Mürzsteg Alps

Bonded snowdrifts atop an unfavourable snowpack surface

Bonded snowdrifts atop an unfavourable snowpack surface

Avalanche danger above the treeline is CONSIDERABLE, below the treeline danger is LOW. Fresh snow plus gale-strength NW winds are generating fresh snowdrift accumlations in all aspects. Requiring particular caution: entry points into steep gullies and bowls, and snowdrift accumulations behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain. The snowdrifts are themselves signals of danger, can often be triggered by one person and release medium sized slab avalanches. Due to the storm-strength winds, even in forest lanes and at forest edges, snowdrifts can accumulate, but here, the slab releases are expected to be small sized. Exposed zones are utterly windblown.

On Monday night, 10-15 cm of snowfall expected. The fresh snow will be transported by gale-strength NW winds in all aspects, deposited as fresh, brittle drifts. Weak layers occur in the fresh drifts and in transitions to the old snowpack beneath them: soft layers with surface hoar or loose fresh snow. More deeply embedded in the snowpack are soft layers of faceted crystals bordering on melt-freeze crusts which weaken the snowpack but are unlikely to trigger except in isolated cases.

In the Niedere Tauern and Mürzsteg Alps, 10-15 cm of fresh snow is expected overnight. Stormy NW winds will transport it intensively. Winds will slacken off during the day, but remain strong. At 2000 m: -9 degrees. On Tuesday evening the snowfall will intensify again in the northern barrier cloud regions. On Wednesday, variable conditions, often stormy winds. Particularly on the northern flank of the Alps, the peaks will be shrouded in heavy cloud, some snow showers are possible. South of the Main Alpine Ridge, clouds will often be dispersed, snow showers will be more seldom and lighter. High-altitude winds will again be strong to stormy from the northwest.

Fresh snow plus stormy NW winds = a further increase in avalanche danger levels.