Verwall Mountains West

Fresh snowdrifts are main danger

Fresh snowdrifts are main danger

At high altitudes, fresh snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering. Danger zones occur mostly on shady slopes behind protruberances in the landscape, in gullies and bowls and on wind-loaded slopes. Size and spread tend to increase with ascending altitude. Small-to-medium slab avalanches can be triggered even by the weight of one single skier. Above 2400m, isolated avalanches can trigger in the old snow and grow to medium size. Below the trereline, avalanche danger is low.

The fresh snowfall is being deposited mostly on steep shady slopes atop metamorphosed old snowpack layers or atop surface hoar. On east-facing and sunny slopes, often atop encrusted surfaces. As a result of strong NW winds, widespread snowdrifts will accumluate. The fresh snow will be increasely poorly bonded with the old snowpack surface with ascending altitude. In places in high-altitude shady spots and where the snow is shallow, weak faceted layers are evident in the snowpack. All in all, the snowpack is highly varied: ridges are often windblown, gullies and bowls are filled to the brim with snow.

The mountains will be shrouded in fog in the early hours and durng the morning. A small amount of fresh snow is possible. Starting at midday, increasingly sunny, the clouds and fog will recede. At 2000m: -8 degrees, plus strong-velocity NW winds.

Monday will be sunny and noticeably milder. Avalanche danger levels will decrease., but slides and small glide-snow avalanches are possible.