Hochschwab Mountains

Still easily triggered snowdrifts!

Still easily triggered snowdrifts!

Avalanche danger above the timberline is moderate. Main problem: snowdrifts in all aspects. Danger zones occur near ridgelines, at entries into gullies and bowls and behind discontinuities in the terrain. In isolated cases in wind-exposed terrain below the treeline, instable snowdrift patches have been generated. Wherever the snow has bonded to form a slab, even 1 person can trigger a medium-sized slab avalanche. In shady, extremely steep terrain and gullies at high altitudes, isolated large-sized avalanches can be triggered (start of a persistent-weak-layer problem). Windblown surfaces are often hardened or icy: acute danger of falling.

Minor fresh snowfall from last weekend has been transported during the week by varying winds, depositing mostly small snowdrift accumulations, still poorly bonded with the surface. Potential weak layer: faceted layers and surface hoar atop a hardened melt-freeze encrusted layer. The old snowpack beneath it is compact, without marked weak layers.The snowpack surface is highly diversified: wind crusts, wind swirls and hardened often icy surfaces alternate. In wind-protected shady terrain and in forest zones, there is still powder to be found.

Following a night of clear skies, Saturday will bring radiant sunny weather to the Styrian Alps. Cloudless skies, a few clouds will move in during the afternoon, winds initially brisk from the northwest, starting at midday on the northern and eastern rims increasingly stormy. Temperature at 2000 m: -3 in the Northern Alps and +1 degree south of Niedere Tauern.

Sunday will be mostly sunny and cold, with residual cloud on the northern flank of the Alps. In the morning still stormy, esp. in NE regions. Avalanche danger levels are not expected to change significantly.