WIND-DRIFTED SNOW

Wind-drifted snow can lead to small to medium-sized dry slab avalanches that are triggered spontaneously or artificially (e.g. by winter athletes). The dangerous areas are usually small, irregularly distributed and tend to be found in lee areas (gullies and bowls behind terrain breaks). The weak layer is usually at the transition to the old snow surface or within wind-drifted snow. The problem starts during the snow transport and can go on for up to several days after the last winds.