Hochschwab Mountains

Fresh snow plus snowdrifts. Storm. Poor visibility. Extremely negative backcountry conditions.

Fresh snow plus snowdrifts. Storm. Poor visibility. Extremely negative backcountry conditions.

Avalanche danger above the treeline is considerable. Stormy winds are whipping all aspects. Also in forest lanes and clearances the drifts are being deposited. Naturally triggered avalanches can be expected in steep rough and rocky terrain. The likelihood of natural slab avalanches triggering during the daytime will increase. Ski tourers can trigger an avalanche even by minimum additional loading.

Gale-strength winds will whip up large snowdrift accumulations. Potential gliding layers: graupel, soft snow inside the snowdrifts. In the old snow are weak faceted crystals beneath a melt-freeze crust. Triggering can fracture down to deeper down layers in the snowpack.

In the evening and during the night, snowfall will intensify further in Upper Styria. In the northern barrier cloud regions from Ausseerland to Mariazell, intensive snowfall, up to 60 cm of fresh snow is possible in 24 hours. In the Niedere Tauern, somewhat less. North of the Main Tauern Ridge, heavy snowfall on Tuesday, plus stormy winds and low temperatures. In the afternoon, the snowfall will ease temporarily. At 2000 m: -10 degrees. The NW winds will reach 50-110 km/hr, the strongest gusts can be expected in the afternoon along the Main Alpine Ridge.

On Wednesday, the intensive snowfall will continue in the Northern Alps as far as the Main Tauern Ridge. Avalanche danger will continue to increase.