Border Pennine Alps

Fresh wind slabs represent the main danger.

Fresh wind slabs represent the main danger.

The large wind slabs of the last few days are to be evaluated with care and prudence in particular in steep terrain. These can be released, even by a single winter sport participant. This applies especially in gullies and bowls, and behind abrupt changes in the terrain in particular at intermediate and high altitudes. Avalanches can in some cases penetrate deep layers and reach quite a large size. The avalanche prone locations are sometimes covered with new snow and are therefore barely recognisable, even to the trained eye. Whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack can indicate the danger. The current avalanche situation calls for experience in the assessment of avalanche danger and caution.

Over a wide area 30 to 60 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, fell in the last five days above approximately 1500 m. As a consequence of the strong wind the wind slabs have increased in size. Faceted weak layers exist deeper in the old snowpack in particular on shady slopes. In the last few days on steep slopes medium-sized and large avalanches were observed.

Above approximately 1000 m snow will fall from the afternoon.