Pongau Grass Mountains

Wind slabs are easy to trigger, naturally triggered avalanches are also possible

Wind slabs are easy to trigger, naturally triggered avalanches are also possible

The avalanche risk is considerable from the tree line upwards and moderate below. Medium to large slab avalanches can be triggered in some places by a single person. Danger areas are located at the transition from little to more snow and generally next to blown-off areas as well as in the entrance areas to gullies and bowls filled with wind slab. Caution should also be exercised at the edge of forests and in forest aisles. In low and medium altitudes, small to medium wet loose snow avalanches and gliding avalanches are possible.

Rainfall has moistened the snowpack up to altitudes of around 2000 metres, at least on the surface, and at lower altitudes it is partially moist down to the ground. At high altitudes, the new snow cover is inhomogeneous and prone to triggering due to repeated wind influences that vary in strength. Breakages are possible, especially between the last layers of drifting snow, but deeper-lying faceted layers in the persistent weak layer or the coarse-grained base of deep rime are also affected. At low and medium altitudes, heat and rainfall put a strain on the snowpack.

Light precipitation will set in after midnight on Monday night, with pure snowfall only above 2000 metres. The wind will blow from the west with gusts of around 40 km/h. During the day it will be windy and changeable. For the time being, it will rain and snow at times from dense clouds, with snowfall levels between 1600 and 1800 metres. In total, however, only a few cm of new fallen snow will fall, most of it in the Salzkammergut mountains and the Tennengebirge with up to 10 cm. At times the clouds will soften with the westerly wind. At high altitudes the wind will reach gusts of 40 to 60 km/h. At 2000 m around 0 degrees, at 3000 m around -7 degrees.

Heavy precipitation sets in again, with intense rain at times up to around 2000 metres on Tuesday. Above that, there is heavy new fallen snow of 30 to 60 cm (mainly Steinberge/Hochkönig/Tennengebirge). The avalanche situation worsens again.