Mürztal Alps

Moderate avalanche danger. Beware fresh snowdrifts.

Moderate avalanche danger. Beware fresh snowdrifts.

Fresh snow and storm winds near to and distant from ridgelines are generating easily triggered snowdrift accumulations in steep terrain. Danger zones increase during the course of the day and with ascending altitude. Slab avalanches can be triggered even by 1 person, small-to-medium sized. Glide-snow avalanches can still release at any time of day in all aspects on very steep wooded or leafy slopes and on smooth rocky slopes.

Up to 30 cm of fresh snow are leading to easily triggered snowdrift accumulations. Weak layers are forming inside the bonded snow. The encrusted snowpack surface often has faceted crystals. The snowpack base is moist/wet up to intermediate altitudes, enhancing the gliding snow problem.

As a consequence of the stormy NW air current, instable air masses haved moved over the northern flank of the Alps bringing heavy snowfall, with the focal point now moving eastwards. Major areas of heavy snow are in the Northern Alps (Totes Gebirge, Gesäuse, Hochschwab region) and northern Niedere Tauern. Between Friday evening and Saturday evening another 50-100 cm of fresh snow was registered. On the southern flank of the Alps, less fresh snow ha fallen, up to 30 cm is expected from Gurktal Alps to Gleinalm, depending on how much the snowfall extends over the Alps; 20-40 cm in the eastern rimline ranges. Snowfall level will fluctuate in the eastern part of the Northern Alps between 800 and 1200 m, higher in Niedere Tauern. Towards Turrach and Seetal Alps at 1000-1400 m. In the eastern regions, colder, thus snowfall comes down to lower altitudes. Less snowfall is expected along the Styrian rimline ranges. At 2000 m: -4 degrees in the north; on the southern flank of the Alps, -2 degrees.

On Saturday night the precipitation will taper off or come to an end. On Sunday only minor snow showers, dispersing clouds on the southern flank of the Alps. The zero-degree level will ascend noticeably, in afternoon in the south at 2000 m. The snowdrift situation will gradually calm.