Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Weak old snowpack is overlaid by wind slabs

Weak old snowpack is overlaid by wind slabs

The avalanche risk increases rapidly with altitude from the tree line and is considerable above around 2000 metres. The situation remains precarious for winter sports. Particularly from north-west to north to east, medium-sized slab avalanches can easily be triggered by individuals in some places. Avalanches can be triggered in persistent weak layers and there is a high likelihood that avalanches triggered on the surface will tear through to deeper layers in the wind slab. Danger areas are barely recognisable and require a defensive choice of route. In particular, be careful near transitions from little to much snow and in the entrance areas to steep gullies. Remote triggering is possible.

New and wind slab snow cover a very different surface: in exposed areas it is marked by the wind, often crusted and hard, only in high, on shady slopes it is still soft. Fresh and older/hard wind slabs overlay soft layers of faceted crystals and deep rime. In wind-protected areas, on shady slopes above about 2000 m, on sunny slopes above 2400 m, surface hoar is also partly covered with snow. Breaks occur either in soft layers near the surface or around the crust that forms the transition to the completely angular old snowpack. In general, areas with little snow alternate with sometimes considerable snowdrift accumulations in a confined space, with overall snow depths well below average. High temperatures and rainfall have moistened the snowpack up to around 2000 metres.

Clouds will be dense from the start on Saturday, but visibility will initially only be limited at high altitudes in the Tauern and Nockberge mountains. In the afternoon, the cloud base will drop and the mountains will become increasingly foggy. Light snowfall sets in. The snowfall level will initially be around 1400 metres and will fall during the day. By the evening, it will snow 5 cm to a maximum of 10 cm north of the main Alpine ridge, less to the south. In the morning a brisk southerly wind will blow in the Tauern, during the day the wind will turn to the north and reach speeds of around 40 km/h in the evening. At 2000 m around -3 degrees, at 3000 m around -9 degrees.

The risk of avalanches increases with new fallen snow and wind.