Hochschwab Mountains

Freshly small snowdrifts at high altitudes

Freshly small snowdrifts at high altitudes

Avalanche danger in Styria is generally low. Lower temperatures are causing the snowpack to stabilize, ending the wet-snow problem temporarily. With the approaching precipitation, a few cm of fresh snowdrifts will be deposited near ridgelines which can be triggered as small slab avalanches by large additional loading.

On Friday night, rainfall and descending temperatures (snowfall level descending to 1400m), maximum 10 cm of fresh snow is expected. With brisk westerly winds, drifts will be generated. Fresh drifts will bond well with the wet old snow. In addition, lower temperatures will stabilize the snowpack fundament. Only on shady slopes can weak layers inside the snowpack still disturb.

On Saturday, conditions will be variable, it will be noticeably cooler. In the morning, clouds and intermittent snowfall/rainfall will dominate. In the afternoon, more sunshine, only isolated showers. All in all, 10 cm of fresh snow is expected, focus in Totes Gebirge to Niedere Tauern. The NW winds will be brisk, on the northern flank of the Alps stormy. At 2000 m: 0 degrees.

On Sunday, pleasant conditions in the morning but dense clouds will soon move in, showers are possible on the northern flank of the Alps. Snowfall level will descend to 1000m by evening. Avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly.