Hochschwab Mountains

Snowdrift accumulations on north-facing slopes.

Snowdrift accumulations on north-facing slopes.

Avalanche danger above the treeline is moderate. Danger zones occur mostly on NW/N/NE facing slopes, where fresh drifts have accumulated and can be triggered by minimum additional loading. Special caution is urged near ridgelines at the entry points into gullies and bowls (transition from shallow to deep snow). Drifts should not be underestimated. In the Eisener Alps, Gesäuse and Hochschwaben regions there are numerous glide-cracks. These can trigger glide-snow avalanches at intermediate altitudes in particular.

On Wednesday afternoon, southerly winds transported the snow to northwest-facing slopes. On Thursday winds will be blowing at strong velocity, new drifts will be deposited in gullies, bowls and behind abrupt discontinuties in the terrain. The drifts are deposited atop a layer with surface har. Bonding between fresh drifts and the old snowpack is insufficient. The fundament is faceted.

On Friday, not utterly sunny weather, the air current will shift to northwesterly, high-altitude cirrus clouds will move in, despited the sunshine. Dry. Light winds. At 2000 m: -7 degrees. On Saturday, warmth will be palpable in the mountains, often heavy cloud, then sunshine again. No rainfall or snowfall is expected. Winds will be risk to strong from NW directions, moderate in the rimline ranges. At 2000 m: 0 degrees.

In the Northern Alps, increasing danger zones since NW winds will fill east-facing slopes with drifts. As a result of higher temperatures on Saturday, glide-snow avalanches will become more frequent.