Verwall Mountains West

Trigger-prone snowdrifts due to continuing wind

Trigger-prone snowdrifts due to continuing wind

Avalanche danger above 2000 m is considerable, below that altitude danger is moderate. Fresh drifts can trigger a medium slab by 1 person. Danger zones occur esp. in steep ridgeline terrain, behind discontinuities and in gullies and bowls. Frequency and size of danger zones increase with ascending altitude and during the course of the day. Activities in outlying terrain demand experience in assessing avalanche dangers on-site. Isolated glide-snow avalanches are possible. Avoid zones below glide-cracks. In case of extended bright intervals, small loose-snow avalanches are possible.

The fresh fallen snow has settled and stabilized. As a result of strong-to-stormy westerly winds, further and far-reaching snowdrift accumulations will be generated over the course of the day, at high altitudes deposited atop soft layers and prone to triggering. Inside the drifted masses and fresh snow are weak layers (sometimes graupel). Prior to the snowfall the slopes were bare up to intermediate altitudes. The fresh snow lies on bare ground or a moist snowpack and is well bonded. The snowpack is often wet down to the ground, and tends towards gliding downhill as a mass. Small glide-snow avalanches are being observed on slopes which before were bare of snow.

Nocturnal hours: Variably cloudy skies, a cold night, sporadic light showes in the NW barrier cloud regions. Friday daytime: A few hours will be dry, in afternoon snowfall will set in from the north. On Friday night the snowpack will grow further. At 2000 m: -9 to -5 degrees. Strong-to-stormy westerly winds.

Until the end of the week, fresh snow will arrive in several bouts, focus in NW barrier cloud regions between Verwall, Arlberg and Bregenzerwald. The avalanche situation will remain tense.