Lower Tauern Central

Prone to triggering wind slab and weak old snowpack are difficult to recognise!

Prone to triggering wind slab and weak old snowpack are difficult to recognise!

The avalanche risk is moderate above 2000 metres and low below that. Above around 2000 m, slab avalanches can be triggered in a few places, sometimes by individual winter sports enthusiasts, and can occasionally reach medium size if they tear through the old snowpack. The avalanche prone locations increase rapidly from the tree line, they are partly covered in snow and therefore difficult to recognise. Take particular care in the west, north and east aspects, especially at the entrances to steep gullies and bowls and behind terrain edges. Whumpfing collapsing sounds when stepping on the snowpack can indicate danger. In addition to the risk of burial, the risk of being swept away and falling should also be taken into account.

On a locally very varied snow surface, there are some fresh, prone-to-triggering pillows of wind drifted snow from Wednesday, which will be covered by 10-15 centimetres of new and drifted snow overnight and on Thursday. In general, there are often areas with little snow next to considerable snowdrift accumulations. Older snowdrift accumulations and the old snow surface have been transformed in places and are soft and in places hard as a board. The old snowpack consists of crusts with faceted crystals in between and deep rime. A break usually occurs around the uppermost crust. The total snow depth is well below average.

Snowfall will set in during the first half of the night. By Thursday morning, around 10 - 15 cm of fresh of new fallen snow. The snowfall eases noticeably from midday. Dense clouds will often ensure poor visibility until the afternoon. The wind will be moderate to brisk, this time from the west to north-west. It will be colder: at 2000 metres it will be -5 degrees, at 3000 metres around -11 degrees

Hardly any decrease in avalanche danger. The weak layers in the snowpack remain prone to triggering.