Lower Tauern South

Heed: fresh snowdrifts, they are trigger-prone

Heed: fresh snowdrifts, they are trigger-prone

Avalanche danger above 1800 m is moderate, below that altitude danger is low. Fresh snowdrift accumulations above 1800 m can be triggered in some danger zones by 1 person, releases usually small. Danger zones increase with ascending altitude, occur esp. behind discontinuities and in gullies and bowls on W/N/E facing slopes. There is continuing latent danger of glide-snow avalanches below 2600 m, usually medium-sized, occasionally larger. Avoid zones below glide cracks. Where the sun shines, naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches can be expected, mostly small releases, large on north-facing slopes.

Up to 10 cm of fresh snow plus stormy winds will generated new snowdrifts, deposited on shady slopes atop loose layers. Weak layers occur in the uppermost part of the snowpack and are blanketed by fresh snowfall. Fresh soft snowdrifts lie atop older, harder drifts. The stormy winds has distributed the snow highly irregularly. More deeply embedded layers of faceted crystals near crusts are triggerable only in isolated cases.

In the early part of the night, often heavy precipitation, snowfall level dropping down to 1400 m. Up to 10 cm of snowfall expected, with strong westerly winds (60 km/hr), after which the clouds will rapidly disperse. Often follow clear skies, with few residual clouds. On Thursday, few residual clouds, good visibility. As of midday, heavy clouds will move in from the northwest, the peaks will remain in the clear. In afternoon, showers will pass through, snowfall level at 1500 m. Winds initially from the south (50 km/hr), then shifting to westerly. At 2000 m: -4 to -1 degree; at 3000 m: -8 degrees. On Thursday night, clear skies except on the southern flanks of the Tauern, where foehn from the south will reach 90 km/hr.

Main problem remains: snowdrift accumulations.