Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Avoid fresh snowdrifts in steep terrain

Avoid fresh snowdrifts in steep terrain

Avalanche danger above the treeline is MODERATE, below that altitude danger is LOW. Fresh, thin snowdrift patches can often trigger even by minimum additional loading. Most slabs will remain small. Danger zones occur both near to and (with increasing altitude) distant from ridgelines in extended E/S aspects and in wind-loaded gullies and bowls. The drifts are generally easy to recognize and should be circumvented in very steep and extremely steep terrain. If one is unlucky, in shady terrain above 2300 m the old snowpack could fracture deeper down and unleash a large-sized slab.

On Tuesday night, about 10 cm of new snow is expected, to be transported by strong-to-stormy W/NW winds. With increasing altitude the bonding of new snow and drifts to the melt-freeze encrusted snowpack worsens. The old snowpack is relatively stable. A potential trigger-sensitive layer of facted and soft old snow is evident in the shallow-snow zones at high altitudes in the lower third of the snowpack.

On Wednesday the snowfall (snowfall level at 1300 m) will come to an end in the morning. In afternoon, visibility will be quite good, some sunshine is expected. The W/NW winds will be strong-to-stormy. As evening approaches the cloud cover will become heavier, precipitation will again set in. At 2000 m: -3 degrees, at 3000 m -9 degrees. On Thursday visibility will be poor, rainfall is expected to reach up to over 2300 m. Strong to stormy W/NW winds will continue to rage. At 2000 m: +4 degrees, at 3000 m -1 degree.

On Thursday rainfall to over 2000 m due to a warm front. Considerable wet-snow problem.