Verwall Mountains West

Main dangers: fresh snowdrift accumulations and weak old snow

Main dangers: fresh snowdrift accumulations and weak old snow

Avalanche danger above 2000m is considerable, danger below that altitude is moderate. Triggering fresh snowdrift accumulations is possible even by minimum additional loading, i.e. from one sole skier. Danger zones occur esp. in steep ridgeline terrain, in gullies, bowls and behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain. The frequency of danger zones increases with ascending altitude. In addition, isolated avalanches can be triggered in the weak old snowpack, particularly above 2400m, esp. in seld-tracked shady steep terrain. Transition zones from shallow to deep snow require special caution, e.g. at entries into gullies and bowls. Avalanche triggerings are possible especially by large additional loading. A prudent route selection is recommended. At intermediate and high altitudes on smooth, steep slopes, isolated glide-snow avalanches are still possible.

There has been 35 cm of fresh snow registered, accompanied by strong wind impact, which was deposited atop an old snowpack surface of springtime temperatures. Usually a melt-freeze crust dominated the surfaces, thus, the fresh snow and drifts bond will with the rough-hewn surface. The stability of the snowpack is poorer in wind-protected shady high altitude terrain with expansively metamorphosed layers atop which the fresh snow will lie. At intermediate altitudes there is only little snow on the ground. At low altitudes the snow will often fall on bare ground. At mid-level inside the snowpack there are faceted layers. More deeply embedded weak layers are generally unlikely to trigger, if at all, then in transitions from shallow to deep snow. These danger zones are not visible to the naked eye.

Nocturnal hours: in the early part of the night some light snowfall, thereafter dry. In early morning on Tuesday the clouds will begin to disperse, temperatures will drop to -10 to -3 degrees. Tuesday: sunny weather, with some scattered clouds, higher temperatures but a cold NE wind will still whip the northern rim of the Alps. At 2000 m: -9 to -3 degrees. Brisk NE winds in the Prealps, light to moderate SE winds at higher altitudes.

Wednesday will be quite sunny, it will be milder. Due to solar radiation and warmth the fresh snow will settle and naturally triggered avalanches will increase initially. Avalanche danger levels will gradually recede of the next few days.