Chiemgau Alps East

Caution: risk of falling near ridgelines due to fresh snowdrift accumulations

Caution: risk of falling near ridgelines due to fresh snowdrift accumulations

Avalanche danger in the Bavarian Alps is moderate above the treeline, below that altitude danger is low but rises to moderate during the day due to solar radiation. Main problem: intermediate layers which are prone to triggering in the old snow. Avalanche prone locations occur on steep W/N/E facing slopes where the snow is shallow, e.g. at rims of wind-loaded gullies. In places, one sole winter sports enthusiast can trigger a slab. Frequencyc and size of danger zones increase with ascending altitude, and avalanches can grow to large size in isolated cases. During the course of the day in rocky steep terrain, medium loose-snow avalanches can be triggered naturally. And glide-snow avalanches can release naturally on steep grass-covered slopes. Near ridges the snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering, particularly between Ammergauer Alps and the Inn Valley, fresh small snowdrift accumulations were generated anew in all aspects on Saturday.

The small amount of fresh snow from Friday was deposited atop wind-impacted snowpack surfaces on shady, wind-protected slopes at high altitudes. In exposed terrain it lies atop a shallow snowpack. Beneath the drifts from the last period of precipitation are faceted crystals beneath a melt-freeze crust. This weak layer becomes more pronounced with ascending altitude and lies (depending on the distribution of the old snowdrifts) dangerously near the surface. The danger is not detectable from above the snowpack. Near ridges, small snowdrifts are often prone to triggering. At lower altitudes and on sunny slopes the snowpack is melt-freeze encrusted in early morning, often thorougly wet, then forfeits its firmness during the day through solar radiation.

Avalanche danger is not expected to change significantly on Monday.