Easter present:
It’s hard to believe, but it really couldn’t be much better: a predominantly stable snowpack. High-pressure weather system. Mostly clear nocturnal skies with adequate outgoing radiation. Rather dry air masses. All of the ingredients for really good springtime conditions, provided one leaves early in the morning and finishes the tour relatively early. At high altitudes there are still some time reserves.
Avalanche danger, quite in accordance with this juncture of the season, is subject to a daily danger cycle. Supported by current weather forecasts of ZAMG weather headquarters, the Easter holidays can expect pretty good conditions, like the ones which currently reign: low danger in early hours and into the morning. Moderate danger in the afternoon. The main problem stems from wet loose-snow avalanches which are generally triggerable by external impulses. Apart from that, isolated glide-snow avalanches and slides are also being reported.
Far better than words to describe the current situation are pictures:
Snow quality:
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| The snowpack, following nights of clear skies, is generally frozen with a crust capable of bearing loads. Zillertal Alps. (photo: 18.04.2019) |
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| Breakable melt-freeze crusts are becoming rare. They are most likely on shady slopes at high altitudes in regions where recent snowfall has been heaviest. Zillertal Alps. (photo: 18.04.2019) |
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| Powder in high alpine, shady terrain. Central Stubai Alps. (photo: 16.04.2019) |
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| If the descent is launched early enough, corn snow is a dream-come-true reward. (photo: 18.04.2019) |
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| In many places at high altitudes near ridgelines in shady terrain: surface hoar (Nigg Effect). Currently this does not present a problem. We continue to follow this development (deterioration from radiation or blanketing by fresh snow or snowdrifts). Zillertal Alps, 3090 m, north. (photo: 18.04.2019) |
Potential dangers:
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| Wet loose-snow avalanches are the major danger. Central Stubai Alps. (photo: 16.04.2019) |
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| Moist air masses, particularly in the central sector of North Tirol, amplified releases of naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches on 17 April. Northern Stubai Alps. (photo: 17.04.2019) |
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| In the meantime, the air has become significantly drier (18 April 2019) and the likelihood of naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches correspondingly reduced. The loose-snow avalanche in the photo was triggered by a falling stone on 18 April. |
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| Everywhere, where the snow is shallow and the snowpack is thoroughly wet, the melt-freeze crust (if sufficiently wet) can fracture under the impulse of skiers or freeriders and release a slide. 2200 m, west, midday. (photo: 18.04.2019) |
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| The last blogs reported an old-snow problem which has in the meantime been transferred to high alpine regions. Slab avalanches which reach medium size are now triggerable only in extremely steep, shady terrain by large additional loading, and in highly isolated cases. All observations and stability tests demonstrate a generally adequate level of consolidation. Northern Stubai Alps. (photo: 16.04.2019) |
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| Elsewhere, please pay all due heed: cornices and slipping and falling on a hardened snowpack surface. Nauders mountains. (photo: 28.03.2019) |
Nothing new this winter: glide-snow slides and, in isolated cases, glide-snow avalanches on steep, grass-covered slopes. Many of these have already released over the course of this winter.
Equally worthy of mention: some glaciers were completely windblown during the winter as a result of the frequent NW weather systems. In some places, the deep wintery picture presents the illusion of well covered crevices.
Cannot be stopped, cannot be slowed: the spring...
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| Wisdom handed down by our ancestors: as soon as the falconer appears in the Northern Massif, the spring is well on its way. (photo: 18.04.2019) |
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| Just an instant ago covered with snow, yet they already begin to bloom. (photo: 18.04.2019) |
We wish all our readers a happy and accident-free Easter!
