Bregenzerwald Mountains

Avoid freshly generated snowdrift accumulations!

Avoid freshly generated snowdrift accumulations!

Stormy-strength foehn winds are generating fresh, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations. A single winter sports enthusiast can trigger small slab avalanches in some places. If releases then sweep away deeper weak layers of the snowpack, the avalanche can in isolated cases grow to medium size. Caution is urged in ridgeline terrain, wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Danger zones are difficult to spot, they occur particularly in transitions from shallow to deep snow, for example, at entry points into gullies and bowls. Apart from the risks of being buried in snow masses, the danger of being swept along and forced to take a fall require caution. On sunny slopes, generally small loose-snow avalanches can trigger naturally during the course of the day.

Older snowdrift accumulations from last week often lie deposited atop loose old snow at high altitudes, or atop a melt-freeze encrusted old snowpack surface. Particularly on steep shady slopes, there are often unfavorable intermediate and fundament layers inside the old snowpack which have persisted.

Foehn wind impact: following a heavily clouded night of dry skies, the daytime hours will be quite sunny. Limited visibility on main ridge of Silvretta and Rätikon. Temperature at 2000m: +1 degree; at 3000m: -5 degrees. Strong to storm-strength southwesterly winds, with wind-chill, require caution.

As a result of strong-to-stormy SW winds, fresh snowdrift accumulations will be generated. Thus, avalanche danger can increase again at high altitudes.