Chiemgau Alps East

Breaking cornices possible due to rainfall

Breaking cornices possible due to rainfall

Avalanche danger in the Bavarian Alps is moderate. At high altitudes the fresh snowdrift accumulations are the main problem. One sole skier can trigger a slab avalanche in steep ridgelin terrain in N/E/S aspects and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. Apart from that, during the course of the day the danger of moist and wet loose-snow and glide-snow avalanches will increase. In the afternoon, naturally triggering wet-snow avalanches can be expected up to nearly 2000 m. On shady slopes where snowfall has been heaviest, these can reach medium size.

Additional precipitation has occurred in the Bavarian Alps, focus in the western regions. The snowfall level is at about 1700 m. At high altitudes, fresh snowdrift accumulations are being generated, not yet bonded with the wind-compacted snowpack surface and thus, still prone to triggering. At intermediate altitudes the snowpack is receding. As a result of mild temperatures and rain seepage, the snowpack is becoming thoroughly wet. In addition, the snow is becoming wet from the warm earth, it could begin to glide as a single mass. Below 1400m the slopes are largely bare.

The next few days will bring us stormy weather with precipitation. Avalanche danger may increase as the weekend approaches.