Werdenfels Alps

Increasing sink-in depths indicate threatening wet-snow avalanches

Increasing sink-in depths indicate threatening wet-snow avalanches

Avalanche danger is low in the morning, then rises to moderate at high altitudes during the course of the day. Main problem: wet snow. During the daytime, mostly small wet-snow avalanches can trigger naturally. On steep grass-covered slopes which have not yet discharged and in sparsely wooded zones, small to (in isolated cases) medium-sized glide snow avalanches can glide over the smooth ground. Glide cracks are signals of imminent danger. Particularly in the eastern Bavarian mountain regions, there are shallow snowdrift accumulations at high altitudes near ridgelines on N/E facing steep slopes where a small slab can trigger. Beware taking a fall.

In the daily change between nocturnal outgoing longwave radiation and daytime warming, the snowpack in early morning has usually well settled and is consolidated. At intermediate altitudes there is a melt-freeze crust, beneath that the snowpack is thoroughly wet down to the ground. On sunny slopes the ground is becoming bare of snow. At highest altitudes in the eastern regions of Bavaria in particular, small drifts could be generated, but these are usually well bonded with the snowpack.

No significant change in avalanche danger levels is expected.