Werdenfels Alps

Avoid fresh wind slab.

Avoid fresh wind slab.

The avalanche risk is considerable above the tree line and low below. The main problem is fresh wind slab. In many places, slab avalanches can be triggered by even a small additional load. Avalanche prone locations are adjacent to ridgelines and distant from ridgelines in steep terrain with aspects from north-west to north to south-east as well as in gullies and bowls. They increase in number and size with altitude. Avalanches can be of medium size - especially if they tear through deeper, weak layers in the persistent weak layer.

With stormy south-westerly winds, fresh snowdrift accumulations develop at altitude. In many places, they come to rest prone to triggering on surface hoar and soft layers. The old snowpack consists of large, angular and rounded crystals and is partly interspersed with melt-freeze crusts. On the sunny slopes, there is little or no snow at all at medium altitudes.

With foehn storms, prone to triggering snowdrift accumulations continue to grow, especially at high altitudes.