2013-06-04T15:11:00+02:00 Rudi Mair 2013-06-04+02:00 https://lawine.tirol.gv.at/data/fotos/nassschneelawine_1.jpg Due to the unusual snow depths, the danger of wet snow avalanches is expected to persist. Avalanche danger in summertime! The temperatures are expected to rise over the next few days and it will be predominantly sunny and warm. Local thunderstorms cannot be ruled out. On the weekend, foehn conditions are anticipated, amidst sunny and warm weather. The extremely heavy precipitation at the end of May and beginning of June has resulted in huge amounts of fresh fallen snow. Snowfall was heaviest in the Northern Alps (50 cm), particularly in the eastern sector (Waidring, Hochfilzen, Fieberbrunn) together with rainfall of over 200 mm. In inneralpine regions there was 30 to 50 cm of new fallen snow, towards the Main Alpine Ridge 15 to 30 cm. In East Tirol the amounts of new fallen snow were far less (except on the Tauern Ridge). Due to the juncture of the season, the fresh fallen snow is thoroughly wet, it has already begun to melt. Local danger of slab avalanches at high altitudes, increasing wet avalanches at low altitudes The intensive precipitation of recent days, with a re-launch of winter in high alpine regions, has brought about a critical avalanche situation in Tirol. Above approximately 2500 m, new fallen and drifted snow masses are poorly bonded with the old snowpack. In those spots on steep, ridgeline areas in particular, avalanches can be triggered even by a single mountaineer. In addition, the danger of wet snow avalanches demands immense caution in the coming few days. The above average snow depths (lots of old snow plus the lastest round of snowfall), together with rising temperatures, solar radiation and foehn wind, are leading to a rapid loss of firmness of the snowpack. Thus, increasingly frequent naturally triggered avalanches can be expected during the coming few days which can place exposed sections of transportation routes and hiking trails at risk.