Bollettino valanghe

Due to lots of fresh snow and weak snowpack layering, considerable avalanche danger

Due to lots of fresh snow and weak snowpack layering, considerable avalanche danger

Fresh snow and drifts are increasingly prone to triggering with ascending altitude, can release even with minimum additional loading. Avalanche prone locations are found particularly above the timberline, in steep ridgeline terrain and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. As winds intensify, fresh snowdrift accumulations are formed and danger zones become more frequent and larger-sized. Activities beyond secured ski slopes require experience in avalanche assessment on-site. In additioin, at high altitude shady steep terrain, weak ground level layers can trigger in transltion zones from deep to shallow snow by large additional loading in particular. If avalanches fracture down to deeper layers of the snowpack they can grow to large size. Exposed zones can be placed at risk. At low and intermediate altitudes on steep grass-covered slopes, in forest clearances and on hillsides, increasingly frequent naturally triggered glide-snow avalanches are possible.

There was another 15-25 cm of fresh snow registered widespread, locally up to 30 cm. Amid intermittently strong-velocity winds the snow was transported, particularly above the treeline. Frersh snow and drifts of recent days were deposited on top of a loosely-packed, in some spots bonded and consolidated and rain-encrusted, settled snowpack up to about 1800 m. Bonding inside the upper layers, often riddled with graupel, and to the old snowpack is moderate to poor, making it prone to triggering. At mid-level of the snowpack on high-altitude shady slopes, faceted crystals are evident. There is currently only limited data available from high altitude zones.

Heavy cloud cover will move in increasingly, impede the sun. Lower cloud level will descend and visibility will deteriorate. Around midday, light-to-moderate snowfall will set in. Most of the fresh snow is anticipated in the northern barrier cloud regions of the Bregenzerwald. Temperature at 2000 m: -12 to -7 degrees. High altitude winds will be increasingly strong, and shift from southerly to westerly.

Also on Saturday, conditions will remain wintery, with poor visibility and further snowfall. Particularly in th Bregenzerwald and Arlberg regions, more fresh snow is anticipated. As a result of fresh snow and newly generated snowdrift accumulations the avalanche situation will remain tense.