Several avalanches involving persons - no injuries - restraint still imperative

 Avalanche reports from Tirol headquarters

Since yesterday, 29 December, headquarters has received information about 8 avalanches involving persons:

29.12.2020: Juifenalm (northern Stubai Alps); Rosskopf (eastern Tux Alps); Angerbergkopf (northern Stubai Alps)

30.12.2020: Kleiner Leppleskofel (east. Defereggen mountains); Grosser Leppleskofel (east. Defereggen mountains); Rogötzllenke (east. Defereggen mountains); Muttenjoch (central Stubai Alps); Schönbergspitze (east. Defereggen mountains)

All these avalanches unleashed without injuries. According to latest information they were medium-sized slab avalanches, focal point in the Defereggen mountains

Violet dots: large area of avalanches in Defereggen mountains on 30 December

Continuing: serious avalanche situation, particularly in southern regions 

We have reduced the danger level for tomorrow (New Year’s Eve) from high to considerable, but in the southern regions we anticipate a delicate situation for skiers. Particularly where surface hoar is blanketed by snowdrifts, the drifted masses can be easily triggered by minimum additional loading. Today we received reports of settling noises, fracture cracks and remote triggerings, whereas naturally triggered avalanches were not observed. Quite fitting for these observations are two photos of an exemplary route selection and behavior adapted to the present situation.

Tour in flat to moderately-steep terrain near Golzentipp (Carnic Ridge) - (photo: 30.12.2020)

Arrow: a backcountry skier ends his tour at this point, before it gets steeper. Hoher Bösring - Carnic Ridge (photo: 30.12.2020)

Further north, caution urged towards fresh drifts, also towards trigger-sensitive old snow

On Monday night (28-29 December) there was far less in the northern regions, the amounts of snowfall gradually decreasing towards the north. Snowdrift accumulations are thus shallower than in the south. Nevertheless, the snowpack, at least above the timberline, is impacted by winds also there.

Wind sculpture generated by intensive wind force. Ötztal Alps (photo: 29.12.2020)

Hard slabs

Caution: precisely during storm-velocity cold phases, so-called hard slabs can be triggered increasingly frequently in steep terrain. The snowpack surface can sometimes be hard as steel. This has to do with the heightened brittleness of the slabs due to the low temperature. And of course a marked weak layer is an important element of such a hard slab. That can be found in transitions from shallow to deep snow and where the snow is shallow.

 

Snow lumps point to hardened slabs, Nauders mountains (photo: Hans Hofer, passed on by Florian Maas)

Outlook: first step into the new year

The ZAMG Weather Service has released new information for precipitation in the southern regions. For the first 3 days of the new year, about 30-50 cm of fresh snow can be expected in East Tirol, focal point will again be in the furthermost southern regions.

Thus, delicate avalanche conditions can again be expected for backcountry tourers. Winter sports enthusiasts need extremely good avalanche knowledge and restraint when they are in outlying terrain.

We wish one and all Happy New Year and many safe adventures in the wintery mountains. 

Yours, the Avalanche Service team of Tirol