Werdenfels Alps

Snowdrifts often lie deposited on weak old snow.

Snowdrifts often lie deposited on weak old snow.

Avalanche danger above 2000m is moderate, danger is low below that altitude. Fresh and older snowdrifts can trigger a small-to-medium sized slab avalanche by minimum additional loading in some places. They are blanketed by just a bit of fresh snow, making them hard to recognize. Danger zones occur in all aspects and are often difficult to recognize. In addition, small moist loose-snbow avalanches can trigger in extremely steep rocky terrain.

A few centimetres of powder snow blanket the snowdrifted masses from the last few days. These drifts lie at 1800-2100m atop a melt-freeze crust which formed last Friday, under which a trigger-sensitve layer of faceted crystals has formed in some places. In addition, inside the old snowdrifted masses there are often weak intermediate layers. The old snowpack fundament is highly diverse in thickness, in exposed zones it is often lacking completely. At intermediate altitudes the fundament is often moist. On the surface at intermediate altitudes, a thin melt-freeze crust will form at night on sunny slopes, then be melted again once the sunshine strikees it tomorrow.

Avalanche danger levels are expected to slowly recede.