Lechquellen Mountains

Beware: the snowpack is still prone to triggering at high altitudes

Beware: the snowpack is still prone to triggering at high altitudes

A single winter sports enthusiast can trigger slab avalanches in the old snow. If one sweeps away the entire snowpack it can grow to medium size. Danger zones are located expecially on steep shady slopes, but also in wind-loaded gullies and bowls in all aspects. Whumpf noises and fractures on the surface are alarm signals. Also remote triggerings continue to be possible. Activities in outlying terrain away from secured ski runs require experience in evaluating the terrain and assessment of avalanche dangers. In addition, as a result of foehn-wind impact, trigger-sensitive snowdrift accumulations have been genearted particularly in ridgline and pass areas.

The old snowpack is overall unfavorably structured. Intermediate layers inside the snow cover continue to be only moderat-to-weakly bonded together. Settling noises, fractures in the surface and avalanache releases continue to confirm the ongoing proneness to triggering of the snowpack. As a result of intermittently strong southerly winds, fresh snowdrifts have accumulated particularly in high-altitude ridgeline and pass areas; these are deposited atop a loose old snowpack base on shady high-altitude slopes and are prone to triggering.

Brilliantly sunny weather in the mountains from early morning until late evening. In the Silvretta and Rätikon, a few clouds in the morning which will disperse later on. Temperature at 2000m: -1 degree; at 3000m: -7 degrees. Light winds at high altitudes, mostly from S/SE directions.

Avalanche danger will recede only gradually. At high altitudes, weak layers inside the snowpack continue to be prone to triggering.