Berchtesgaden Alps

The wind slab of the last few days is prone to triggering and often difficult to recognise.

The wind slab of the last few days is prone to triggering and often difficult to recognise.

The avalanche risk is considerable above the tree line and low below it. The main problem is wind slab avalanches. Medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered in many places with little additional load. The avalanche prone locations are mainly above the tree line in steep terrain adjacent to ridgelines in all aspects, distant from ridgelines behind terrain edges and in gullies and bowls.

Smaller gliding avalanches can detach themselves on individual, very steep, sunny slopes. Smaller loose snow avalanches are possible on steep terrain interspersed with rocks.

It has snowed about 30 cm accompanied by wind from different directions. Many prone to triggering snowdrift accumulations have formed. Some of them are covered by soft new fallen snow and are difficult to recognise. In addition, graupel and weak intermediate layers are embedded in the upper metre of the snowpack in places in the area of melting snow caps. Deeper layers of faceted crystals are difficult to disturb. On the south side, the snow is often wet towards the ground and can slide off on slippery ground.

Slow decline in avalanche danger.