Graie Alps

New snow and wet snow represent the main danger.

New snow and wet snow represent the main danger.

As a consequence of falling temperatures, snowfall above approximately 2200 m and the occasionally strong wind, the snowpack can not consolidate by late in the night. By late in the night the natural avalanche activity will increase. An increasing number of medium-sized and, in isolated cases, large moist and wet avalanches are to be expected. In particular in regions exposed to heavier precipitation and at high altitudes and in high Alpine regions such avalanche prone locations are more prevalent and the danger is greater.

The sleet will give rise as the day progresses to increasing moistening of the snowpack over a wide area also at intermediate and high altitudes. In some places relatively hard layers of snow are lying on a weakly bonded old snowpack. Individual weak layers exist in the bottom section of the snowpack especially in shady places that are protected from the wind. Also bases of rock walls where hard layers are lying on a weakly bonded old snowpack are especially dangerous. In particular in regions exposed to heavier precipitation and at high altitudes and in high Alpine regions such avalanche prone locations are more prevalent.

With the end of the precipitation, the natural avalanche activity will gradually decrease.