Weisseck, Muhr Valley

Beware gliding snow and snowdrifts

Beware gliding snow and snowdrifts

Avalanche danger is moderate. Main problem: still glide-snow avalanches, which can release at any time of day in steep terrain where the ground is smooth (grass, rocks). Avalanches generally remain small-to-medium sized, most glide-snow avalanches at 1600-2300 m, possibly slightly higher. A few cm of fresh snow and brisk W/NW winds: fresh snowdrifts being generated, can be triggered by 1 person, but the risks of taking a fall outweigh those of being burried in snow masses. Most danger zones are at high and high-alpine altitudes, in shady gullies and bowls. Danger zones increase with ascending altitude, are difficult to recognize.

On shady slopes the snowpack is often still loose, on sunny slopes the bit of fresh snow lies on a melt-freeze crust. Fresh drifts are often deposited on a loose surface, where inside the snowpack weak layers can be triggered. Elsewhere the snowpack is well consolidated. The ground is warm, so the snowpack can glide downhill.

On Thursday, heavy cloud cover from the start, light minor snowfall will later be possible north of the Salzach, snowfall level at 1000 to 1200 m. In the Tauern it will remain dry. Visibility often reduced due to clouds, in the north due to showers. Later on from the northwest, precipitation, intensifying in the evening, extending also to southern mountain ranges. Snowfall level will fluctuate around 1200 m. Westerly winds will be brisk (50 km/hr), intensify to storm strength by evening (100 km/hr). At 2000 m: -4 degrees.

On Friday and Saturday, northerly storm-strength winds, heavy snowfall. Marked rise in avalanche danger.