Lower Tauern South

Avalanche prone locations in persistent weak layers are rare but have serious consequences

Avalanche prone locations in persistent weak layers are rare but have serious consequences

The avalanche risk is moderate above 2000 m and low below that. Above 2000 m, avalanches of medium size can still be triggered in a few places in the aspects from west to north to east due to low additional loads. If triggered in deep weak layers, avalanches can occasionally become large. Although avalanche prone locations are rare, they are not recognisable in the terrain. Be especially careful at the transitions from little to more snow. Occasionally, avalanches can be triggered by individuals in wind slabs at high altitudes. Danger areas are located in shady steep terrain. Avalanches can tear through to deeper weak layers. During the daytime changes, small wet loose snow avalanches can be triggered from extremely steep, sunny terrain.

South foehn forms fresh pillows of wind drifted snow. The older snowdrift accumulations have mostly settled well, but they lie on a weak layer near the surface (faceted crystals on a crust). Faceted crystals on crusts can also be found deeper in the snowpack; near the ground, the snowpack consists of angular, cup-shaped crystals. The connection at the transition to the deep frost near the ground is still poor. Deep and sunny middle layers are bare.

Wednesday night will be partly to partly cloudy. On Wednesday, the sun will mostly shine until midday with a brisk southerly wind. During the afternoon, increasingly dense clouds will gather and the mountains will become partly foggy. Towards evening, rain and snow showers will pass through. The snowfall level will drop rapidly from 2000 metres to low altitudes. The wind will shift to the west to north-west in the afternoon/evening and increase in strength. Before the cold front at 2000 m 1 to 4 degrees, at 3000 m around -5 degrees. With the passage of the front, temperatures will drop to -7 degrees at 2000 metres and -16 degrees at 3000 metres. During the night to Thursday it will snow heavily in windy conditions.

New fallen snow and wind are causing a significant increase in avalanche risk.