News · EAWS danger levels 5 / 5
Danger level 5 — Very high
Very high (5)
Published 27.08.2026
Level 5 is exceptional. The snowpack is poorly bonded and largely unstable in general, and very large natural avalanches can run even in moderately steep terrain. Most winters, many regions never reach this rating.
Snowpack stability
The snowpack is poorly bonded and largely unstable in general.
Likelihood of triggering
Numerous very large and often extremely large natural avalanches can be expected, even in moderately steep terrain.
What this means in practice
Numerous very large and often extremely large natural avalanches can be expected, even in moderately steep terrain.
Season & fatalities (EAWS)
- Very rarely forecast.
These figures come from the European Avalanche Warning Services (EAWS). Low and moderate days cover most of the season — yet considerable (level 3) accounts for about half of fatalities. High (level 4) is rare but still claims around 10% of victims.
Official source
Snowpack stability and likelihood of triggering on this page follow the official EAWS danger scale text.
EAWS avalanche danger scale →