Backcountry touring and other off-piste activities call for great restraint.
The new snow and wind slabs represent the main danger. Outside marked and open pistes a very precarious avalanche situation will be encountered over a wide area.
Over a wide area over a wide area 25 to 40 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, fell on Thursday. The new snow and wind slabs are lying on top of a weakly bonded old snowpack in particular on steep shady slopes above the tree line. The sometimes strong wind has transported the new snow. Above the tree line further wind slabs will form, especially at intermediate and high altitudes, as well as in gullies and bowls, and behind abrupt changes in the terrain at elevated altitudes. On very steep slopes natural avalanches must be expected. Mostly the avalanches are medium-sized and can be released easily by a single winter sport participant. In some places the avalanches can penetrate down to the ground and reach large size. Remotely triggered avalanches are possible. Whumpfing sounds and the formation of shooting cracks when stepping on the snowpack serve as an alarm indicating the danger. The avalanche prone locations are prevalent and are barely recognisable, even to the trained eye. Backcountry touring calls for meticulous route selection.
Snowpack
dp.6: cold, loose snow and wind dp.1: deep persistent weak layer
Over a wide area over a wide area 25 to 40 cm of snow, and even more in some localities, has fallen. In all aspects wind slabs formed. The new snow and wind slabs are lying on top of a weakly bonded old snowpack. Distinct weak layers exist in the bottom section of the old snowpack. This applies in particular on west, north and east facing slopes above the tree line. The snowpack remains unstable over a wide area.
Tendency
The snowpack remains unstable over a wide area. The snow sport conditions outside marked and open pistes are precarious. The avalanche danger will persist.
