2021-02-12T17:00:00+00:00 avalanche-warnings.eu 2021-02-12T23:00:00+00:00 2021-02-13T23:00:00+00:00 1 old snow hardly any danger zones, in extremely steep terrain Few avalanche prone locations. Caution with small snowdrifts. Avalanche danger is predominantly LOW, but not non-existent. A few centimetres of cold, loose powder was deposited atop a compact old snowpack. Thin, small snowdrift patches are a risk to being swept along / taking a fall in extremely steep terrain. The concealed old-snow problem is unlikely to cause triggerings currently (only in very few spots in extremely steep terrain, steep 40° gradients). The 5-10 cm of fresh snow from day before yesterday is loose and very cold. Snowdrift patches in outlying terrain are shallow. The old snowpack beneath them is compact. Potential weak layers in the old snow are generally well blanketed over, unlikely to trigger. On Saturday, cloudless skies. Very good visibility. At high altitudes, NE winds at 20-30 km/hr. Temperature at 1500 m, -13 degrees; at 2000 m, -17 degrees. Little change. Clear nocturnal skies. Sunshine and very cold snowpack surfaces. 2021-02-12T17:00:00+00:00 avalanche-warnings.eu 2021-02-12T23:00:00+00:00 2021-02-13T23:00:00+00:00 2 1 old snow avoid shallow-snow northern aspects, above 2000 m, few spots drifting snow near ridgelines, mostly thin and small Weak mixture of snowdrift problem + old-snow problem Avalanche danger above 2000 m is MODERATE due to freshly generated snowdrift accumulations and a concealed old-snow problem; below that altitude, danger is LOW. The fresh snowdrifts are often triggerable in very steep terrain. Avalanche prone locations are found on E/W facing slopes, in gullies. These are small danger zones, the drifts are not deep, can easily be circumvented (main risk is falling or being swept along). The concealed old-snow problem can cause triggerings in few spots in extremely steep terrain (over 40° gradients by large additional loading where snow is shallow in NW-NE-E aspects). The most recent snowfall (10-15 cm, loose, very cold) was transported by winds above 1800-2000 m. Small, mostly thin snowdrifts formed. The snow base beneath is compact in wind-exposed zones, melt-freeze encrusted on sunny slopes, old powder on north-facing slopes. More deeply embedded potential weak layers inside the old snow are generally well blanketed over, most likely to trigger on north and east-facing slopes above 2000 m. On Saturday, cloudless skies. Very good visibility. Above 1800 m the NE winds will reach 30 km/hr. Temperature at 2000 m, -17 degrees; at 3000 m, -22 degrees. Little change. Clear nighttime skies. Sunshine and very cold snowpack surfaces. 2021-02-12T17:00:00+00:00 avalanche-warnings.eu 2021-02-12T23:00:00+00:00 2021-02-13T23:00:00+00:00 3 2 drifting snow near to and distant from ridgelines, gullies, behind protruberances old snow caution on steep shallow-snow slopes, few danger zones Recent snowdrifts triggerable in very steep terrain Above 2000 m the danger of slab avalanches is CONSIDERABLE. Main danger: recently generated snowdrift accumulations. The most recent snowdrifts can be triggered even by the weight of one single skier on very steep leeward slopes and in gullies. Avalanche prone locations occur both near to and distant from ridgelines, also at forest edges. Pay attention to signs of wind! Wind-loaded zones are easily recognized, frequently lie adjacent to hardened windblown spots. This applies to all aspects. The snowdrift patches are medium or large-sized. Triggered avalanches can, if worse comes to worst, fracture down to deeper layers in the snowpack and thus grow to larger size. Due to the old-snow problem, very steep to extremely steep slopes are more treacherous, especially where the snow is shallow and in transitions to windblown zones. The two rounds of snowfall this week (Tues. from the south, Wed. from the north) were transported widespread in varying directions by strong winds . Also on Saturday, NE winds can generate fresh snowdrifts. Bowls and wind-protected leeward slopes will be filled with drifts or cold powder, otherwise many surfaces will have firm wind crusts. Persistent weak layer lurk in the old snow, 95% well blanketed over. On Saturday, cloudless skies. Very good visibility. Above the treeline, a very cold NE wind will be blowing, reaching 40 km/hr in exposed zones. Temperature at 2000 m, -17 degrees; at 3000 m, -22 degrees. No significant change to begin with. The most recent snowdrifts continue to be the main problem, Restraint and knowledge of the terrain are more important here than in the other regions.