Wölz Tauern South

Brittle snowdrift accumulations. Instable snowpack.

Brittle snowdrift accumulations. Instable snowpack.

Avalanche danger above the treeline is considerable. Particular caution is urged on high altitude north and east-facing slopes. Danger zones are located in ridgeline terrain, distant from ridgelines and behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain. Fresh, brittle snowdrifts have been deposited on top of an unfavourable old snowpack surface (persistent weak layer) on east-facing slopes. Glide cracks should be seen as signals of potential danger. The drifts should not be underestimated at high altitudes! A slab release is possible even with minimum additional loading. Poor visibility makes assessing dangers on-site more difficult. Loose-snow avalanches are possible even as the snow falls.

In Niedere Tauern, 20-30 cm of fresh snow has been registered over the last 24 hours. Winds have had great impact. Bonded snow lies atop a soft layer and is prone to triggering. Inside the old snowpack there are weak layers of faceted crystals.

The NW air current remains dominant, mountains are hung deep with clouds, between Dachstein and Hochschwab there could still be some snowfall in the morning. By Sunday afternoon, 20-30 cm of snowfall is expected. In the afternoon, winds will slacken off, precipitation ease, but cloud cover will remain. At high altitudes, temperatures are low: at 2000 m: -12 degrees. In forested zones, fluffy fresh snow is possible.

On Monday, weather conditions will change, temperatures will rise slightly, heavy cloud cover will move into Styria from the east due to a low over Italy. Variable conditions will prevail, with heavy clouds, the peaks from Koralm to the rimline ranges will be shrouded in fog, in the western regions snowfall will be heavy and persistent. Stormy E/NW winds will be blowing. Further north, much less snowfall. The largest amounts of fresh snow are expected in the Gaaler Alps.