Lechquellen Mountains

Main danger: snowdrift accumulations and weak layers in the old snow

Main danger: snowdrift accumulations and weak layers in the old snow

Fresh (and already blanketed) snowdrifts are prone to triggering particularly in ridgeline zones, but also distant from ridgelines, wind-loaded gullies and bowls and behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain. They tend to increase with ascending altitude. Medium slab avalanches can be triggered by one sole winter sports enthusiast. If they fracture to deeper layers they can grow to large size. Above 2400 m on steep shady slopes there are unfavourable layers in the old snowpack. Activities in backcountry demand experience in avalanche danger assessment on-site. In steep rocky terrain above 2400 m the fresh snow can trigger small to medium loose-snow avalanches naturally.

The small amount of fresh snowfall now blankets the snowdrift accumulations of recent days. Exposed zones and knolls are often windblown, gullies and bowls are filled to the brim with drifts. Fresh snow and snowdrifts often lie deposited atop loose and soft layers, on older snowdrifted masses or atop melt-freeze encrusted old snowpack surfaces and are often riddled with graupel. Bonding to the old snowpack deteriorates with ascending altitude. At high altitudes on steep shady slopes in particular, there are still weak layers deeply embedded inside the snowpack which are not visible to the naked eye.

Nocturnal hours: skies mostly heavily overcast accompanied by snow showers down to low lying areas. The amounts of fresh snow will be minor. Thursday: variably cloud, very cold mountain weather. Clouds and fog will dominate. Light snowfall in repeated bouts. Brief intervals of brightness are possible. At 2000 m: -13 degrees; moderate NW winds.

Friday will be heavily overcast, hardly any sunshine, a bit of minor snowfall, and it will remain cold. Setting and consolidating processes will proceed only slowly due to the low temperatures. Avalanche danger will incrementally decrease.