Allgäu Alps West

Naturally triggered avalanches still expected

Dangerous avalanche situation persists

Large amounts of fresh snow and drifts blanket a weak old snowpack. Avalanches can easily be triggered by one single winter sports enthusiast in all aspects, and then grow to large size. Danger zones are numerous, occur also near the timberline. For activities outside secured zones, conditions are extremely dangerous. Remote triggerings and naturally triggered avalanches continue to be anticipated. Particularly in starting zones which have not yet discharged, they can in isolated cases be very large-sized and plummet down to low altitude zones. Exposed transportation routes can be placed at risk. Rain impact at low and intermediate altitudes will lead to the snowpack softening up and thus, to increased frequency of naturally triggered avalanches.

All in all, 20-30cm of fresh snow was registered on Saturday from the warm front. The large amounts of fresh snow from the last few days have been repeatedly transported in varying directions, generating far-reaching snowdrift accumulations. These are often blanketed over and difficult to recognize. Bonding to the generally weak snowpack is weak. Several large and very large sized avalanche releases due to artificial triggerings, remote triggerings and provoked by winter sports enthusiasts confirm just how trigger-sensitive the snowpack is.

Rainfall and snowfall will taper off in the early part of the night. During daytime hours, partly to heavily clouded with light snow showers locally and occasional sunshine. Winds will slacken off, temperatures rise. Temperature at 2000m: rising from -2 to +2 degrees, at 3000m at -5 degrees. Moderate westerly winds at high altitudes, in high alpine regions often blowing at brisk strength.

The early part of the week will bring rising temperatures and only minor amounts of precipitation. Particularly at low and intermediate altitudes, wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches can be increasingly expected. The situation remains quite treacherous for winter sports enthusiasts.