Tuxer Alps West

Artificially triggered avalanches and stability tests confirm a sometimes precarious avalanche situation.

Artificially triggered avalanches and stability tests confirm a sometimes precarious avalanche situation.

The large quantity of fresh snow of the last few days as well as the extensive wind slabs are to be evaluated with care and prudence. Avalanches can over a wide area be released, even by a single winter sport participant and reach large size. Such avalanche prone locations are to be found in particular on wind-protected northwest, north and east facing slopes and adjacent to ridgelines, also in shady places that are protected from the wind in areas close to the tree line, as well as below the tree line. Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for extensive experience in the assessment of avalanche danger and restraint. At low and intermediate altitudes and on steep grassy slopes numerous gliding avalanches and moist snow slides are to be expected, in particular medium-sized ones. On extremely steep sunny slopes moist and wet avalanches are possible as a consequence of solar radiation.

Over a wide area 50 to 120 cm of snow, and up to 200 cm in some localities, has fallen since Monday. The wind has transported the new snow significantly. This applies in particular on wind-protected northwest, north and east facing slopes at high altitudes and in high Alpine regions. In some cases the various wind slabs have bonded poorly with each other and the old snowpack. The new snow of the last few days is lying on surface hoar in particular on wind-protected shady slopes in areas close to the tree line. The old snowpack is faceted and weak, especially on wind-protected shady slopes in the western part of the main Alpine ridge.

The snowpack remains prone to triggering on the Main Alpine Ridge and to the north. On Sunday as a consequence of the snowfall there will be only a slight increase in the avalanche danger.