Werdenfels Alps

Poor snowpack structure - whumpfing and cracks indicate avalanche danger!

Poor snowpack structure - whumpfing and cracks indicate avalanche danger!

Avalanche danger above the timberline is high, below it is considerable. Main problem: fresh snowdrifts. In many places slab avalanches can trigger naturally or by minimum additional loading such as the weight of a single skier. Avalanche prone locations are found in steep terrain in all aspects, also distant from ridgelines, in particular below protuberances and in gullies and bowls. Avalanches can grow to large size. In addition, the new fallen snow triggers naturally in steep rocky terrain in the form of medium-sized (partly even large) loose snow avalanches. Avalanche prone locations are located below rock faces.

Snowdrift accumulations continue to grow as a consequence of storm and snowfall. They have bonded only poorly with the old snowpack surface. On the shady side the snowdrifts were deposited atop wind crusts or powder snow. On the sunny side the packed snowdrift masses have frequently accumulated atop a melt-freeze crust underneath which faceted crystals have formed. In many places, graupel is embedded close to the surface and also more deeply in the packed snowdrift masses. The additional load due to the new fallen snow causes a stability loss which can lead to spontaneous releases. Snow profile analyses confirm the trigger-sensitivity of the snowpack.

The avalanche situation remains tense.