Lechquellen Mountains

Caution urged on steep, shady high-altitude slopes

Caution urged on steep, shady high-altitude slopes

Slab avalanches can be triggered in the old snow. Caution is urged on very steep, shady high altitude slopes. Small-sized snowdrift accumulations can be triggered with increasing frequency at ascending altitudes. Small-to-medium sized slab avalanches can be triggerred by winter sports enthusiasts, particularly in ridgeline terrain, wind-loaded gullies and on steep, shady slopes. Especially on steep grass-covered slopes, small-to-medium sized glide-snow avalanches are possible. Be careful beneath glide cracks.

The fresh fallen snow and small-sized snowdrift accumulations from the last few days are settling increasingly and firming up. At heightened altitudes they were often deposited on top of faceted layers of old snow from late autumn. The bonding is frequently poor. Avalanche triggerings unleashed by winter sports enthusiasts and also small-sized natural triggerings are signs of this poor bonding. Particularly on steep grass-covered slopes, increasingly frequent glide cracks and heightened gliding snow have been observed. As temperatures continue to rise, this process will accelerate.

During the morning hours, the mountains will often be shrouded in fog, intermittent light snowfall is anticipated, falling as rain below about 1400m. In the afternoon, weather perturbances will withdraw, visibility will improve. Temperature at 2000m: 0 degrees. Winds at high altitude: blowing moderate-strength from NW to W.

The persistent weak layer remains prone to triggering on high-altitude, steep shady slopes. Elsewhere, danger of dry-snow avalanches continues to recede. As a result of rising temperatures, gliding snow activity will increase somewhat.