Avalanche.geLoading…
It is getting warmer and now afternoon heat and solar radiation is loosening the snow surface - wet avalanches are becoming likely on lower elevation. Some glide cracks are already reported at lower elevations.
Keep an eye on signs of intense warming throughout the day as direct sunlight combined with greenhouse effect caused by cloud cover can critically warm up the snowpack even in the alpine.
At the same time wind slabs that were built by strong winds on the night of January 23-24 are still there at the higher elevations.
As deep persistent weak layer still lurks at the bottom of the snowpack, both of these can trigger a large and destructive step-down avalanche if triggered above such areas.
OLD Full-depth natural avalanche was spotted on the peak to the east of Sadzele (Constitution/Dragon peak, backside) - NE slope, start zone at 3100 m.
Date unknown - possibly caused by overnight winds 20/21 Jan. Size 3 natural slide in Milioni valley NW slope at around 2650 m. Looks like it failed on a deeper layer.
OLD Size 3 natural deep slab avalanche on Sadzele main peak N face - 40 degree start zone at 3250. 400 m long. Date unknown.
Size 2 natural slide on Chrdili W face at around 2100 m.
Size 3 natural slab avalanche was spotted on SW slope of so called Kudebi 2 peak to the east of Kudebi peak (2600-2700 m). Caused by wind but probably failed on a deeper layer.
OLD Size 3 natural slab avalanche on NE wall of the couloir on the far rider's left side of lower Kobi area.
The most recent storm on Jan 19th and 20th brought 50cm+ new snow. The snowpack is around 150cms in many areas and arund 120 cm on S slopes at 2000m.
Areas of high-denstity wind-packed snow can be found in the snow pack, as well as a lower-density layer that formed at the surface after the first big storm in January. Thin early-season (November, December) snow has formed a sugary, weak base at ground, around 15 - 30cm thick. This layer is unpredictable since the early snow cover was inconsistent - but it's more likely to cause problems in the high alpine zone on W, N and E slopes. Shooting cracks, whumpfing and rider-triggered avalanches have been reported due to this layer. Recent snowpit tests uncovered this layer at higher elevations. Glide cracks were reported in the sub alpine (Lomisi area).
Temps are slowly rising and will reach -2 Celcius during daytime at the resort level on 28th of January. Freezing level will remain at 1500 m. on 26th and 27th of January and climb up to 2100 m. on January 28th.
Clear with some clouds on January 27th.
Light W/SW winds.
Glide cracks were spotted on lower elevations - watch out and don't fall into one!