Nock Mountains

Snowpack becoming massively wet

Snowpack becoming massively wet

Avalanche danger is MODERATE. Naturally triggered wet-snow and glide-snow avalanches are expected, mostly medium sized, also larger, these can plummet down to ground where there is no snow on the ground. Such activity will increase as the day progresses.

In the last 4 days the overall snow depths at 1800-2000 m have receded by 40 cm. Due to this far-reaching melting process, the magnitude of anticipated avalanches is decreasing gradually. Hardly any melt-freeze crusts form at night. On north-facing slopes there is still some potential for large glide-snow avalanches. On sunny slopes there is little snow on the ground. Due to the loss of firmness, avalanches can sweep along massive amounts of snow in their plummet paths and reach zones below 1700 m where there is hardly any snow.

Nighttime skies will be variably cloudy, clouds from the west will move in later in the night. On Tuesday, dry and foehn-generated sunny weather, compact clouds above summit level, somewhat diffuse light, made hazier by dust from the Sahara. The winds will be brisk, stronger in the Tauern, from the south. In evening, heavy cloud will move in from the NW, temperatures will drop noticeably, brisk W/NW winds will intensify, reaching 60-80 km/hr, visibility will deteriorate. In Tauern and Lungau sunny for longer. Precipiation will follow on Tuesday night. At 2000 m before the cold front arrives: 10-12 degrees; at 3000 m. 3-5 degrees.

On Wednesday, somewhat cooler, some fresh snowfall is expected. The gliding snow activity will not decrease.