Lower Tauern South

Weak persistent layers become even easier to disturb during daytime changes

Weak persistent layers become even easier to disturb during daytime changes

The avalanche risk is considerable from around 2000 m, below that it is low. In some places, medium to large slab avalanches can be triggered by individuals, especially in the north-west to east aspects. Take particular care at the transitions from little to more snow. Danger areas are often difficult to recognise and a defensive choice of route is still advised. As the snowpack softens during daytime changes, deeper layers can be disturbed much more easily. Occasionally, wet snow slabs are then also possible in sunny slopes that have not yet been unloaded.

The snowpack can cool down well overnight and form a melt-freeze crust, which softens again during the day on sunny slopes. In general, the snowpack on sunny slopes is damp or wet up to high altitudes. In shady high altitudes, some of the snow surface is still soft, faceted snow, some of which has already crusted can form. Below this lies a now well-set and connected sequence of compact drift snow layers, but often a crust with angular crystals is still embedded in the upper area. The connection at the transition to the old snow foundation, which consists mainly of deep rime, is still poor to very poor and fractures can still be easily provoked here. Deep and sunny middle layers are often already snowed out.

The night will be clear and mostly cloudless. Thursday will be characterised by sunny, high-pressure weather. Visibility will be excellent, with weak to moderate easterly winds in the northern Alps from midday. At 2000 metres between 1 and 3 degrees, at 3000 metres around -4 degrees.

The number of avalanche prone locations in the persistent weak layer is only slowly decreasing. The outgoing longwave radiation is somewhat limited on Sunday night.