Hochschwab Mountains

Main danger zones: wind-loaded gullies and bowls distant from ridges, also forest clearances

Main danger zones: wind-loaded gullies and bowls distant from ridges, also forest clearances

The size and spread of danger zones increases rapidly with ascending altitude, drifts can occur mostly in extended E/S aspects in terrain distant from ridges, often to below the treeline. Thus AVOID steep gullies and bowls. Special caution is urged in wind-loaded forest clearances. Also, poor visibility makes evaluation of risks on-site more difficult.

The old snow fundament is melt-freeze encrusted; in leeward terrain the shady zones are blanked with a layer of surface hoar. Atop this, since Friday, 30 cm of fresh snow has been registered and then permanently transported by strong winds, deposited brittle snowdrift. Crests, ridges and plateaus are often utterly windblown, fresh drifts extend to below the treeline. Most of the snow was deposited in gullies and bowls.

The Eastern Alps lie in the grip of a NW air current which is delivering moist, instable air masses, now slowly slackening off. On Saturday, a warm front will approach and bring precipitation to the eastern rim of the Alps. The Dachstein-Tauern regions will have high-altitude clouds, a bit of sunshine, and in the east the cloud cover will increase and repeated bouts of snowfall are expected. Snowfall level will ascend during the day to 1000 m. High clouds of the warm front will reach the rimline ranges and Graz mountains, but it will remain dry. Sunshine is likeliest in the far southwest in the Gurktal Alps. Temperatures at midday at 2000 m: -7 degrees; at 1500 m: -5 degrees. Strong W/NW winds. On Saturday night a cold front will create storm anew.

On Sunday on the northern flank of the Alps, snowfall level will drop and precipitation is expected. Not much change in avalanche danger levels.