Allgäu Alps West

Small-area snowdrifts at high altitudes: caution

Small-area snowdrifts at high altitudes: caution

On shady steep high-altitudes slopes and in ridgeline terrain, small-area snowdrift accumulations require caution. One sole winter sports enthusiast can trigger mostly small slab avalanches in these zones. Apart from the danger of being buried in snow masses, the risks of being swept along and forced to take a fall require adequate caution. Near-surface weak layers, esp in little-tracked terrain on shady steep slopes, are often still prone to triggering. On steep grass-covered slopes with sufficient snow, isolated medium-sized glide-snow avalanches still possible.

Fresh snowfall is expected (5-10cm) which will be deposited up to high altitudes atop a moist old snowpack surface, it will bond well. In ridgeilne terrain, small drifts will be generated. Below 1500m there is little snow on the ground. On shady slopes at high and high-alpine altitudes the older drifts lie atop an unfavorable old snowpack, which has increasingly stabilized.

Cloudy and variable nighttime weather. On Wednesday, gray skies, low-lying clouds, light-to-moderate snowfall, snowfall level dropping temporarily to 1500-1100m. At 2000m: 0 degrees. Moderate to brisk northerly winds.

Glide-snow avalanches still possible, despite lower temperatures