Hochschwab Mountains

Moderate avalanche danger at high altitudes due to older drifts

Moderate avalanche danger at high altitudes due to older drifts

The main avalanche danger currently stems from older snowdrift accumulations at high altitudes. On shady slopes and at entrieds to extremely steep gullies and bowls, large additional loading can trigger slab avalanches. Caution is also required to the perils of being forced to take a fall on the icy surfaces. Below 1800 m the drifts are no longer relevant to avalanche formation. The gliding snow at intermediate and low altitudes is slowly diminishing, but natural triggerings still occur in isolated cases.

At low and intermediate altitudes the snowpack is thoroughly wet and, depending on altitude, covered with a melt-freeze crust. On steep, grass-covered slopes a glide film has formed. At high altitudes the surface is ice-encrusted, beneath that the snowpack is compact and evidences no weak layers. Only in very shady high altitude terrain are there still weak layers (faceted crystals) which can fracture from large additional loading.

On Thursday skies will be overcast by and large, particularly in the northern barrier cloud regions, and visibility will be hindered. Above 2000 m there will be blue skies above the cloudbanks. South of the Niedere Tauern, more sunshine. Between Totes Gebirge and Wechsel high altitude clouds will move in during the afternoon and minor snowfall could result. Strong to stormy NW winds will be blowing. Temperature at 2000 m will drop to -5 degrees. During the nighttime hours on Thursday a burst of warm air will bring a bit of precipitation.

Avalanche danger will slowly recede.