New snow, wind slabs and old snow require caution. The conditions are very precarious for backcountry touring and other off-piste activities.
Slab avalanches and loose snow slides are the main danger. Outside marked and open pistes a dangerous avalanche situation will prevail.
The fresh snow as well as the widespread wind slabs are lying on soft layers above the tree line. In particular on wind-loaded slopes avalanches can be released easily and reach large size in isolated cases. Remotely triggered avalanches are possible. The avalanche prone locations are widespread and are barely recognisable, even to the trained eye. The number and size of avalanche prone locations will increase with altitude. Whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack and natural avalanches serve as an alarm indicating the danger. Caution and restraint are required.
Snowpack
dp.6: cold, loose snow and wind dp.1: deep persistent weak layer
The new snow and wind slabs are lying on top of a weakly bonded old snowpack. Distinct weak layers exist in the old snowpack. This applies especially on west, north and east facing slopes.
