Fischbach Alps East, Wechsel

Sunny slopes: danger of wet-snow avalanches. Shady slopes at high altitudes: trigger-sensitive snowdrifts and persistent weak layer.

Sunny slopes: danger of wet-snow avalanches. Shady slopes at high altitudes: trigger-sensitive snowdrifts and persistent weak layer.

Avalanche danger is LOW widespread, above 2000 m danger is MODERATE. Danger zones with trigger-sensitive snowdrifts have receded to steep shady terrain at high altitudes. On sunny slopes, due to warmth and solar radiation, naturally triggered wet-snow avalanches can release. On steep slopes which have a smooth ground, in addition, glide-snow avalanches can release. Exposed terrain is icy and hard, risk of falling.

The fresh snow from last Tuesday has settled due to high temperatures on Thursday. On sunny slopes the snowpack is quite soft. On Thursday night the snow will regain some firmness. Weak layers inside the snowpack (faceted crystals and melt-freeze crusts) still are a threat on high altitude shady slopes. On Friday the warmth impulse will be less than the day before but the snowpack will still moisten.

After the cold front passes through the precipitation will decrease overnight apart from the northern barrier cloud regions, only between Dachstein and Hochschwab above 1000 m will it still snow until morning. On Friday the air current will shift to westerly, the gale-strength winds in the mountains will weaken. In the morning on the northern flank of the Alps, heavy cloud will still dominate, but disperse starting at midday. In between there will be sunny phases. The southern massifs will remain favored, lots of sunshine is expected. It will become quite mild during the day. Temperatures will rise to +6 degrees at 2000 m by afternoon, to +7 degrees at 1500m. Accompanied by strong-to-storm strength winds, another front will reach us on Saturday. On the northern flank of the Alps above 800m, more snowfall. Temperatures will drop significantly.

Little change in avalanche danger is expected.