Pongau Grass Mountains

Storm winds have done harsh work on the snowpack

Storm winds have done harsh work on the snowpack

Avalanche danger above 1400 m is CONSIDERABLE, below that altitude danger is MODERATE. A slab can be triggered even by the weight of one person. Experience is essential in outlying terrain. Avoid steep and extremely steep terrain, in due consideration of the terrain further up. Most danger zones (near to and distant from ridgelines) occur on east-facing slopes, then on N/S facing slopes. Gullies and bowls in all aspects are filled to the brim with drifts. Most critical: transitions from shallow to deep snow. Avalanches mostly small-to-medium, but in isolated cases also large-sized. Naturally triggered avalanches can trigger in rocky terrain which have not yet discharged (in isolated cases large-sized ones). These can be loose-snow OR slab avalanches.

The snowpack shows pronounced impact from W/N winds of recent days, is highly irregular. Plateaus, crests, ridges and west-facing slopes are often completely windblown, the snow can be found in gullies and bowls. On Friday night there was rainfall up to 1400 m in places. The thin old snowpack is compact.

On Sunday, good visibility, sunshine in the morning. In the afternoon, cloudbanks will move in. The NW winds will be palpable at summit level, elsewhere winds will be light. At 2000 m, -10 degrees.

Avalanche danger will slowly recede.