Pongau Grass Mountains

Fresh and older wind slabs are easy to release

Further precipitation with a rising snowfall level and persistent wind influence on Sunday night. The situation remains precarious!

Fresh and older wind slabs are easy to release

The avalanche risk is considerable above the tree line and moderate below. In some places, slab avalanches can be triggered very easily by individuals and can reach medium size. Danger areas are located at the transition from little to more snow and generally next to blown-off areas as well as in the entrance areas to gullies and bowls filled with wind slabs. Also take care in areas bordering forests and in forest aisles and watch out for terrain traps. The avalanche prone locations are not always easy to recognise. Small, wet loose snow avalanches and gliding avalanches are possible at low and medium altitudes.

Abundant new fallen snow (30 to 90 cm has fallen in several portions since last weekend) has been and is being extensively transported and is prone to triggering. Breaks are possible mainly between the last layers of drifting snow, sometimes (especially on shady slopes protected from the wind) also on snow-covered surface hoar. At high altitudes, especially in northern and eastern aspects, bonded snow overlays a weak old snowpack of faceted crystals and deep frost.

In the night to Saturday, precipitation will set in again after midnight, becoming heavier on Saturday morning. It may rain at times up to around 1400 metres. At high altitudes, 5 to 15 cm of snow will fall. The wind will pick up during the day, shifting to the west and reaching 40 to 60 km/h in exposed areas. At 1500 m -1 degrees, at 2000 m around -4 degrees.