Ybbstaler Alpen

Significant avalanche danger above the tree line! Pay attention to fresh, prone to triggering wind slab!

Significant avalanche danger above the tree line! Pay attention to fresh, prone to triggering wind slab!

The avalanche risk increases rapidly with altitude and is assessed as considerable (level 3) above the tree line. With the strong to stormy winds, fresh, prone-to-triggering drift snow packs form. Adjacent to ridgelines and in gullies and bowls, small to medium-sized slab avalanches can be triggered by winter sports enthusiasts in some places. Triggering is also possible in forest aisles. In the steep terrain on the shady slopes at high altitudes, avalanches can occasionally tear through angular weak layers and reach medium size. Below 1000 m, wet snow slides are possible with rainfall.

From Thursday to Friday, 10 to 30 cm of new fallen snow fell. With strong to stormy westerly to north-westerly winds, fresh wind slabs are forming. The drift snow packs are deposited on the snowdrift accumulations of the last few days. The connection between the drift snow packs and the old snowpack is poor. At shady high altitudes, the old snowpack is unfavourably structured in places with crusts and embedded faceted crystals. With the arrival of rain, the snowpack can begin to slide at low altitudes.

The night will still be free of precipitation. On Saturday, a warm front leads to an increase in clouds and precipitation. Peaks will be covered in cloud again and visibility will be poor. At the beginning, it may snow down to low altitudes, after which the snowfall level will quickly rise to 1000 to 1400 metres. Most precipitation will fall in the Ybbstal Alps. Above 1000 m there will be 10 to 20 cm of new fallen snow. The westerly to north-westerly winds will be strong to gale force. In exposed locations, wind speeds of 60 to 90 km/h are possible. The temperature will rise with the warm front: At 1000 m from -4 to +2 degrees and at 1500 m from -8 to -2 degrees. At 2000 metres, temperatures will be around -5 degrees.

There will be more precipitation on Sunday, with the snowfall level rising during the day changes. The risk of avalanches will increase due to the rain penetrating the snowpack, in particular at altitudes below 1500 metres.