Wölz Tauern South

Moderate avalanche danger above the tree line. Even a single person can trigger a slab avalanche!

Moderate avalanche danger above the tree line. Even a single person can trigger a slab avalanche!

The avalanche danger is moderate above the tree line (level 2) and low below. In particular, older snowdrift accumulations, but also bonded snow in all aspects can be triggered as a small to medium slab avalanche in some places, especially behind ridgelines, terrain edges and in gullies and bowls, even with a small additional load. In addition, small, spontaneous wet snow avalanches can be expected at lower altitudes and also at higher altitudes on the sunny side.

Up to 30 cm of new fallen snow has fallen since Thursday. The snow has been transported to the eastern sectors by stormy westerly to north-westerly winds. Due to the warming, a bound snow layer is now developing in places where there was previously unbound powder. Weak layers are mainly found between drift and new fallen snow and the old snowpack (unstable layer of faceted crystals). In the foundation of the snow cover, kinetic metamorphism (floating snow) weakens the stability. Warming can cause the snow cover to become unstable at lower elevations and, on sunny slopes, also at higher elevations and slide off as a small loose snow avalanche.

In the night to Wednesday, the last clouds clear and during the day, the best mountain weather prevails from early to late. However, the air will be somewhat hazy, so visibility will be somewhat limited. At the same time, it will be very mild with +1 to +3 degrees at 2000 metres. The wind will be weak in the morning, then freshen up a little from midday and blow from the north-west.

With the influence of high pressure, the coming days will be trouble-free. Occasionally, dense clouds will cover the sun, but rain or snowfall is not in sight for the time being. Slowly but surely, the temperature will drop again at all altitudes. The risk of avalanches is decreasing.