Fischbach Alps East, Wechsel

Low avalanche danger. Isolated danger zones due to fresh drifts.

Low avalanche danger. Isolated danger zones due to fresh drifts.

Avalanche danger in the borderline ranges is low, but isolated avalanche prone locations exist where small slab avalanches can be triggered. The danger zones: freshly generated snowdrift locations near ridgelines, behind discontinuties in the terrain, at the entries into gullies and bowls and at forest edges. Nevertheless, the releases will be small-sized.

The snowpack fundament in the borderline mountain ranges is melt-freeze encrusted for the most part, but also riddled with weak intermediate layers and surface hoar. Since Friday, 20 cm of fresh, cold snow has been added, then transported by strong N/SW winds and deposited in gullies, bowls, forest edges and in general on east-facing and south-facing slopes.

On Wednesday, skies in Styria will be largely overcast, sunshine is possible only in the south. But there will be no precipitation. Cloud level is mostly above the summits, thus, visibility will be good. Temperatures at 2000 m will rise from -10 in early morning to +1 in the afternoon, warmth arriving earlier in the west than in the east. Winds in the western regions will be moderate, in the eastern regions strong, from south to southwest. On Thursday, mild, with strong westerly winds in northern regions of Styria, perhaps a bit of snowfall. On Friday, the next perturbance will reach us, bringing lower temperatures and fresh snow in the northern barrier cloud regions.

The higher temperatures will lead, for a brief time, to small naturally triggered avalanches and fracturing cornices. The snowdrift problem will recede.