Hochschwab Mountains

Snowboards can easily be triggered!

Snowboards can easily be triggered!

The avalanche danger is assessed as considerable (level 3) above 1500 metres. The extensive snowdrift accumulations are prone to triggering, especially above the tree line. The main problem is wind slab. The avalanche prone locations are adjacent to ridgelines and far from ridgelines. They are mainly located in gullies, bowls and behind terrain edges. The layer of drifting snow can be triggered by individual winter sports enthusiasts as a medium-sized avalanche. Loose snow avalanches are also possible in isolated cases.

The cold temperatures at high altitude are preserving the snow layering. A lot of snow has been transported in the last few days. More snow will also fall on Sunday! The eastern and southern aspects are particularly affected. The wind slab has not yet been able to settle. The snowdrift accumulations are deposited above the tree line on a partly still weak old snowpack. Weak layers are in the bound layer or transition to the old snow, in higher elevations in places still in the persistent weak layer (faceted crystals in the area of crusts).

The clouds over the Styrian mountains will increase again in the coming night, with light snowfall starting north of the main Alpine ridge in the early hours of the morning. On Sunday, dense clouds will persist and it will snow a little, especially from the northern slopes up to the Rax. Visibility will also be very limited due to low cloud bases. The temperature at an altitude of 2000 metres is around -7 degrees. Strong winds with gusts of around 60 km/h from the north-west. The snowfall level is between the valleys and around 800 metres above sea level. Amounts of new snow of up to 10 cm are expected.

The wind slab problem will persist. With a northerly high-altitude current, it will remain cloudy and often snowy along the northern side of the Alps throughout Holy Week. Although conditions are dry south of the main Alpine ridge, it is usually cloudy and windy here too.