Pontey-Clavalité

Backcountry touring calls for extensive experience in the assessment of avalanche danger and careful route selection.

Backcountry touring calls for extensive experience in the assessment of avalanche danger and careful route selection.

Over a wide area 15 to 25 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, will fall. In particular in gullies and bowls, and behind abrupt changes in the terrain and on wind-loaded slopes medium-sized slab avalanches are possible as a consequence of the strong northwesterly wind. The wind slabs of the last three days can be released easily or naturally in particular on steep shady slopes. In particular from starting zones at higher altitudes and in steep rocky terrain medium-sized and, in isolated cases, large loose snow avalanches are possible as a consequence of the new snow.

Over a wide area 15 to 20 cm of snow has fallen since yesterday. The sometimes storm force wind has transported the new snow significantly. The fresh snow and the wind slabs will be deposited on the unfavourable surface of an old snowpack on wind-protected shady slopes above the tree line. Towards its surface, the snowpack is weak in some cases and its surface consists of loosely bonded snow lying on a crust that is strong in many cases. This applies in particular on shady slopes,. The snowpack will be generally subject to considerable local variations.

The avalanche danger will increase but remain within the current danger level.