Rax - Schneeberggebiet

Slab avalanches can be triggered very easily in gullies!

Slab avalanches can be triggered very easily in gullies!

Above 1400 metres there is a considerable avalanche risk (level 3). The stormy winds have created prone-to-triggering snowdrift accumulations in almost all aspects, which can be triggered by individual winter sports enthusiasts in some places as medium-sized, occasionally also as large slab avalanches. prone-to-triggering. The avalanche prone locations are adjacent to ridgelines and far from ridgelines. They are mainly located in steep gullies and behind terrain edges. Take particular care in the transition from a little to a lot of snow. Avalanche prone locations can be covered by fresh pillows of wind drifted snow. Defensive behaviour is recommended for winter sports in open terrain.

From Wednesday evening to Saturday morning, 30 to 50 cm of new fallen snow above around 1400 m fell under the influence of strong winds. The snow was transported into gullies and bowls by the stormy north to north-westerly winds. As a result, snowdrift accumulations have formed, some of which are not to be underestimated. There are weak layers within the drift snow packs and in the transition to the old snowpack. Fresh snowdrift accumulations are deposited above the tree line on top of the already prone to triggering snow packs.

A disturbance zone will approach from the west during the night. Clouds will therefore increase again, but it will remain mostly free of precipitation. On Sunday, the mountains will be shrouded in thick clouds all day and it will snow at times. Clear spells will remain the exception. Only a few centimetres of new fallen snow will fall in the Rax-Schneeberg area. The snowfall level is between 600 and 800 metres. The wind will again be gale-force from west to north at higher altitudes with peak wind speeds of between 70 and 100 km/h.

The risk of avalanches remains considerable at higher altitudes. With a northerly high-altitude current, dense clouds will accumulate along the northern side of the Alps for almost the entire Holy Week, with frequent snowfall. The north to north-westerly wind will also remain brisk to stormy, leading to the formation of new snow packs.