Lechquellen Mountains

Still high avalanche danger widespread

Still high avalanche danger widespread

The large amounts of fresh snow and drifts are prone to triggering. Avalanches can easily be triggered by one single winter sports enthusiast or be triggered naturally. Exposed areas can be placed at risk. Danger zones occur on steep slopes near to and distant from ridgelines, behind drops in the landscape and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Frequency and spread of avalanche prone locations increase with ascending altitude. Whumpf noises and fractures which appear when treading upon the snowpack, as well as freshly released avalanches are alarm signals. Activities in outlying terrain are currently dangerous.

The large amounts of fresh fallen snow are continually being transported, new snowdrift accumulations are being generated. Fresh snow and drifts frequently lie deposited on graupel, in wind-protected terrain also atop surface hoar or on thin, trigger-sensitive melt-freeze layers. Also older snowdrifts and the weak snowpack are being blanketed by fresh snowfall.

Precipitation will taper off during the nocturnal hours. On Wednesday, light-to-moderate snowfall will once again set in towards midday. The snowfall level is expected to ascend to nearly 1200m. Temperature at 2000m: -9 to -2 degrees; at 3000m: -14 to -7 degrees. Brisk to strong velocity westerly winds at high altitudes, in gusts reaching storm strength.

Avalanche danger is slowly diminishing. For winter sports enthusiasts the situation remains treacherous.