Lower Tauern Central

Avalanche danger levels are moderate. Freshly generated snowdrifts can be triggered as a small-to-medium sized slab avalanche in some places. Size and frequency of danger zones tend to increase rapidly with ascending altitude, but also forest clearances at low altitudes can be treacherous. Surface-near avalanches above 2200m can fracture down to more deeply embedded layers of the snowpack. Danger zones occur particularly on north and east-facing slopes, above 2400m also on south and west-facing slopes. Caution urged in transitions from shallow to deep snow. Naturally triggered small-to-medium sized glide-snow avalanches are possible. Circumvent zones below glide cracks.

Fresh snow and drifts are being deposited atop a loosely-packed, expansively metamorphosed snow base which can serve as a fracture surface or atop drifts which the southerly foehn wind deposited there on Thursday in gullies. On sunny slopes the bonding to the often encrusted old snowpack surface is somewhat more favorable. Above about 2200m there are faceted crystals evident inside the old snowpack, often of surface hoar, which can frequently be prone to triggering. The entire snowpack can glide away over steep rocky places and grass-covered slopes.

A cold front will bring 5 to 15 cm of fresh snow on Thursday night, intermittently accompanied by strong-velocity W/NW winds and transported. Friday will generally be free of precipitation, but isolated minor snow and graupel showers will pass through with brisk W/NW winds. Visibility will vary constantly, often be reduced, but tend to improve through the course of the day. Temperatures will drop noticeably. At 2000m: -10 degrees; at 3000m: -17 degrees.

Circumvent fresh snowdrifts. Small naturally triggered loose-snow avalanches in sun-bathed steep terrain.