Details about recent avalanches

 In a nutshell...

Yesterday (28.03) several winter sports enthusiasts were awfully lucky. Shady slopes above about 2300m are currently the most dangerous. In those regions with lots of fresh snow, please exercise immense restraint.


Background of the avalanches

We report on two avalanches: one on Gampberg in the western Verwall Massif, one on Nörderberg in the Glockturm Massif. These were slab avalanches.


Avalanche Gampberg

The slab avalanche triggered on a north-facing slope at 1950m. What was essential for this release was the previous thoroughly wet state of the snowpack, reinforced by rainfall on 24.-25.03. According to reports on-site, it rained quite intensively up to the fracture zone of the avalanche in the early period of precipitation, so the snowpack was utterly wet on 24.03. Thereafter, temperatures descended. Snowfall set in. All in all, 40 cm of fresh snow was registered. We assume that on top of the wet old snowpack a melt-freeze crust had formed. On top of that, wind-impacted fresh snow was deposited. The “slab” consisted of fresh fallen snow and that thin crust. The weak layer was the thoroughly wet old snowpack. The avalanche was remotely triggered by winter sports enthusiasts just above the fracture, in the estimate of latest knowledge. No one was injured.  

Avalanche Gampberg on 28.03.2023

Avalanche Nörderberg

Winter sports enthusiasts were ascending on foot towards Nörderberg in Kaunertal. At an altitude of about 2400m one winter sports enthusiast skied into a very steep NE-facing slope, where a slab avalanche was triggered. Fresh fallen snow was the primary problem. Subsequently the snowpack fractured down to more deeply embedded layers and swept away the entire thoroughly wet snowpack down to the ground. The winter sports enthusiast was swept along by the slab avalanche and was able to activate his airbag. He came to a stop on a step in the terrain atop the surface, uninjured.

Avalanche Nörderberg. Arrow points to entry track. Circle in the upper flat space: landing point after avalanche triggered. (photo: 28.03.2023)

Entry track, avalanche Nörderberg. Initially, a snowdrift accumulation triggered. (photo: 28.03.2023)

Similar observations reached us from the vicinity of Lech. On shady slopes around 2000m, several slab avalanches triggered. We assume the same conditions prevailed that applied to the Gampberg avalanche. 

Avalanches near Lech (photo: 28.03.2023)