Nock Mountains

Fresh drifts generated by northerly foehn winds

Fresh drifts generated by northerly foehn winds

Danger of avalanches is MODERATE above 1800 m, LOW below that altitude. Avalanche prone locations focus on gullies in all aspects, especially E/S/W aspects. The drifts are still thin, not area-wide, but are prone to triggering. Triggering a small-to-medium sized slab avalanche there is possible even by minimum additional loading in some places.

Increasingly strong northerly foehn wind starting on Friday, new in high alpine regions. Potential fracture point: faceted crystals below the thin melt-freeze cdrust which formed through the higher temperatures and minor rainfall up to high alpine regions at the beginning of the week. Proneness to triggering of older snowdrift masses from last week in all aspects has diminished. Ground-level soft layers of faceted-crystal riddled layers are weakening the fundament on shady slopes above 2300 m.

On Friday, increasingly stormy northerly foehn wind (50-70 km/hr) amid mostly sunny weather and good visibility. Temperature at 2000 m: -2 degrees. Also on Saturday, sunny and icy-cold northerly foehn wind. Temperatures will barely change.

On Saturday, avalanche prone locations due to trigger-sensitive snowdrifts (generated by northerly foehn wind) in expanded southern aspects and in gullies. Depending on the magnitude of the drifts, possible rise in avalanche danger to CONSIDERABLE at high altitudes.