Highly trigger-sensitive snowpack. Danger conditions for winter sports enthusiasts, with high risk of accidents. For that reason, please: exercise high restraint in the next few days!!!
The swift rise in avalanche danger referred to in the last blog has now occurred. Reports from our observers and from winter sports enthusiasts confirm the very high trigger-sensitivity of the snowpack in wind-impacted regions and in general in regions where snowfall has been heavy. Fracture cracks, settling noises and the first naturally triggered slab avalanches are part of the daily agenda. As of the second bout of precipitation since the evening hours (on 13 January) snowfall amounting to 30-50 cm of fresh snow has been registered, less in the eastern regions and in southern East Tirol, plus storm-strength winds in the mountains, which will increase the frequency of naturally triggered releases.
For that reason, avalanche danger has been ranked at HIGH in many regions. This is a so-called skiers’ high, meaning that there are many avalanche prone locations with a high likelihood of triggering. Very large avalanches with risk of damages are not expected in the present forecast. But area-wide avalanches with deep fracture zones and large runout zones are to be expected.
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| Danger level map for 14.01.2021 |
Avalanche prone locations are found at very least above the timberline, but also in sparsely wooded zones wherever there is an area-wide snowpack. Only there, where there was snow before the current snowfall, conditions are better. For that reason, there is only Danger Level 2 at lower altitudes. But we must point out in this connection that danger level borders are flowing, not clear-cut, therefore, please be careful in the eastern regions of North Tirol.
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| Fresh slab avalanche in Ötztal Alps (photo: 13.01.2021) |
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| Fresh slab in sparsely wooded zone. Ausserfern (photo: (c) Stefan Zangerl) |
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| A view beneath the fresh snow masses. Near the upper glove: weak layer of loose, faceted crystals; beneath that, a thin melt-freeze crust from 21-22 December, beneath that, a loosely-packed weak layer of faceted snow crystals. Stability tests snow that the snowpack is currently unbelievably trigger-sensitive. Initial fractures progagate very easily inside the test-block. Muttekopf region (photo: 13.01.2021) |
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| Sum of fresh snow, first round, on 12-13 January |
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| Snowfall and storm winds in the mountains, an unfavourable combination when the snowpack is weak. Ulmerhütte, Arlberg region |
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| Massive snow transport. Thereby: numerous snowdrift accumulations generated, also here in the Kühtai, 13.01.2021 (photo: (c) Nicolas Metz) |
The most perilous days of the winter so far!
Since we now face the most dangerous days of the winter so far, for all winter sports enthusiasts we would like to issue the following message: the current situation demands extreme restraint and highly precise knowledge of local terrain in backcountry areas.
