Hochschwab Mountains

Due to surging temperatures, danger of wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches at the forefront

Due to surging temperatures, danger of wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches at the forefront

Avalanche danger is MODERATE widespread. Due to intensive warmth and solar radiation, the fresh snow layer can naturally slide as a wet-snow avalanche in steep terrain. On steep slopes which have a smooth ground, in addition, glide-snow avalanches can release. Above 2000 m, fresh snowdrift accumulations have been generated, mostly small-area distribution. On shady slopes at these altitudes, the persistent weak layer is a threat, most recently in the form of blanketed surface hoar. Exposed terrain is icy and hard, risk of falling.

High temperatures and rainfall on Thursday helped the snowpack to settle. The moist fresh snow fell only at high altitudes, was not capable of being transported. Only on Thursday night will the combination of lower temperatures plus snowfall plus stormy winds generate fresh snowdrifts whose bonding initially will be good with the moist snowpack. On Friday, the high temperatures will be at the forefront. On sunny slopes this will lead to a radical loss of firmness of the snowpack.

After the cold front passes through the precipitation will decrease overnight apart from the northern barrier cloud regions, only between Dachstein and Hochschwab above 1000 m will it still snow until morning. On Friday the air current will shift to westerly, the gale-strength winds in the mountains will weaken. In the morning on the northern flank of the Alps, heavy cloud will still dominate, but disperse starting at midday. In between there will be sunny phases. The southern massifs will remain favored, lots of sunshine is expected. It will become quite mild during the day. Temperatures will rise to +6 degrees at 2000 m by afternoon, to +7 degrees at 1500m. Accompanied by strong-to-storm strength winds, another front will reach us on Saturday. On the northern flank of the Alps above 800m, more snowfall. Temperatures will drop significantly.

The shift from higher to lower temperatures will lead to a strenthening of the snowpack, but on the northern flank of the Alps can also generate new snowdrifts.