Hochschwab Mountains

Low avalanche danger, but watch out for fresh wind slab!

Fresh and older snowdrift accumulations often lie on faceted crystals or surface hoar, which can act as a weak layer. Apart from this, the snow surface is only slightly covered by new fallen snow and is hard or icy on the sunny slopes below. In general, kinetic metamorphism weakens the thin snow base, fundament. Windward terrain is usually blown off and almost snow-free.

Low avalanche danger, but watch out for fresh wind slab!

The avalanche danger is low. However, fresh and older snowdrift accumulations in snow-covered gullies and bowls as well as behind broad ridges and ridgelines above the tree line are prone to triggering. In a few places, the wind slab can be triggered by individuals as a small slab avalanche. In addition to the rather low risk of burial in terrain traps, the risk of being swept away and falling must also be taken into account.

Thursday night will initially be clear and it will cool down considerably. In the morning hours, dense clouds move in from the north-west and it starts to snow on the Dachstein and in the Totes Gebirge. As the day progresses, the snowfall will spread eastwards to the Hochschwab. However, the amount of new snow will remain modest with up to 10 cm in the west and less than 5 cm in the east. Visibility will often be limited at summit level. The wind is blowing strongly, in the Hochschwab area and on the Veitsch even gale-force from the north-west. The temperature at an altitude of 2000 metres will rise from -13 degrees in the morning to -9 degrees in the evening.

Friday will be milder for a short time and some new fallen snow is still to be expected. The risk of avalanches will increase slightly. From today's perspective, it may snow again and again at the weekend.