Hochschwab Mountains

Storm winds, fresh snow

Storm winds, fresh snow

Avalanche danger above the treeline is considerable in this region. Freshly generated cornices are instable. Danger zones focus on northern and eastern aspects, where fresh ridgeline snowdrifts can be triggered even by minimum additional loading. Size 2 avalanches are ordinarily expected.

Current weather conditions have a deleterious effect on the snowpack stability. Due to wind fluctuation, both in direction and in strength, snowdrift accumulations will not only be wide-ranging, but also prone to triggering. On Thursday, an additional 20 cm of fresh snow is anticipated. Soft layers in the form of loosely-packed snow, in some places blanketed hoar, and in transition zones to melt-freeze crusts, weaken current snowpack layering.

On Wednesday night, snowfall will set in and persist throughout the day on Thursday. Winds will shift from southerly to northwesterly. Winds will intensify measurably, reaching storm strength. It will become noticeably colder in the mountains, midday temperatures at 1500 m will be -6 degrees, at 2000 m -8 degrees. On Friday, winds will temporarily shift back to southwesterly, foehn wind impact is expected in the Northern Alps. Lots of sunshine during the morning hours, in the afternoon cloudbanks will move in from the west.

Slight increase in avalanche danger.