An abrupt end to a highly favourable avalanche situation
Right at the start an important message for all winter sports enthusiasts: as a result of the forecast snowfall between today, 12 January and Thursday, 14 January, including wind impact, avalanche danger levels will increase very swiftly. This is especially because of the effects the long period of cold had on the snowpack. Uppermost layers are expansively metamorphosed (faceted) over widespread areas and frequently consist of surface hoar, faceted and/or loosely-packed decomposed snow crystals. In addition, there is often a near-to-surface sequence of thin crusts and soft layers. In the northern regions there are also weak layers evident at ground level. All in all, we are burdened by a number of extremely weak layers which will get fresh snow and freshly generated snowdrifts on top of them.
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| Surface hoar on Hochzeiger (photo: 07.01.2021) |
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| Surface hoar has been reported throughout Tirol |
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| Backcountry tour in East Tirol: loosely-packed snowpack surface (photo: 07.01.2021) |
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| Visible in the snow profile are several potential weak layyers: a slab in the form of fresh snow and drifts is the only thing lacking (Ausserfern, Jöchlspitze - profile from 10.01.2021) |
Experience has shown that snowfall plus wind impact following a long period of cold weather is always particularly dangerous. That means we can expect over the coming days numerous naturally triggered, generally medium sized, in western regions of North Tirol also large-sized, slab avalanches as well as with a high likelihood of triggering avalanches by winter sports enthusiasts.
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| 72-hr forecast of fresh snowfall |
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| Winds are intensifying... |
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| ...winds are currently transporting snow at high altitudes, generating snowdrift accumulations which are increasingly prone to triggering (station Eselrücken-Kreuzspitze in central East Tirol) |
Therefore: we advise great caution and a high degree of restraint!
The next update of the blog will be published at latest Thursday evening, 14 January 2021.
