Hochschwab Mountains

Moderate avalanche danger above the timberline - Caution: fresh, trigger-sensitive snowdrifts

Moderate avalanche danger above the timberline - Caution: fresh, trigger-sensitive snowdrifts

Avalanche danger above the treeline is MODERATE, below that altitude danger is LOW. At high altitudes freshly generated snowdrift accumulations in N/E/S aspects, behind abrupt discontinuities in the terrain and in gullies and bowls are being generated. Due to storm-strength winds, drifts are also being deposited distant from ridgelines down to forest edges. They can be triggered even by minimum additional loading in some places and grow to medium size. Danger zones are not visible to the naked eye due to reduced visibility.

Over the last few days the snowpack has become moist up to high altitudes. In general, the old snowpack is quite stable. Weak layers inside the older snowdrift accumulations and in transitions to the old snowpack are in the interim mostly reduced, not likely to trigger expect in isolated cases in shady high altitude terrain. Fresh snowdrifts are bonding well with the existing moist snowpack, trigger-sensitive weak layers still can exist inside the snowpack however.At intermediate altitudes the snowpack is thoroughly wet, at low altitudes there is at best a fragmented snow cover but it is regaining firmness as the temperatures drop, and forming a melt-freeze crust.

On Tuesday night the snowfall level will descend down to low lying areas. In the northern barrier cloud zones 5-10 cm of fresh snowfall is expected, also more between Dachstine and Totes Gebirge, elsewhere the amounts will be minor. On Wednesday, stong-to-stormy NW winds will bring back late-winter weather conditions. In early morning, heavy cloud and a few snow showers, later on the clouds will disperse from the west, last snowfall at most in the Northern Alps. Low temperatures everywhere. At 2000 m: -8 degrees; gusts will reach 40-80 km/hr, and the air will feel subjectively far colder. On Thursday, a few snow showers are possible in the Northern Alps. In the southern massifs the day will start with sunshine. Later on, pleasant conditions everywhere. Rising temperatures. At 2000 m: -5 degrees on the Dachstein and -7 degrees in the Mürzsteger Alps in the afternoon.

Little change. The cold will persist, the snowdrift problem will abide.