Hochschwab Mountains

Significant avalanche danger above the tree line due to fresh wind slab! Wet snow problems at lower altitudes!

Significant avalanche danger above the tree line due to fresh wind slab! Wet snow problems at lower altitudes!

The avalanche risk is considerable above the tree line and moderate below. Avalanche prone locations are snow-covered slopes, in particular in the aspects from north-east to east to south. Particular caution is required behind terrain edges and in entrances to gullies and bowls. Medium-sized, occasionally also large slab avalanches can be triggered by individuals in some places. Sporadic, spontaneous, medium to large slab avalanches are also possible. Spontaneous wet snow avalanches are to be expected at lower altitudes and gliding avalanches on steep meadow slopes.

Over the past few days, new fallen snow and strong winds from the west to northwest have led to extensive transported snow and in some cases massive snowdrift accumulations in the aspects from northeast to east to south. There are still weak layers in the transition to the persistent weak layer. The snow base, fundament is weakened by faceted crystals and floating snow. At lower elevations, the snow has become moist due to rainfall and is losing firmness. On steep meadow slopes, the snow can begin to glide snow.

Sunday evening will be temporarily free of precipitation in the north. The clouds will thicken again after midnight and rain and snowfall will set in again in the northern Alps in the early hours of the morning. The snowfall level will be around 1500 metres. The precipitation will continue until around midday on Monday, after which the weather will briefly improve. The wind will be strong to stormy from the west to north-west and the temperature at 2000 metres above sea level will be around -2 degrees.

In the first half of the night on Tuesday, the influence of disturbances from the north will increase again, with widespread rain and snowfall, some of it heavy, starting after midnight at the latest. Hotspot northern Alps west and northern Niedere Tauern, where 20 - 40 cm of new fallen snow is expected by Tuesday afternoon. The risk of avalanches is increasing.