settled well over the last few days. Snowdrift accumlations esp. on N/E facing slopes behind abrupt drops in the terrain can be triggered with increasing altitude up to high alpine regions also on south-facing slopes mostly by large additional loading. Most critical: east-facing ridgeline terrain above 2500 m and entries into steep gullies. Danger zones increase with ascending altitude. Most releases are small-to-medium, rarely large. Also the loose fresh snow can be swept away on steep slopes as a small-to-mediium avalanche. Also possible: isolated naturally triggered loose and slab avalanches, esp small and medium sized in extremely steep terrain (>40°). On steep grass slopes, esp. where the ground was bare, below 2400 m, naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible, in medium size.

The fresh snow and drifts from the last few days have bonded quite well with the old snow up to 2400 m. With ascending altitude bonding deteriorates. In places there are expansively metamorphosed (faceted) layers bordering on melt-freeze crusts in the uppermost part of the snowpack; these are unlikely to trigger, but if further layers are swept away when a release occurs, the avalanches can then grow to large size. At low altitudes there is hardly any snow on the ground, up to 2600 m the snow is moist and sticky.

On Tuesday, low lying clouds will reduce visibility, intermitten minor snowfall (below 1400-1700m as sleet or rainfall). Winds negligible from the north. At 2000 m: -1 degree; at 3000 m: -7 degrees.

No significant change