Chiemgau Alps East

Caution: during the day on Thursday, fresh, trigger-sensitive snowdrifts

Caution: during the day on Thursday, fresh, trigger-sensitive snowdrifts

Low avalanche danger prevails in the Bavarian Alps. Intermediate layers which are prone to triggering inside the old snowpack are the main problem. Slabs of medium size can trigger by large additional loading in isolated cases on extremely steep slopes, particularly on shady slopes above 2000 m where the snow is shallow, e.g. at entries to gullies and bowls. During the course of the day on Thursday a snowdrift problem will develop. Strong westerly winds will generate initially small but trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations, easily recognized, which can be triggered even by the low additional loading of one sole skier. The danger of being forced to take a fall outweighs that of being buried in snow.

The snowpack has settled well and is compact and stable, by and large. Especially on sunny slopes the snowpack surface is melt-freeze encrusted and, in some places, icy. There is often surface hoar. As westerly wind intensify, small prone-to-triggering snowdrift accumulations will be generated. At high altitudes there are layers of expansively metamorphosed crystals

As westerly winds intensify and with approaching precipitation on Thursday night, avalanche danger could increase again.